Lunar Legacy
by The Sleeping Library
Summary: Two Worlds brought together and then separated. Two hearts connected through a web of relationships. Luna has lived these past years without her beloved, with only her children as constant reminders of what she had lost. Although what should be truly feared? The Past-or the present? Later chapters will include some M material, so rating ahead of time.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Where the Heart is

It had been five years since the population of Equestria returned to their homeland, most better off for the transition. They had returned to their home to find the Everfree Forest, an untamed forest at the edge of their lands, had grown over their homes and farmland. Luckily, the capital of Canterlot had been left mostly untouched, a large majority of the inhabitants there being spared the Merge in the first place. The unicorns that lived there had utilized their magic to keep the forest a respectable distance from the capital. Unfortunately, their magic had not been able to extend over the nearby towns. Upon the return of the Princesses and the other half of their population, steps had been taken to push back into the forest. The old town of Ponyville had been quickly reclaimed, but a lot of work still had to be done to push the Everfree back to its old size. A lot of ponies, upon hearing that their princesses had returned, had quickly made their way to the capital to request help. From what was discovered, only Canterlot, Ponyville, and a few close by cities had been affected by the Merge, with roughly half of the population being left behind. And now so much had changed. Celestia was having enough of a headache dealing with most of the put off nobles. Too many were looking to 'help' with reconstruction, or assist in helping other ponies get back on their hooves. She wished something could break the monotony—

"Princess!" A spry voice called, jarring Celestia from her thoughts. She looked up in time to see a young orange Pegasus mare come galloping in, a satchel hung over her back. Her violet mane was just long enough to be tied back in a short ponytail that stuck up behind her head. The guards beside Celestia's throne started, but after she got closer they relaxed. Even Celestia couldn't help but smile at her young messenger.

"Scootaloo," She said warmly. "You bring news?"

"Mmhm!" Scootaloo pulled her satchel off onto the ground and rooted around in it for a moment. She pulled out a rolled scroll sealed with a golden seal. "It's from Princess Cadance, and just arrived by bird."

With a light golden glow enveloping her horn, Celestia's magic took the scroll from the young filly's mouth. "Thank you, Scootaloo. You should go get some rest."

"I'm alright, Princess," Scootaloo assured the much older mare. Celestia smiled.

"If you say so." She opened the scroll and began reading the contents. Cadance's flowery writing was the first thing she noticed, along with the usual greetings. She quickly skimmed over the first few lines, pausing at a hint that Cadance and Shining Armor were looking to have a child. Or at least, were expecting one soon. The Princess of the Sun had not seen her niece and nephew-in-law for a couple years since their return, the rulers of the Crystal Empire working to oversee things in their own domain. She kept reading the letter, pausing at a bit of information she had not expected. The Northern Pony tribes, also known as the Frost Ponies, had begun travelling further south, reaching the edges of Crystal Empire territory. Rumors of a white ghost abounded, some kind of ice-wraith that had them on edge. Shining had gone to investigate, but nothing had come up. Other than that, it was business in usual in the Crystal Empire, and the Crystal Heart was as strong as ever. "Hm. An Ice Wraith is loose in the north?"

"An Ice Wraith?" Scootaloo repeated, confused.

"A creature made of pure ice and cold," Celestia explained, setting aside the letter. Her magic took hold of a cup of tea sat off to her right, and she lifted it to her lips to drink. She sighed. "Well, as long as whatever that thing may be is not causing any issues, I believe we need not worry."

"I guess so…"

"Well, Scootaloo. I do not think I need you at the moment. You are free to go do what you want."

"Can I go see my dad?" Scootaloo asked excitedly. Ever since their return Celestia had her two knights, Ace Guard and Flash Sentry, working quite hard to help with the reclamation efforts. They had living quarters here in the castle, but lately the Princess of the Sun had been considering letting them return home to their families permanently. Ace Guard, as current captain of the guard, was almost doing triple duty. But for now, she decided to allow the young filly's request.

"Go right ahead, Scootaloo. I believe you've earned it."

"Thanks Princess!" Scootaloo beamed and took off at a gallop to find her dad. Celestia watched her go with a smile. Scootaloo had become a royal messenger almost immediately after they returned, usually working alongside her father, Ace Guard. The young filly did indeed love her father, and that was always refreshing to see. With Scootaloo's unerring determination, communication around the castle was at an astonishing efficiency. Although…

"Ferrous?" Celestia called, getting the attention of one of her guards. The gray maned guard approached her, armor clanging slightly as he walked.

"Yes Princess?"

"Hold any visitors at the door. I will be going to speak to my sister for a bit."

"As you wish, Princess." He made a short bow.

Celestia rose from her throne, her long morning colored flowing tail uncurling behind her. The other guards in the room stood at attention as she left out of a side door towards the royal chambers. A few maids made way for her as she walked up the stairs. One unicorn filly in particular looked terrified as she passed, her bright green eyes darting about as she stopped to look at her. She was younger than the other maids, with long green and silver hair that hid one of her eyes. "Y-Yes?" She stuttered nervously. "D-Did you need something, P-Princess?"

"No… Is my sister in her room?"

"Yes… T-This one believes so…"

Celestia frowned a bit, but instead turned and continued on to the hall where hers and her sister's bedrooms were. The door to her room was adorned with a large sun emblem, while her sister's had a large crescent moon. Going over to the latter, she knocked softly with her hoof. "Lulu? Are you awake?"

There was a slight shifting inside, before the familiar voice of her sister responded. "I am awake, sister."

"May I come in?"

"Go right ahead."

Celestia gently pushed open the door and entered Luna's room. The younger Alicorn's personal chambers were dark, as Luna preferred keeping her window curtains closed during the day. Soft purples and blues colored the majority of the furniture there, and a massive telescope was set up in one of the windows. Luna herself was seated in one of the nearby windows, the dark blue Alicorn simply staring out the window. She was slender, as most Alicorns were, but as she was shorter than her white furred sister, with her mane and tail being a light shade of blue like the night sky. Her blue eyes regarded her sister curiously as Celestia sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you feeling alright, Lulu?" Celestia asked, keeping her tone warm.

Luna sighed. "You know as well as I do that I am not," She said. "Especially not today."

Celestia was thoughtful for a moment. "Today is…" She trailed off, eyes drawn to the twisted metal ring that sat at the base of Luna's horn. A wedding ring. "…Your anniversary." Luna's husband had been left behind in the human world, unable to come with them due to not being an Equestrian. Luna had never been the same since then, being more prone to dark moods and spending a lot of her time alone. Celestia had tried to reconnect with her sister, find some way to brighten her day, but… there had been little progress. It was all she could do to keep Luna from shutting herself up completely. She had truly been in love with the man, especially after he helped her conquer her darker half, Nightmare Moon. He had placed his life on the line for her and all the Equestrians. Luna didn't respond at once, letting her eyes go back outside. Down below in the training yard, her daughter, Aurora Dawn, was sparring with one of the castle guard. The dark violet Alicorn filly was easily fighting toe to toe with the much larger stallion. She scored a solid hit on his helmet, and the sound of the practice sword hitting metal rang out loudly. Obviously elated, the girl dropped her weapon and bounced around, her long sky blue hair falling out of the messy bun she had put it in. The other guards watching broke out to a laugh, which was shared by the younger filly. She was energetic, but there was an intelligence in her eyes that most ponies would never notice. Those silver eyes that always seemed to be observing, that always reminded her of… him.

"Or at least, it would have been. Almost five years." She let out a deep sigh. "But… I will most likely never see him again."

Celestia gave a small frown. Aleron an Aurora had done their best to keep a smile on their mother's face, but it was days like this that really hit the smaller Alicorn. "Luna… You can't simply stay in your room all day."

"You say that every year."

"But have you actually done it?"

"…No."

Celestia chuckled softly. "So come on, let us go. A lot of ponies are worried about you."

Luna sighed. "I suppose you are right as usual, sister."

"It's the place of the older sister to be right," Celestia teased. That got a laugh out of her younger sister, and the other Alicorn got up from her seat.

"Very well. What trivialities are we dealing with today?"

"Several quite miffed nobles mostly."

"How quaint. Shall we go then?"

The two Princesses left Luna's room then, going back to the throne room. They didn't speak much as they walked, Celestia choosing to leave her younger sister to her thoughts. They passed by the young maid from earlier, this time the filly escaping before Celestia could speak to her. It was a bit strange, her reactions, but the Princess of the Sun simply attributed it to her being unused to royalty. They rounded a corner, coming across a young royal blue furred unicorn colt with short black hair. A stack of books were grasped by his dark gray magic aura. "Aleron," Celestia said, a bit surprised. Luna couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"Hello Aunt Tia," Aleron said with a small smile.

Celestia spared a glance at the stack of books that was taller than the colt himself. "Are you… are you planning to read all of those, little one?"

"You know little Al," Luna told her, moving close to her son to give him a loving nuzzle. "Quite the avid reader."

Aleron set the books down for a moment. "I would be in the library reading, but Ro wanted me to help her with something…"

"Al, Al!" An excited voice called. The three of them turned to see Aurora galloping/flying towards them, a wide smile on her face. She slid to a stop right before she ran into the stack of books. "Hah! Not this time!"

"Not this time?" Luna looked confused.

Aleron shook his head. "Ro has come running at me like that a bunch of times. Every time she misjudges the stop and knocks over all my books."

"I apologized every time," Aurora complained.

"You could just walk."

"But I wouldn't get here super quick!"

"What are you two doing down here anyway?" Luna asked, interrupting the twins. "Ro, I just saw you outside sparring."

"I flew up to meet Al," The filly said. "We were going to practice our magic together!"

Celestia glanced over at Aleron, who simply shrugged. "She wanted me to help her learn some of the advanced stuff."

"Yeah! Cause Al knows a lot more about magic than I do!"

The blue colt rolled his eyes. "Because I actually take the time to study magic. You always practice your blade work with the guards."

Aurora grinned and moved next to her brother, rubbing her cheek into his. "But you know you like spending time with me, Al!"

"You're my sister, it would be kinda bad if I didn't like you."

It was a constant surprise to Celestia how alike and different Luna's twins were. They both shared the same dark coloration for their coats, although Aleron was more of a blue hue while his sister was more purple. They both had silver eyes as well. Aurora's sky blue mane was usually unkempt or tied in a loose ponytail. Aleron had a black mane and tail, usually keeping it cut short so it didn't get into his face when he read. Although Aurora was more interested in learning martial lessons while Aleron was focused on mastering magic, the twins were quite close, and always supported each other no matter what. The Princess of the Sun figured that it was Luna making sure that they would not end up in a situation like the two of them did. "So did you need mom for something, Aunty Tia?" Aurora asked, looking up at the white Alicorn.

"Yes, I figured it would not be good for Lulu to stay indoors all day," Celestia teased. "I don't want her to be a recluse."

Aurora frowned. "Re… recluse?"

"It means someone who stays inside all day," Aleron supplied.

"Oh, so someone like you?"

"Hey!"

Luna chuckled, but gave her sister a dark glare. "We should get going, my little crescent moons. The life of a Princess is always busy."

Aurora ran to her mother to give her a quick nuzzle. "Okay mommy!"

Luna glanced over at Aleron, who hadn't moved. With a small smirk on her face, she let her horn light up with magic and pulled the young colt to her, swiftly planting a kiss on his forehead before he could react. "H-Hey! Mom!"

"Gotcha," Luna stuck out her tongue at him, causing a light blush to form on his cheeks.

Celestia smiled. "Come Lulu, you can play with your little ones another time. We have work you know."

"So do we," Aleron said hurriedly, picking up his books and beginning to push Aurora away. Once they got partway down the hall, the dark violet filly bumped into her brother hard enough to knock part of the stack of books out of his magical grasp and onto her back. When he gave her a questioning glare, she simply grinned.

Celestia and Luna watched them go. "…They are quite the lovable pair, aren't they?" The Princess of the Sun said.

Her sister nodded. "I love them both dearly. It brightens my days and nights to have them."

"I understand completely." Celestia gave her a warm smile. "I find myself never losing a smile whenever they are around."

Luna smiled softly. "Well, let us hurry on. We've lingered here long enough, haven't we?"

"Correct."

It didn't take too long for them to reenter the throne room. But as they entered, they found it a lot busier than when Celestia had left. There were quite a few more guards present to their surprise. "…Did something happen while I was gone?" Celestia asked. Ferrous came over to his princess, bowing just slightly. He seemed to think for a moment, as if he wasn't sure of what to say. After a long moment, he finally let out a sigh.

"You have a… a visitor, Milady."

"A visitor?" Celestia frowned. "Then why all the added security? Ponies come calling all the time."

"We… we don't know what the creature is."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You said 'creature'. You say a creature came here and requested an audience with my sister?"

"Yes, Princess."

"And you don't know what it is?"

"…No Princess."

"Whatever it is it is intelligent enough to speak, is it not?" Celestia said. She went over to her throne and sat down in it, Luna taking her seat in the moon themed throne beside her sister. "Let us speak with this visitor of ours."

"Princess, I don't know if this is wise…"

"I believe no matter what comes through that door we will be able to handle it," Luna assured the guard. Her gaze darkened for a moment and she added, "We've been through worse."

Celestia gave her sister a sideways glance before returning her gaze to the door. True, they had endured a lot through their long lives. Surely whatever was behind the door could not be that shocking. The great hall doors opened, and Celestia and Luna stood to greet their guest. But the moment the doors were completely open, they both froze on the spot. Even as the guards were looking to their princesses for instruction, Celestia found herself falling back into her seat. "…Impossible."

Ferrous looked to her, confused. "Princess?"

Luna was likewise at a loss for words. She tried to form some kind of sentence, but failed utterly as her brain shut down from information overload. She clumsily tried to form words for a moment longer, but eventually gave up and fell into silence. Tears were streaming from her eyes as her mouth and brain agreed on a single word. "B…Buh…! Beloved…?"

Tyr grinned, silver eyes shining with happiness. He had been waiting a long time to say these four words. "…Hello Luna. I'm home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello returning and new readers! I decided to put the welcome proper in the "first" chapter of Lunar Legacy. The Prologue was short anyway :P**

 **But before I let you get to the story itself, I'll address the last few comments left on the Records.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Continue at the risk of your own sanity. :D**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Unfortunately, Tyr is not a pony. I thought about it, but my idea for the first plotline concerns why there would be no change.**

 **DragonLord Ryukioku: See comment above. But I did mention Spike (not a whole lot, as I'm realizing now) Only a couple times. I.E. the first few chapters that involved Twilight and the town library. And in regards for Equestria, there were still ponies left behind. The ones remaining in Canterlot formed a provisional government.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Indeed! And as a note, whenever Zodiac and Jehu are in the same place, nothing is safe. And considering how many people asked about Tyr being a pony, I started to think he should have become one... but no, I'm sticking to my guns on this one.**

 **PBJ: I think I just couldn't not write unconnected shorts like I wanted to. And I ignored your review? *gasp*I profusely apologize.**

 **Now, onto the real first chapter of Lunar Legacy:**

* * *

Chapter 1: Reunited

"TYR!" Luna cried out, bolting from her spot beside Celestia and flying straight at the human man. He simply held out his arms, catching her as she flung her front hooves around his neck and embracing her as tightly as she did to him. The guards in the throne room watched in mute shock. They had never seen the Princess of Dreams react like this to anypony, let alone some strange creature that had suddenly walked into the castle. The tall, and muscular man was dark skinned, his short black hair cut short. There was a soft smile on his face as he gently rubbed Luna's back as she sobbed into his shoulder. Ferrous, closest to the Princess of the Sun, decided to voice his concerns.

"Um… Princess?" He murmured quietly, trying not to be obtrusive. "What is that creature?"

"You remember the stories of the other world we told you we were sent to?" Celestia replied, finally regaining her ability to speak. A smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth that she was vainly trying to keep under control. She did remember that a lot of Equestrians had not been sent over to the human world, and the most information they had on them were simply the stories of the survivors.

"Where you were transformed into humans, yes. Wait. You don't mean…"

"Yes, that stallion you see before us is a human."

"I… I see." Ferrous frowned, before looking back up at her. "But why did Princess Luna react that way?"

"Tyr… is her husband."

Luna finally got herself under control long enough to push Tyr out at a distance to look at him. "Beloved, I… I… how? How did you end up in this world? I thought it impossible, especially after so much time passed…"

"Believe me, if I knew I would tell you," Tyr admitted with a smile. He reached up to gently caress her face, finding the feel of her fur a strange yet welcome feeling. Luna lifted up one hoof to touch his hand. "I'm just glad I'm here."

"Tyr," Celestia called, getting the attention of the two lovers. They separated after another extended moment, both looking relatively sheepish.

"Yeah?" Tyr replied, smiling over at his sister-in-law. She couldn't help but smile back.

"You say you're not sure how you came to our world, correct?"

"Right."

"So then how long have you been in this world, if you don't mind me asking?" She frowned slightly, eyeing her brother-in-law curiously. He was decked out in warm weather clothing, with visible pieces of armor underneath the fur coat and cloak he was wearing. Different kinds of charms and amulets hung from different parts of his armor. "You seem to have collected quite a few… trinkets."

"Most of them are gifts, to be honest," The man replied with a chuckle. "I've managed to make a few friends along the way. But to answer your question, I think I've been wandering for about… almost three years now."

"By the Night…!" Luna exclaimed. "And you just now came here?"

"Well, considering I was on my own for a while in the Sereneighti, and had to learn their language…"

Before Tyr could continue with his story the front doors flew open again, this time letting a golden maned hazel colored unicorn burst in with several more guards. To the shock of everyone in the room, a brace of spears were leveled at Tyr. "Halt right there, creature!" The leader called out, an elegant spear grasped in her dark gold magical aura. "And step away from the Lunar Princess!"

"The hell?" Tyr muttered with a frown.

"Bright Soul, what is the meaning of this?" Luna demanded.

Bright Soul scowled and angled her spear more towards Tyr. "I heard that some creature in armor came waltzing in without my knowledge. We cannot simply let him in here without making sure he's not a threat!"

"Making sure I'm a threat? I even left my sword outside with the door guards," Tyr pointed out. Celestia and Luna stared at him.

"You didn't," Celestia said.

There was a commotion outside, and all the guards turned just in time for a massive silver wolf to fly overhead, landing nimbly beside Tyr. In one fluid motion the wolf shifted into a much smaller wolf-girl that quickly perched on Tyr's shoulder, glaring at the guards that followed her in. "Remind me to bite you later, Alpha," The girl said, scowling. "Transformation or no that frost sword is still part of me. Letting those ponies handle me with such… indelicacy."

"You know I can't just bring weapons in to meet royalty," Tyr responded, reaching up to scratch behind the wolf-girl's ears. She eagerly responded to his touch, before realizing what she was doing and biting at his fingers to make him stop.

"Quit that at once! I have a reputation!"

"Oh? I thought you liked that, Fenrir."

"That's beside the point."

Luna's ears twitched slightly, imagining the feel of Tyr's fingers scratching at her ears. She shook off the idea and cleared her throat. "Bright Soul. Tyr is not a threat, so there is no need for—"

"That has yet to be determined, Princess," Bright Soul asserted, cutting Luna off. She kept her weapon pointed at Tyr. "He is a foreign entity, and has a weapon that can transform!"

"I think it's kind of telling how much of a threat I am when I got this far without any one stopping me, considering I do carry more than one weapon," Tyr said, aimlessly placing his hand on Luna's head. She looked surprised at first, but simply leaned into his touch as he stroked her hair. "Besides, why would I be a threat to my—"

"Unhand the Princess, beast!" Bright Soul lunged with her spear, only for the tall man to catch the shaft of the weapon before it could reach him. She looked surprised for only a moment.

"Watch where you point that thing," He said with a scowl.

"Let go!"

"Not until you stop trying to stab me."

Luna made to say something, but someone else spoke up before she could. "Okay, whatever this is, it better be important. I was just about to head home and see my wife and kids."

The squad of guards parted slightly, making way for a pure white Pegasus stallion with long, messy pure white mane and red eyes. At his side was a quite disappointed Scootaloo. "Captain Ace Guard!" Bright Soul said, almost relieved. Tyr let go of her spear, and she pulled it away. She gave him an evil looking smirk. "Now we'll get this matter resolved."

"I only came up here because I was told it was an emergency," Ace said, coming forward. "So what's the big…"

He trailed off, eyes falling on Tyr. Scootaloo paused as well, confusion and then her mouth dropped wide open. Both of them finally spoke at the same time. "No way…"

"Tyr?" Ace asked, incredulous. Tyr simply responded with a grin.

"What's up, buddy?" The man replied.

"Dude!" He came closer, his smile growing even wider. "How…? I mean, when? Or… actually, just answer both."

"Can't answer the first, but I just made it here today."

"Just made it here today?"

Tyr glanced back at Celestia. "Teleportation is hard," He said with a chuckle.

Luna blinked. "You… learned how to teleport?"

"Somewhat." Tyr watched as Scootaloo hopped over to him and started to circle around him, looking and poking him. "I can teleport long distances, but unless I can see where I'm going, I tend to… overshoot."

"Beloved," Luna sighed, shaking her head.

"What? It was my first time doing it. I got lucky that I actually got here when I did."

Ace chuckled. "Well, I'm not one to judge when it comes to magic or whatever. But seriously bro, it's good to see you."

"Am I the only pony that's wondering why you're acting so friendly with it?" Bright Soul demanded.

"DO NOT CALL HIM AN IT!" Luna roared, catching everyone off guard. There was anger in the Princess of Dreams' eyes, and it was focused on Bright Soul. "I will not allow you to speak of my husband in such a way!"

That seemed to throw the golden maned pony off. "Hus… band?"

Celestia nodded. "Luna and Tyr were married while we were in the other world," She clarified. "He is Aurora and Aleron's father."

Bright Soul looked from Tyr to Luna, shock on her face. Tyr smirked, and pulled Luna back to his side. "Uh huh. It's true, I married your Princess of Dreams."

"So do not speak ill of him in my presence," Luna ordered. Bright Soul and the rest of the guards lowered their weapons. "He is to be afforded any and all courtesies while he is here."

Bright Soul frowned, but bowed her head. "…Very well, Princess."

"And no more pointing weapons at my friend," Ace ordered. The guards all nodded in the affirmatives.

"We will take our leave then," Bright Soul said, and swiftly turned on her heel and left the throne room. The extra guards followed as well. Fenrir snorted derisively. "That one… the golden haired one. She is full of herself."

"You can say that again," Tyr muttered.

Celestia sighed. "Bright Soul means well, but she is… quite aggressive about her job."

"More like she has a stick shoved up her—" Ace began, but caught himself. He glanced at Scootaloo, who returned his look in confusion. "Heh, right. Kids in the room."

"Speaking of foals…" Luna and Tyr looked back at the Princess of the Sun. Celestia smiled. "Have you both forgotten? You two are parents as well."

Ace blinked. "You haven't seen your kids yet?"

"Oh, Beloved, you have to meet them!" Luna said, taking hold of Tyr's hand. "They've both grown up to be wonderful children."

"Well, seeing as everything has sorted itself out," Ace began, extending one white wing to corral Scootaloo back in. "We're going to be on our way. Rainbow will flip if I don't get home on time."

He waved one hoof as Scootaloo climbed back up onto his broad back and they went out the door. Tyr smiled. Ace had always been pretty responsible despite having been as laid back as he was. Nice to see married life was something he was getting used to. As Luna began to drag him from the throne room, he glanced back over at Celestia. "Hey, Tia?"

She looked over at him, a small smile on her face. "Yes, Tyr?"

"You don't need Luna for anything, do you?"

"Oh, no I do not. I only called her out here so that she wouldn't be spending today in her room. She's been quite listless without you, Tyr."

"I have not!" Luna protested. "I simply…"

She tried to continue speaking, but suddenly swayed to one side, eyes half closing and the rest of her sentence coming out in a slur. Tyr caught her before she could fall, just as the rest of the guards came rushing over to her. "Moon!" Tyr exclaimed.

"What did you do to the Princess?" Ferrous demanded, but Luna held up a hoof.

"I am… tired, it seems," the Princess of Dreams said, a little surprise creeping into her voice. "I did not sleep well the other day, and it is now catching up to me."

"The other day?" Tyr asked, confused.

Luna gave him a weak smile. "After we returned here, I slipped back into my old nocturnal ways. Well, more or less. I sleep most of the day and wake in the afternoon. It doesn't normally affect me because I gain more restfulness from less sleep, but…"

"You stayed up all day, did you not?" Celestia admonished. "Lulu…"

"Easily remedied with a short… nap," Luna admitted, yawning. Tyr never saw her like this, so he was a bit surprised at how cute she looked. "I apologize, my love, but I fear you must meet our children alone."

There was a lot that could go wrong with that, but Tyr decided to let his princess get some rest. "That's fine my dear."

"You should be able to find them anywhere, my love." Luna smiled. "I believe they'll be happy to see you."

"Should we provide you with an escort?" Ferrous offered, although from his tone Tyr couldn't be sure if he was being courteous or just following orders. He decided to give the guard a bit of a headache.

"No, I think I'll be fine," Tyr said, smiling. "I'll find my own way around."

He was rewarded with a hard frown, but a nod nonetheless. "…Very well. We will take Princess Luna to her chambers."

Luna gave her husband one last apologetic gaze as a couple of the other guards led her away. Tyr glanced back at Celestia, but she was talking to another guard about some notice that had been brought to her. So he left the throne room then, Fenrir still perched on his head with her bushy tail slightly wrapped around his neck. He had noticed she liked to do it whenever she was bored, just to make sure she didn't fall. He didn't mind since her tail was quite warm. They walked out into the main hallway, coming face to face with a young maid. Her green eyes went wide upon seeing him. "Um… hello," Tyr said amiably, being as friendly as he could. To his surprise, the filly made a small squeaking noise and bolted away.

"You scared her away," Fenrir said, obviously amused. "I suppose that's to be expected. You are, as some would say, a "creature", Alpha."

"Oh don't you start," Tyr replied with a little chuckle. But it did surprise him that the little filly had run off that quickly. Most ponies only looked at him in confusion and curiosity, although none had actually looked at him in fear. But that filly's eyes had seemed familiar. He shook it off and took a short turn into an outside pathway. It was a beautiful day, with a clear sky. He took a deep breath. "It's nice outside."

"Alpha," Fenrir spoke up softly. "We are being followed."

"I noticed." Tyr had grown used to checking over his shoulder wherever he went, as a lot of ponies in this world were wary of him and tried to keep him under observation. However, wolves were not the type to be trapped, and it was often the hunters became the hunted.

"Do you want me to root them out?"

"No, we don't want to cause any trouble for Tia. Let them watch us; I don't mind."

Fenrir laid her head atop Tyr's lazily. "Very well, Alpha."

The man smirked and raised one hand up to gently scratch behind the wolf-girl's ears. She didn't bite at him this time, content to simply allow the little show of affection. The Chaos Spirit had been his only company for quite some time, after all. They rounded a corner and found themselves in a small gazebo area, which to their surprise was already occupied. A sleeping unicorn mare was lying atop a small bench, red mane scattered about her. She was a light red-brown color, with what looked to be a little earring shaped like a crescent moon in her ear. On her flank was the image of a Caduceus, except the staff was replaced with a sword. "Wait… is that…?"

The mare woke up then, eyes opening slowly as she awoke. Her horn lit up for a moment, retrieving a pair of glasses from the ground below her. She slipped them on and let out a yawn. "What time is it…?" She murmured.

"Probably later than you needed to be up, Grace," Tyr said with a wide smile. The mare frowned at the sound of his voice, and looked over at him. Her blue eyes widened. She pulled off her glasses and then rubbed at her eyes before replacing them, only for her mouth to drop wide open.

"No way…" She murmured, getting up. She walked over to him slowly, looking him over. "I mean, I can't believe it, but I'm looking right at you…"

"It's me." Tyr confirmed, smiling.

"I can't believe it," Grace said, reaching out to touch him with one hoof. When it touched him, she almost jerked it back. "…You ARE real."

"That I am."

"But… how? I thought… I thought you couldn't come with us!"

"Well, I didn't exactly come with you all. I've only been in this world for… almost three years."

" _Only_ three years he says," Grace said, scrunching up her nose. "How were you here that long without anypony knowing? I thought you and Chrysalis had that whole mind connection thing."

"They did," Fenrir said. "But Alpha tried to contact her the moment we arrived in this world."

"She never replied," Tyr said sadly. Not having the company of his 'pet' had been somewhat distressing, seeing as she would do whatever she could to be near him no matter what. "I haven't heard from her at all."

"Well, I wish I could help… but Chrysalis vanished after the first few days we were back. Not even the Princesses know."

"I just hope she's alright."

"Same. But…" She gave him a warm smile. "It's wonderful to see you again, Tyr."

The man grinned. "Same to you, Grace. Also… glasses?"

Grace nudged her glasses with her hoof. "Contacts are a lot harder to come by here."

"Fair enough."

"Um… Tyr? Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot."

"When we left… did… um…" She blushed a little. Tyr thought for a moment before gently pounding one fist into his hand. He knew what she was wondering about—their mutual friend Vanna, a dragonkin and Grace's last second boyfriend. The dragon metalsmith had put himself on the line to save Tyr's life. He smiled softly.

"Ah. Vanna saved me again. I was essentially dead to rights, but he distracted Leo long enough for me to kill him. As far as I know, he got out alright."

Grace let out a deep sigh. "That's… wonderful. That's really good to hear."

Seems it had really been a worry of hers, Tyr thought. He looked back up at the sky. Vanna was another friend he was sad to not have nearby, but the dragonkin had vanished after Tyr's duel with the Order Knight Leo. Quite a bit of his friends had disappeared that day, the man thought ruefully. All that effort and the only one he had been left with was Fenrir. Not that he didn't like having the wolf spirit around. "I'm just happy to see that you all made it out safely," He said finally.

Grace blinked rapidly, before letting a warm smile cross her face. "…It's good to have you back with us, Tyr."

Fenrir's ears twitched, catching Tyr's attention. Along with their magical connection, anything the Chaos Spirit noticed or sensed was instantly transmitted to the man himself. She sniffed the air. "Alpha," She murmured. "The watcher we have…"

"Still there?" He asked. Fenrir nodded.

Grace frowned. "Um, did I miss something?"

"We seemed to have gained a follower," Tyr pointed out, smirking. "Quite persistent, to have followed us and just been watching."

"Should we root them out now, Alpha?" Fenrir asked.

"Gently," Tyr advised. The wolf spirit rolled her eyes before leaping off of Tyr's shoulder and vanishing into one of the nearby bushes. Grace spared her human friend a worried look.

"I hope you're not about to get me in trouble," She muttered.

"Oh, come on Grace. When have I ever gotten you into trouble?"

She gave him a flat look. "I've been shot at, almost stabbed, almost set on fire… shall I go on?"

"Hey, that last one wasn't my fault."

"It was your friend that almost did it!"

"Right…"

Their conversation was cut off by a small yelp from nearby. Fenrir appeared in her wolf form, carrying a familiar little filly in her jaws. It was the maid from before, and there was fear in her eyes. Rightly so, as a wolf almost three times her size had picked her up like one of her cubs. Fenrir came over to Tyr and Grace, setting the filly on the ground in front of them. "This is your watcher?" Grace asked, confused.

"Seems like it." The little filly was trembling slightly, and was keeping her eyes pointed at the ground. Tyr frowned a little, motioning for Fenrir to transform back and take her place on his shoulder. This close, he could get a better look at the young filly. She was small, as he expected any young filly to be, with a French braided sea-green mane and tail. Her coat was a dark gray, and it didn't look like she had a Cutie Mark. "So, what's your name?"

The girl stayed silent, fidgeting a little under the gaze of the man. "My Alpha spoke to you, little one," Fenrir said firmly.

"T…. This one is named Cori."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "This one?"

The little filly bowed even lower, almost putting her face into the ground. "P-Please do not harm this one. No harm was meant."

She was honestly terrified that he was going to hurt her, Tyr realized. "Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Cori, right? I just wanted to know why you were following me."

"I… wanted to see your eyes."

"My eyes?" Tyr frowned. His silver eyes were unusual, that was true, but never had anyone stalked him just to see them. He chuckled. "Well, if you would look up, you'd be able to see them."

The filly stayed silent for a long minute. "Um…"

"Look up."

"….Yes sir." She looked up then, her bright viridian eyes meeting his. He frowned slightly as he met her gaze, feeling as if he recognized her for some reason. After a long moment of staring, the girl finally looked away. "…You have pretty eyes."

"…Thank you. You do too, you know."

"Um… may I go?"

"Yeah, I suppose you can. That's all you wanted, right?"

"Yes sir. Um… good bye." She suddenly darted away, leaving the man and his companions in quiet surprise.

"She was… a little strange," Grace offered. Fenrir and Tyr just nodded in agreement. She shook her head, and then glanced over at the man. "So… where are you headed off to now?"

Tyr thought for a moment. He had been originally looking for his kids, but had gotten sidetracked upon seeing his friend. Add in the strange little maid, and now he wasn't sure what he had intended to do at all. As he pondered the current situation, a thought occurred to him.

"Sherry," He said, simply. If anything, he should find his adopted daughter and oldest child first. "Do you know where I can find Sherry?"

"Sure!" Grace said, smiling brightly. She pointed her hoof to a nearby door. "Take that door, and the first staircase to your right will lead you up to a short hallway. Sherry's room is at the very end."

Tyr stood up, dusting off his pants. He gave his friend a bright smile. "Thanks Grace. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Of course! Don't be a stranger!" She waved her hoof at him as he headed off. He passed by other maids and castle guard as he followed Grace's instructions. It didn't take too long for him to find the room in question—it was marked with Sherry's Cutie Mark, two cinnamon sticks crossed one over the other. He went up to the door and was about to knock when he heard a soft voice complaining.

"But Sherry… Hope can't read this word."

"Oh yes you can, Hope. Just try."

"Re… reo… re organ…"

"Come on! You can do it!"

"Reorgan… ize?"

"Put it together."

"Reorganize!"

"Yes! There you go Hope! I told you that you'd be able to do it."

Tyr moved to knock, but the door gave way just as he lightly pushed it. He was greeted by the sight of two young mares at a desk near the window. One was seated behind it, her long snow mane pinned back into a complicated looking French braid. Her coat was a light gold, and a pair of doves adorned her flank. She was an Alicorn like Celestia and Luna, her horn lit up with a soft yellow glow and her wings fluttered softly as she tried to make sense of the words on the paper in front of her. The other pony in the room was an Alicorn as well, except her coat was a light chocolate brown and her mane was light pink. She rubbed one hoof against the other mare's back. "You can do it if you try, Hope."

"It's hard!" Hope complained, horn winking out as she stopped using her magic. She looked over at her companion. "Big words are hard, Sherry!"

"You asked me to help you learn to read better, and reading big words is part of that. And you're doing very well, Hope."

"I liked learning math with Aunty Celestia more."

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle at that. The sudden noise caught the attention of the two mares, and they turned to look. Sherry froze on the spot, disbelief coming to the forefront of her expression. She opened her mouth and said one word. "…Daddy?"

"Hey little girl," Tyr greeted her. "Or should I say little filly?"

"DADDY!" Next thing the man knew, he was holding her, squeezing her in an embrace that was long overdue. She smelled vaguely of sweets, but Tyr was too happy to be holding his adopted daughter in his arms, pony or not.

"Tyr?" Hope was surprised as well, golden eyes wide. "But… how are you here?"

"I was about to ask the same thing dad," Sherry said, finally letting go of him. She rubbed at her face, trying to rub tears away. Tyr simply knelt and did it for her, getting a happy smile in return. "The spell I cast couldn't have brought you…"

"I found… an alternate way," Tyr said, choosing the best explanation. "But I can't really say how it worked."

"Well, whatever. I'm just so happy to see you…!" She pushed her face back into his, and Tyr rubbed her back lovingly.

"Same to you, Sherry. Same to you." He glanced over at Hope. "It's great to see you too, Hope."

"Sherry teach Hope lots of things!" Hope said, grinning. "Best sister I could ever want!"

Sherry chuckled at that. "It's not just me. Aunt Celestia and Mom have been helping out too. Hope is a really fast learner."

"Reading is hard though," Hope complained. "And being a Princess."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at that. He remembered Sherry being declared a de facto Princess due to her Alicorn status, but Hope too? "A Princess?"

Hope cleared her throat. When she spoke again, it was in a more elegant way than before, and her voice had none of the normal hesitation she had while speaking. She made an elegant bow. "My name is Esperanza de Luz, Princess of Hope. A pleasure to make your aquian… er… Sherry~!"

Sherry chuckled. "It's 'acquaintance, Hope."

"Oh, right!"

"Your speech has gotten a lot better," Tyr said, reaching out to pat Hope's head. She grinned happily.

"I do a lot better once Sherry taught me to read!"

"Did a lot better," Sherry corrected, nudging her with an elbow. They both shared a giggle. Tyr stood back up, smiling down at both of them.

"That's great you two," He said. "I'm happy you've been looking out for her, Sherry."

"Someone had to," Sherry admitted. "Plus, I've had to take up some Princess duties myself…"

"Oh?"

"I've had to field complaints from farmers and the like. I guess being Princess of Creativity makes them think I'll give them some kind of miracle solution."

"But most times you do," Hope pointed out.

Tyr grinned. "So you're actually living up to the title, huh?"

"I'm trying, I guess." She looked up at her father, eyes full of happiness. "Dad I… It's so good to see you again."

"Same to you," He told her softly, hoping that the words carried as much weight as he wanted them to. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. She threw her forelegs around his neck in the best hug she could give him. As they were sharing the embrace, the door behind them swung open. Tyr let Sherry go in time for them to all look up at the doorway. Aleron and Aurora stood there, shock on both of their faces. Tyr swallowed heavily. He knew it was his children that were before them. He could feel it, and see it in their silver eyes. The same realization seemed to come to them, as their eyes widened.

"Dad?" Aleron murmured in shock. He remembered what his father looked like, but…

"DADDY!" Aurora cried out happily, rushing to him and embracing him. She was smiling wildly as she rubbed her face up against his. "I knew I would see you again, I knew it!"

"Ro," Tyr managed to say as his daughter affectionately hugged him. "I… you were waiting for me?"

"Of course!" She pulled away with a wide grin on her face. "Mommy always said that we'd see you again, no matter what!"

Tyr thought back to the last moment he had seen Luna, especially her last words: I'll wait for you. She had stayed true to her promise—from the reactions he had gotten Luna had been the only one to hold out hope for his return. Well, her and their kids. He glanced over at Aleron, who was still standing in the doorway, a look of shock stuck on his face. "Not gonna come over, Al?'

"I…" Aleron hesitated. "I mean… Dad… you're here. And Sherry said she couldn't bring you, Aunt Celestia and Aunt Twilight said they couldn't either…" He glanced down at the floor. "Nothing I found could do it either…"

"But he's here!" Aurora exclaimed happily, flying up into the air and doing a loop. She gave her brother a soft smile. "So isn't that what really matters?"

"…I guess you're right for once," Aleron said, coming forward. He embraced his father. "…It's good to see you again, dad."

"Same to you, son." Tyr felt a tear coming from his eyes and he wiped it away. He pulled Aurora back into a hug just as Sherry hugged him from behind. He said it before and he'd say it again—He was glad to be home.

* * *

 **Are we done yet? I don't think so.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Like I said, if I managed to finish chapter 1 and 2 by today, I'd post them both. So, as Promised!**

* * *

Chapter 2: A Little Change is Good

Tyr rubbed the bridge of his nose in consternation. "So what you're telling me is—you haven't seen Chrysalis at all since you all returned to Equestria?"

The next day, the Royal dining room was quite lively, with Tyr being the catalyst. Apparently not even now could he spend a proper night with his wife, who had gone off to oversee her nightly duties. He sat at one end of the table, Luna beside him in a night gown and Aurora and Aleron off to his other side. Sherry had yet to wake up, and Hope was busy watching birds out the window. The twins were already arguing about something that Aurora found extremely funny while Aleron didn't agree with her. Celestia, hair tied up into a loose pony tail and glasses on the bridge of her nose, sighed and took a sip at her tea. Apparently, even the Solar Diarch wasn't that big a morning person. She did carry herself gracefully regardless. "That is true," She offered.

"Although to be perfectly honest, it was about a month after we arrived that she disappeared," Luna corrected, levitating a small batch of pancakes to her plate. As she spoke, a knife and fork deftly separated her food into even slices. "There was an… incident."

"An incident?" Tyr looked up at that. "What kind of incident are we talking about?"

"Chrysalis made the mistake of revealing her normal appearance outside of the royal chambers," Grace said, entering. She looked like she had just woken up herself, and the yawn she gave next only confirmed it. "Good morning, everypony."

"Morning Grace!" Hope said with a bright smile. The redheaded knight gave her a smile back before getting a plate of food for herself and sitting in one of the window seats.

"You eat breakfast with royalty now, Grace?" Tyr teased.

"Flash and Ace would be here as well if they weren't home with their families," Luna pointed out. Tyr nodded, remembering. Twilight and Rainbow Dash must not get to see them that often, so what little time they could must be really important.

"I invited Bright Soul, but she declined," Grace said, biting into her sandwich. "Something along the lines of getting an early start."

Luna sighed. "She takes her job so seriously…"

"Too seriously."

"What is her position anyway?" Tyr asked. Luna and Celestia shared a quick look. The Princess of Dreams tapped her hooves together nervously.

"Well, Beloved. To be perfectly frank…"

Tyr popped a grape into his mouth and chewed. Hm. Equestrian grapes were sweet. "Let me take a guess—she replaced me. As a Lunar Knight, I mean."

"Erm… yes."

"Well, can't say I'm surprised," The man said with a shrug. He picked up another grape and flicked it over in Hope's direction. The distracted Alicorn mare turned just in time for it to go right into her open mouth. She blinked in surprise, before tasting it and smiling. She trotted over to Tyr.

"More, more!"

Still a kid, even if she was full grown, the man realized. He chuckled and plucked another grape for her. "Here you go, Hope."

"What are you doing with Hope, dad?" Sherry murmured, walking in. She sat down beside Celestia, yawning.

"Just messing around," Tyr said, gently stroking Hope's mane as she happily ate grapes from his hand.

Luna frowned. "Beloved, you're not upset we found someone to take your place?"

"Not exactly," Tyr admitted, letting Hope get up partially into his lap to go after the rest of his grapes. "I mean, it probably raised a lot of questions when you left the position open."

"A lot of questions," Grace pointed out. "We were getting applicants left and right, and Princess Luna was running out of ways to refuse them."

"Finally, I gave in," Luna said, lowing her head. She glanced over at Tyr. "You… are you sure you are not upset?"

Tyr chuckled. "I'm not, I'm not. I understand completely. As long as I didn't come here and find you married off to someone else…"

"By the night I would never! My heart only belongs to you!"

The man gave her a soft smile and leaned over to kiss her forehead. When she blinked in surprise, he said, "And that's why I'm not upset."

"O-oh…"

While Luna sheepishly went back to eating with a dark blush on her cheeks, Tyr glanced back over at Celestia. "So… what about this incident?"

Celestia set down her cup of tea. "Well. It was the month after we had returned to Equestria. We were welcomed home with open arms, of course, and we immediately worked to rebuild what we had lost. Chrysalis planned to help us… at least, I had believed."

"She kept mostly to the castle," Grace said, picking up the story. "I know Flash, Ace and myself saw her a lot, but she was… sad. I think she really missed you, Tyr."

"I know she missed you, Dad," Sherry said. She stared down at her own plate, aimlessly pushing around a slice of an orange. "She told me that the link you two shared was gone and that she felt… empty without you nearby."

Tyr nodded, suddenly feeling Fenrir climb up to his shoulder. "Ah, Alpha felt the same. That the Changeling woman… pony had been cut off from him."

"Was it painful?" Sherry asked.

"Not really," Tyr offered. "Mostly just… cold."

"It must have felt quite unpleasant," Celestia said.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't notice at first. You know, busy trying to kill Leo and all. But once I was awake and by myself… well, I realized how 'by myself' I really was."

"And it must have been worse for Chrys," Sherry said. "Changelings feel emotions much stronger than anypony."

"The absence must have been terrible for her," Celestia agreed. She let out a sigh. "I wish she had stayed…"

"What happened?" Tyr asked.

"We were going out to the town square for lunch one day," Grace said. "I mean, me, Ace and Flash. She asked if she could go with us—that she had something important she wanted to tell us."

Luna looked up sharply. "Something important? She never spoke of anything like that to me."

"From what I understand, she wanted to tell us first before she spoke to you."

"I see…"

Tyr glanced from his wife to his friend. "So what happened?"

Grace sighed. "We only made it as far as the town square. We suddenly had an angry mob surrounding us, demanding Chrysalis's death."

"Her death!?" Tyr blinked in shock. They were actively asking for Chrys to be executed?

Celestia frowned. "You have to remember, Tyr. Chrysalis tried to conquer Canterlot and from there the entirety of Equestria. And many of them did not go to your world—To be perfectly frank, only those in this room, Twilight and her friends, Cadance, and Shining Armor knew her."

That was true, Tyr realized, looking down at his plate. He sighed. "…So what happened, Grace?"

"Ace tried to explain," Grace said, picking up where she left off. "But… They weren't in the mood to listen. Before we knew it, they were throwing rocks at her."

"Chrissy…" Tyr scowled. If he had been here…

"She went flying back to the castle after she got hit by one," Grace said, with a shake of her head. "I thought she was going to speak to you, Princess Luna."

The Princess of Dreams shook her head. "I never saw Chrys that day. I found she was missing when I went to go speak to her the next day."

"Such a shame… I thought whatever she wanted to tell us was good."

"Why do you think that?" Tyr asked.

"Because she seemed quite happy when she said she wanted to talk to us."

Hope made a small noise that caught Tyr's attention. There were no more grapes on his plate, and she was looking up at him sadly. "Oh, don't give me that face. Can someone bring me some more grapes?"

"I want some too!" Aurora said.

Celestia rung a small bell at her side, summoning a servant. "Ah yes. Could you bring some more grapes for young Hope? Ah, and for my niece."

The servant nodded. "Of course, Princess. Would you require anything else?"

"Some more tea would be lovely."

"At once." The servant darted back out of the room. Tyr scoffed good naturedly.

"Such efficiency," he teased.

Celestia chuckled. "He takes his job quite seriously."

They all turned as the servant returned with Celestia's tea, followed by the younger maid with the tray of grapes. The lead servant set the tea kettle down and refilled Celestia's cup, while the second maid setting down the tray of grapes near the center of the table. She spared a quick glance at Tyr, who looked back at her as Hope began happily eating more grapes. "…Hello Cori."

"You know her name?" Luna asked.

"Tyr and I talked to her yesterday," Grace pointed out.

"H-Hello sir," Cori said, averting her eyes. Tyr opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly Fenrir leapt off his shoulder onto the table. Remembering what had been done to her before, Cori flinched back. "Y-Yes?"

"I understand now," the Chaos Spirit said, a slow smile growing on her face. She prowled forward towards the young maid. "I know why you smell the same."

"Smell the… what do you mean?"

Fenrir glanced at Tyr, whose eyes widened in shock. "Fen, are you serious?"

"You know how to check, Alpha."

"I'm sorry I have arrived so late, Princess," Bright Soul said, entering. "But I wanted to do my morning rounds before I—"

No one was really paying attention, instead all eyes were on Tyr and the young maid. "Cori. Show me your true form."

Her eyes went as wide as dinner plates, but she let out a long sigh "…Very well, my lord." Her body exploded into a corona of bright green flame, causing everyone to flinch back. Bright Soul stood in the doorway, the confusion on her face giving way to sheer horror. The flames vanished almost as quickly as they came. Standing in the circle of slightly singed carpet was a filly with pure black chitin like skin and light green gossamer wings. She had a mane of dark green hair, with a tail to match. Her eyes were two different colors, one dark silver and the other a light green. She let her gaze fall to the floor. "…Here I am, my lord. This one has done as you asked."

Celestia's magenta eyes widened in shock. "You're… there's no way you can be a… how?"

"It seems these past two days have been full of surprises," Luna said, her eyes wide as well. "We must have been quite lax to not notice a—"

"CHANGELING!" Bright Soul roared, leaping forward. Her spear was in her hooves, and it was pointed right at Cori. The young Changeling spun in place, too shocked to move. Everyone else was just as shocked. The spear came down—

Only to be intercepted by Tyr's own weapon. The man's frost blade had intercepted the spear strike half way to Cori, the Changeling filly cowering behind him. Even as Bright Soul stared at him in confusion, his eyes narrowed. "The hell are you doing?" Tyr demanded.

"I need not answer to you! Especially when you willingly consort with Changelings!" The hazel mare scowled. "Move aside!"

"And let you kill her? Not on your life."

"Move!"

"Bright Soul, stand down!" Grace said, getting up.

The other knight shot her a shocked look. "That's a Changeling, Grace! They are the enemy!"

"Take a look at her and see just who she's going to hurt!" Tyr growled. He was tired of Bright Soul's holier-than-thou attitude, and he was halfway about to knock her down a few pegs. He pushed her spear away and backed up a step, still close enough to block any other attacks. "Look!"

She did, and hesitated. The young Changeling was in tears, cowering with her hooves over her head. Bright Soul kept her weapon trained on her. "It doesn't matter. A Changeling this close to the Princesses? I cannot allow it."

"You can and will," Celestia said firmly, rising from her seat. The other mare shrunk back a bit, obviously afraid of Celestia's disapproval.

"B-But, the Changeling…!"

"One little changeling will not harm us. Or do you think my sister and I weak?" Luna asked pointedly.

"Of course not, Princess!" Bright Soul fully lowered her weapon and bowed quickly. "I… I only sought to keep you from harm."

"Like I said, Cori is no danger to Celestia or Luna," Tyr said.

"You will address the Princesses with respect, human!"

Celestia sighed. "Tyr is free to call us what he pleases. Bright Soul… please do not antagonize him."

"I will not allow _anypony_ to harm the Princesses while I live."

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "You're earnest, I'll give you that. But you're just like a kid trying to impress their parents."

"What did you say!?"

"I think I misspoke," Tyr said, smiling mischievously. "You're just a little _filly_ trying to act tough for your parents."

Bright Soul narrowed her eyes. "You will regret that, human."

"Ooh, a challenge?" Fenrir popped up onto Tyr's shoulder. "You should know better than to challenge a wolf, little filly."

"Stop calling me a filly!"

"That's enough," Celestia said, sighing. "Bright Soul, little Cori is no threat. We are fine."

The golden maned mare scowled, but let out a sigh. "…Very well, Princess Celestia. I will stand down."

The morning haired mare nodded, and then turned to Cori, who was still cowering. "…Cori, was it? Look at me."

The Changeling trembled and shook her head into her forelegs. "I'm scared!" She whispered.

Celestia looked to Tyr for help. He frowned back. What exactly did she want him to do? The Changeling was too frightened of them all to… He paused. "…Hey, Cori. Stand up."

The filly looked like she wanted to protest, but gave up and stood back up onto her hooves. "Look! She follows his orders!" Bright Soul began to protest again, but Luna gave her a sharp look that silenced her.

Tyr suddenly felt an idea come to him. "Cori… I want you to take me to your mother."

Cori's eyes widened. "M-My mother? This one is not worthy…!"

"You will do just fine. Take me."

"Mother…? the Queen of the Changelings is still alive?" Bright Soul exclaimed.

Luna let out a sigh of relief. "So Chrysalis is still alive after all."

"You sound relieved."

"I know I am," Tyr said, feeling a surge of happiness. His Changeling was alive, and somewhere out there. Cori being here proved it. Chrysalis had had a daughter… wait. A daughter? His small smile turned into a frown. When had Chrys had a daughter? Well. Something to bring up when he saw her. But at least now he would see her again. He glanced over at Bright Soul, who scoffed and turned away, probably only not saying anything because of Luna. The Princess of Dreams herself was looking at him expectantly.

"What will you do now, Beloved?" She asked softly, reaching over with one hoof to touch his hand.

"I think I know what I'm going to do today," Tyr replied. Aurora immediately complained.

"But Daddy, I wanted you to play with me today!"

Aleron scoffed. "By 'play', I'm pretty sure she wants to duel you, dad."

Aurora made a pouting face. "Hey, you saw how fast dad moved! He'd be perfect to train me!"

Tyr patted her head. "We'll 'play' later, Ro. Dad has work to do."

"Okay…" She frowned, but being petted by her dad put a little smile on her face. Tyr began to rise, only for Bright Soul to push forward into his field of view.

"…You need something?"

"I'm going with you," She said curtly. Her eyes narrowed. "You're taking a Changeling drone to go find the Queen. I demand you take me with you!"

"She's not a drone, she's Chrissy's _daughter_." Tyr replied shortly. His opinion of Bright Soul was rapidly deteriorating. He glanced over at Celestia. "Tia? Thoughts?"

"Do not call—"

"Take her with you," Celestia said gently. She smiled. "Perhaps seeing your interactions with Chrys will convince her she need not fear the Changelings."

Tyr sighed. He didn't like the prospect of taking the belligerent knight with him. However, Grace spoke up then. "Hey, how about I go too? Just in case."

"Hm… if Tyr is alright with it, I see no problem with it." She looked to the man in question. Tyr grinned. Having Grace along would be a nice concession, especially since it gave him someone to talk to besides Bright Soul.

"I would be delighted," Tyr said, giving Bright Soul a pointed look. The hazel mare scowled back, but otherwise said nothing. "So. Let's not waste any time, shall we?"

-x-

Cori had returned to her pony disguise for their foray out into the city. She stayed close by Tyr, sensing that he was the only one who wouldn't hurt her. Bright Soul was constantly glaring at her back, only stopping when Grace began telling her stories about their time in the human world. Only then did the new Lunar Knight stop watching the Changeling filly's every action. As if noticing, she let out a sigh. "You alright?" Tyr asked, looking down at her. Cori glanced up at him before returning her gaze to the ground between her legs.

"This one is alright, my lord." She said quietly.

"Just a question… why do you call me 'lord' like that?"

"You are married to the Princess of Dreams, therefore you are a prince…"

"Ah. I understand."

Cori lapsed into silence as they continued walking. Tyr let his eyes wander, deciding to take in the sights of Canterlot as they travelled. It was close to looking like a city in the human world, although stone was the main building material instead of steel. Mostly unicorns inhabited the city, the large majority of them with their noses pointed into the air. A few did look over at him, some in disgust and others in shock. Guess no one outside the castle had noticed him when he arrived the other day. He went back to following Cori. As they walked, Tyr noticed the quality of housing start to get worse and worse. He saw a few ponies seated along the street edges, some with signs asking for food or bits. "Where are we?" Bright Soul suddenly demanded.

Grace chuckled. "Never been on the bad side of town, Bright Soul?"

"Bad side?"

"This is kinda like where I grew up," Grace said, reaching out to touch the wall of a nearby house. The stones were worn and old, and a small smile crossed the red maned mare's face. "…Reminds me of home."

"I do not know how anypony could call a place this… run down home."

"Someone obviously grew up sheltered," Tyr chuckled. His own childhood had been kinda bad, with him and his sisters living day by day. Sif and Freyja, his younger sisters, probably never saw how close they were to starving, but Nanna, Tyr's older sister would have known. His comment seemed to strike a nerve in Bright Soul.

"I was not sheltered!" She snapped. "I simply did not live in a place like this!"

"Well, you grew up in Canterlot, right?" Grace said. "And you weren't poor."

"No, I was not."

"So don't talk bad about people forced to survive in places like this." There was venom in her tone, which made Bright Soul flinch. Tyr spared his friend a glance. From what little Grace had told him about her childhood, it had been a part of her life that she would never let anyone bad mouth. Growing up in a slum had made Grace who she was, and she wouldn't let Bright Soul demean that. The shock on Bright Soul's face gave way to impassivity.

"…Of course, Saving Grace."

Tyr suppressed a chuckle and glanced back at Cori. "Are we getting close, Cori?"

The young Changeling filly nodded. "Yes, my lord. Um… the house right there." She pointed with one hoof towards a dark stone house with a single crystal light in the window. As they watched, a dark brown stallion went inside. Tyr narrowed his eyes.

"Are we going in… there?" Bright Soul asked, obviously a bit disgusted.

Tyr glanced down at Cori, who was still looking at the ground. "…Would your mother be expecting you home this early?"

"No, my lord." She replied quietly.

"…Then we're going in."

Grace frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Come on." He led the way over to the house, the three mares falling into step behind him. It was only a short distance to the door, and as they approached, they could hear soft voices speaking, obviously a mare and the stallion that had just entered. He motioned for the others to be quiet.

"So it's only a hundred bits?"

"What, can you not afford it?"

"No, I can afford it…" There was the jingling of coins, and then the female voice let out a sigh.

"Alright, let's—"

"Excuse me!" Tyr said, pushing his way inside. The stallion that had come in a moment ago spun on the spot, obviously shocked.

"W-What? That door was locked!"

"Doors can't keep me out," Grace said, smiling. Her needles, controlled by her magic, slipped back into her mane. "Locks are nothing."

Tyr let his eyes drift over to the mare, who was staring at him with a look of pure shock. She was a pretty thing, with a long, straight black mane and tail, and bright green eyes with a coat of pure silver to go with it. To his mild surprise, she was wearing a collar, with a silver shield emblem stitched into it. She drew back a step as his eyes met hers. "…Been a while."

"M-Master…!" She whispered, horrified.

The stallion was indignant. "Hey, I just paid for my time, so whatever the buck you are, you can just go wait your—"

"Hm. It sounds like you don't know what you just got yourself into," Tyr said, turning to him. He spared the other mare a glance. "Show him."

The mare looked panicked. "But…!"

"Do it."

She hung her head. "…As you wish, Master." Her form melted away into pure green flames, to reveal the tall figure of none other than Chrysalis. Tyr had to do a double take himself, as this was the first time he had ever seen Chrysalis in her pony form. Her skin was pure black, and was more of a hard carapace than fur like a normal pony. Her limbs had holes in them, and her horn was twisted instead of straight. A green band was around her body, and her tattered gossamer wings were thin and wraithlike. A little black crown sat atop her head. The only description that came to Tyr's mind was bug like. Her green eyes pointedly went do the ground.

"W-What in the name of the Princesses…!" the stallion whispered.

Tyr glanced over at him. "Well friend, this, if you didn't know, is a Changeling. Or more specifically, the former Queen of the Changelings."

"So I almost…!"

"Uh huh."

The stallion stood dumbfounded for only a moment longer before galloping out of the house, screaming in terror. Bright Soul watched him go, a small frown creasing her face. "…Should we just let him go?"

"No point in chasing him," Grace said with a shrug.

Tyr had turned his attention back to the quiet Queen of the Changelings. "…Chrysalis," He murmured.

"Master," She replied quietly, afraid to speak any louder. "I… I thought I would never hear your voice again…"

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. But what are you doing?"

A pang of something akin to pain made her flinch. "I… I could not find any other way…"

"You could have stayed with Luna and Celestia. You know that."

"But all I would do is cause them more problems," Chrysalis complained. "I saw. They had mobs at the gates demanding my capture and execution. No one in this city would accept me."

"So you hid out here. Selling yourself."

Chrysalis slumped to the ground, no doubt wishing she could melt into the floor. "…I had no other way…"

"Mother always took care of this one!" Cori said, jumping to Chrysalis's defense. She moved in between the human and the Changeling, letting her own disguise fall away. There was defiance on her face, something that shocked everyone. "She always made sure this one was fed, and she always told me stories when it was bedtime! She's a good mom!"

There was a soft smile on Chrysalis's face, but Tyr simply frowned. "That actually raises more questions. This girl is your daughter, Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis nodded slightly. "Yes she is, Master."

"…Who is her father, if you know?"

There was a poignant silence in the room, with everyone's eyes on Chrysalis. She seemed to struggle with the question for a bit, one hoof going up to rub at her collar. "I… Master, forgive me. Cori is yours."

The statement froze the room. Tyr stood there with his mouth partially open, a look mimicked by Bright Soul. Cori herself looked from her mother to Tyr, unbelief in her eyes. Grace was the first to finally speak up. "Holy Night," She breathed. "Chrysalis, you…!?"

"That last night before I dueled Leo…" Tyr said, connecting the dots. Luna and Chrysalis had spent one last night together before the spell to return the Equestrians to Equus was cast. He stared at Chrysalis for the longest time, unable to fully grasp what she was saying. As if she was aware of his thought process, Chrysalis continued.

"I told you before—I would only ever become pregnant if I chose to…"

"And you did."

"I… wanted something to remind me of you," Chrysalis said softly, pulling Cori to her. She rested her head atop her daughter's lovingly. "She is… she is my treasure."

Tyr took a step back, lucky to find a wall to keep him upright. "And… and you never told anyone?"

Chrysalis looked away. "I… I was scared. Already, most of the castle guard were mistrustful of me, and when I finally got up the courage to tell _somepony_ …"

"That's what you wanted to talk to us about," Grace said, realizing. Her eyes widened. "No wonder you wanted to tell us first before you spoke to Luna!"

At the sound of her Princess's name, Bright Soul seemed to recover. Her eyes fell on Tyr with rage. "You! Vile human, you birthed a child with a Changeling? And you were already bound to Princess Luna!"

"He didn't know!" Chrysalis said, coming to his defense. "I never told him what I was doing…"

Bright Soul's spear appeared, and she aimed it at Chrysalis. "Then you cannot be trusted. Prepare to die, bug—!"

She got no further, as a needle lodged itself in her neck. She froze up, and then collapsed onto her side. Everyone looked over at Grace, who was smiling. "What? She tends to get worked up, so I let her take a nap."

Chrysalis made a face. "I trust that does not happen often?"

"At least once or twice a week. I like to think of it as target practice."

"Will she live?"

"…Probably." She shrugged. "Hasn't killed her yet."

Tyr chuckled. "Thanks Grace."

She beamed. "Of course!"

The man redirected his attention to Chrysalis. Instead of being hard this time, he gave her a gentle smile and knelt down. "Chrissy… I mean, obviously I'm surprised, but… You never told Luna?"

Chrys looked down at Cori. The Changeling filly looked up at her mom, giving her a small smile. "I was afraid she would be against it. And now, spending time with her… She is a joy, Master."

Tyr sighed. "Well, I guess we should tell her."

"Master?"

"She was worried about you, Chrissy," Tyr told her, smiling. "Her, Celestia, Sherry, heck probably even Hope. You've got a home waiting for you."

"…And Cori?"

Tyr frowned a bit. Luna was… not possessive, but him fathering another child, especially one by Chrys might not go over that well. But there wasn't much they could do, could they? Hiding it would more than likely be worse. Grace spoke up then. "Um, can I point something out?"

"Hm?" Tyr glanced back at her, finding the mare checking Bright Soul's pulse. Satisfied the other knight was still technically alive, she stood back up.

"Luna has been keeping a close eye on Rarity and Pinkie's kids, so she may not react that negatively."

"She has?" Tyr had been the sperm donor for Rarity and Pinkie Pie, two of his other friends, allowing them to have foals of their own. Luna had been… worried about the process, but in the end, had allowed it. Plus, the relationship between her, Tyr and Chrysalis was already well outside the realm of 'normal' anyway. He let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose there's not much to be done."

Grace nodded. "Right."

Chrysalis sighed. "Very well. I am ready to… as they say, face the music."

"Mother…" Cori said, nudging her mom. She blushed a little bit. "Um… I have not eaten today…"

Tyr felt his stomach lurch a bit as he glanced at Chrys. She noticed his gaze, and gave him a warm smile. "It is alright, my Master. Cori is unlike any Changeling that has ever lived. She can gain sustenance from normal pony food alongside emotions. Otherwise, I would not have needed all this." She went over to a nearby cabinet and pulled open the door with her magic. A pair of sacks were inside, and she opened them. They were full of gold coins.

"By the two Princesses," Grace murmured, looking. "There has to be several thousand bits in here!"

"Twelve thousand in each bag," Chrys clarified, closing the bags. "I… saved up."

"Wow…"

"I give it all to you, Master. You'll more than likely need it more than I."

Tyr frowned. Sure he did need actual currency in this world, but… He smiled. "Alright Chrys. Your Master is pleased."

Chrys gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen her make. She made a small bow. "And I am happy you are happy."

"Speaking of which…" Tyr murmured, watching Fenrir materialize and start rooting in the bags. "…The Bond."

Chrys blinked a couple times. "Ah! That is correct. I believe I know how to remedy that."

"Oh?"

"Like this." She walked towards him, and pressed her lips gently against his. Almost immediately, Tyr felt a rush of emotions flow into him—love, fear, anger, jealousy—all of it. And then there was silence in the flow of his thoughts. Chrys pulled back, her smile still there.

[Can you hear me, Master?]

Tyr smiled, and he could feel the warmth of the happiness his Changeling and daughter had. Chrysalis was beaming; little Cori was confused, until she realized the happy feelings she felt were coming from Tyr. [Loud and clear, Chrissy] He thought back.

"Mom, is that…?" Cori looked over at Chrys, who simply nodded.

"Yes, my little one," She said, smiling. "You can now feel your father's emotions."

"Why is that, actually?" Tyr asked.

Chrys thought for a moment. "Perhaps… perhaps it is a weaker version of the Bond that you and I share?"

"Maybe." Tyr glanced behind him. "Grace, should I carry her?"

He motioned to the still unconscious Bright Soul. Grace made a face, and then with her magic yanked the needle out. A moment later, the fallen knight leapt up onto her hooves. "Agh! What… what happened?"

"The usual," Grace said pointedly, making sure the other knight could see the needle as she replaced it. "Will you control yourself now?"

"…Yes Grace."

"Wonderful!" Grace gave her a warm smile. "Now, we should return to the castle."

[Should we disguise ourselves?] Chrys thought, but Tyr shook his head.

"Anyone wanting to bother you two will go through me," Tyr assured her.

"This is a terrible idea," Bright Soul said, but sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

They exited the house, Bright Soul and Grace leading while Chrys and Cori stayed near Tyr. It was going to be a long walk back to the castle. They were barely out of the poorer section of Canterlot that they got their first followers. Some were watching with curiosity, and once they got closer, most began to shy away in fear. The Queen of the Changelings had returned, and was simply walking down the street? That could not stand. As they kept walking, the crowd kept growing, and Tyr was starting to hear the rumblings of resentment. They were about halfway to the castle when the first rock came sailing in to hit Cori squarely in the head. She cried out in pain.

"Get out of our city, Changelings!"

"I told you so," Bright Soul snapped as the onslaught of thrown objects began to rain in, all of it focused on the two Changelings. Tyr's magic lit up in response, a wall of shield bearing constructs forming to cover them. Grace and Bright Soul were cut off by the crowd at the front and were forced to retreat into the magical shelter. "Oh come on!"

Tyr glanced back at the two Changelings. Chrys was leaned protectively over Cori, the younger Changeling bleeding from a cut on her forehead. She was whimpering softly, and Chrys wrapped one wing over her back. "It is alright, little one. You will be fine."

"Why are they attacking us, Mother? Cori asked, sniffling. "Did… did we do something?"

"Your mother did, a long time ago," Bright Soul said harshly. Her eyes narrowed. "She invaded our home and tried to turn us all into slaves!"

"Bright Soul—!" Grace began, but Tyr held up a hand.

"She's right, Cori," Tyr said softly. "Your mother wronged these ponies a long time ago. But now… none of that matters." He pulled something out of his cloak. It was a leash.

Chrysalis's eyes widened. A light blush rolled across her cheeks. "M-Master…?"

Tyr's smile was small, but whispered of darker intentions. "Hey Chrys, wanna go for a walk?"

-x-

"So the human is the one who championed you in the other world?" Jury Review asked.

Celestia nodded. The seven other ponies in the room made up the members of the Canterlot Council, a group of advisors that had managed the city and the Equestrians left in Equus when the Princesses were taken away. They had been allowed to continue, as the Princesses saw nothing wrong with having others help them. But it was times like these it was… tedious. "Yes. Tyr is the one who allowed us the opportunity to escape. He single handedly fought the Order Knight who sought our lives."

"Quite the gallant one, I see."

"Yes, he—" She paused, hearing her sister enter. "Luna? Is something the matter?"

Luna cleared her throat. "Sister. You may want to see this."

Celestia frowned, but got up from her seat. She went to join her sister, and together they went out into the castle. Guards were moving to and fro, and orders were being given. The taller Alicorn looked around, confusion on her features. "Um… Lulu, care to explain?"

"It will make sense once we look outside."

"If you say so…"

Luna said nothing else until they made it to the balcony they normally used to address the population. To Celestia's surprise, she found herself standing in front of a massive crowd of angry ponies, with her sister's two knights and Tyr standing in front. Cori was beside the man, and Chrysalis was on his other side—with a leash attached to her collar. She was looking down at her hooves, but there was a small smile on her face, along with a dark blush. "He found her," Luna said softly, some mix of relief and confusion in her voice.

There was a flash of light behind them, Sherry and Hope arriving as well. "What's going on, Mom?" The pink haired mare asked.

"Your father is back," Luna said. "And he found Chrysalis."

Celestia rubbed a hoof on her forehead. "Seems we have another issue to explain…"

Luna eyes met Tyr's, and he gave her a wide grin. She simply chuckled and motioned with her hoof for them to all come inside. The four Alicorns on the balcony went back inside to meet the little group. They made it to the throne room just as Tyr's group did, followed closely by the angry crowd. Tyr's constructs protected them from a few thrown objects, but the whole hall went silent when the Princess of the Sun raised her hoof. "Silence, please," She said softly.

"What is going on?" Sherry asked. Ever since she and Hope had been identified as Princesses, they had two smaller thrones designed for them on Celestia's other side, ones with Sherry's Cutie Mark and one with Hope's. The two younger Alicorns were seated in them now.

"This creature is leading around a Changeling!" One unicorn mare in the crowd called out. "That creature does not deserve to be here!"

"That thing is dangerous, and he is protecting it!" Another pony said.

Luna cleared her throat. "Peace, good ponies. There is a reasonable explanation for this."

There were a few confused murmurs. The first mare spoke up again. "What… what is it then?"

"Chrysalis belongs to me," Tyr said simply. "And I believe I'm free to take her wherever I want."

"I advise against this, Princess!" Bright Soul said, stepping forward. Tyr narrowed his eyes at her, but she ignored him. "The former Queen of the Changelings is trying to rebuild her army! That little one there is apparently her _daughter_!"

"Daughter?" The word ran through the crowd like wildfire.

Bright Soul puffed out her chest triumphantly. "And from what I have learned, she was able to give birth to the abomination by way of this creature you call your husband!"

Luna and Celestia's eyes widened. Sherry stared in shock as well, and the entire crowd went silent. Bright Soul stood there, proud of herself, until there was a low growl behind her. She turned, only to find a pack of silver wolves on her heels, blood red eyes boring into her. At the head of them was Chrysalis, her green eyes glowing with barely contained rage. "…Call my daughter an abomination again, and I will tear your eyes out of your skull."

"Chrissy," Tyr said softly, tugging on the leash ever so slightly. The Changeling did as he asked, but only retreated to his side while keeping her eyes on Bright Soul the whole way. The hazel unicorn swallowed heavily.

"That was a poor choice of words," Grace pointed out. Bright Soul was too terrified of the wolves surrounding her to respond. Even the crowd was backing up from the magic hunters.

"Tyr," Celestia said quietly. "Calm yourself."

Tyr narrowed his eyes, but a mental command had all the wolves vanish into silver smoke. "…Only because it's you, Tia," He said.

Luna stood up. "…Chrysalis. Is it true? That this… your daughter is Tyr's?"

Chrys was silent for a moment before nodding. "…You remember our last night."

"…Last night?" Celestia murmured, shooting a glance over at Luna, who had a deep blush running through her. "Luna, what is she—?"

"We will discuss this in private," Luna said quickly. "Come to my chambers."

With a flourish of her wings, she left the hall and headed towards her royal chambers. Tyr and his group followed, and a moment after Celestia and the other two Princesses followed. A minute later, and they were safely within the confines of Luna's room. There was silence in the gathering for a long moment. Celestia took that moment to speak up. "Lulu, are you all—?"

"What in the name of the Night were you thinking!?" Luna demanded, turning to Chrys.

The Changeling did not flinch, but easily stepped up to face the angry Princess of Dreams. "I wanted something to remember him by as well, Luna! Something of my Master that I could hold…" She trailed off, looking back at Cori. The little Changeling filly blinked before giving her mother a warm smile.

"You should have told me. I would have liked to find out some other way!"

Bright Soul saw that as her opportunity to speak up. "See Princess? She cannot be trusted. And that human willingly helped her have that child!"

The Princess of Dreams sighed and sat back on a cushion. "…Bright Soul. There are a lot of things you don't understand about the relationship Tyr, Chrys and I shared in the human world. This may come as a shock to you, but… Perhaps I love Chrys much like I love Tyr."

The hazel unicorn stared at her Princess in confusion. "Wait, what? But… that makes no sense. Grace told me that the Changeling helped you all in the human world, but…"

"Chrys has been a friend to us all," Celestia said. "I trust her."

"But why!?"

"Because we know her. And we know Tyr."

Chrys smiled mischievously. "I do not call him my Master for nothing," She teased. She giggled.

"But… but…!"

Luna sighed. "The only person I can be upset with is myself. Tyr and Chrys have done nothing wrong. On top of that… We should have done more in order to not have Chrys driven away. We failed to show our subjects that she is no longer a threat to us—nay, she is more of an asset to us now. And that she is dear to us."

"I… I don't understand…" Bright Soul stared down at her hooves. Celestia went over to her and rested a hoof on her shoulder. The younger pony looked up at her, finding the mare smiling down on her.

"Give it time, Bright Soul. You are young, and the world is new to you. You do not need to rush yourself."

"But I want to be a knight worthy of the Princess…"

"But you're going about it all wrong," Grace said. She sighed. "And I've been telling you that since you became a knight. You need to be calmer."

"For someone so brash, perhaps you should have been a Solar Knight," Chrys joked. Bright Soul blinked and immediately protested.

"I serve my Princess to the best of my ability!"

"Then calm yourself, eager one. Unless my Master desires it, I will be no threat to you."

Bright Soul glanced at Tyr. The man simply gave her a smile as he gently stroked the mane of his newly discovered Changeling daughter. Cori looked both distressed and happy, as she didn't know how to react to all the information she had gotten over the past few minutes. The hazel unicorn sighed. "…Very well. I will… attempt to tone it down."

Luna clapped her hooves together. "Wonderful! From now on, you will be eating breakfast with all the rest of us."

"Um… very well, Princess Luna."

"And little Cori…" The Princess of Dreams turned to look at the little Changeling. Chrys moved to defend her, but Tyr held her back. "…You will be my personal helper. Understood?"

Cori nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, Princess!"

"Speaking of which," Tyr murmured. "Cori. You don't need to call me 'lord' or anything."

"…May I call… may I call you sir?" She asked shyly. Tyr couldn't help but smile. For something so many ponies were afraid of, Cori sure was cute.

"Of course my dear. Heck, you could call me 'father' if you wanted."

Cori blushed. "Um… I don't think I am comfortable with that yet…"

"In time then," Tyr chuckled. "In time."

Luna let out a sigh. "Well, it seems we have another addition to our family, hm?" She smiled then, unable to truly be upset. She should have seen it coming, but there was not much she could really do. What was done was done. Although at the end of the day, she was the one who would be sharing his bed.

[It seems Luna does not have to go out tonight] Tyr felt Chrys's thoughts and spared her a glance.

[…And?]

[Enjoy your night, Master]

"Now," Everyone looked over to Luna, who had spoken. "It is getting late."

"True enough," Celestia murmured. "Everyone, let us go."

"Do you need me for anything, Princess?" Bright Soul asked softly, as everyone began to leave. She spared Chrysalis a glance as the Changeling passed by with Cori in tow, but didn't say anything.

Luna shook her head. "No, I believe I will be alright for now."

"As you wish. I shall see you tomorrow." She followed the others out. That left Luna and Tyr alone for the first time since he had arrived in Equestria. The Princess of Dreams sat down, beckoning her husband to come over to her with one hoof. He obliged, and she scooted over to make room for him. Neither spoke for a long time. Tyr couldn't really figure out what to say. It had been so long, and the time they had already spent together had been colored by the presence of the others. And now that they were alone together…

"Beloved—"

"Moon—"

They both paused as they spoke simultaneously. Luna smirked, and then they both began to laugh. "I guess we're both nervous," Tyr said, smiling.

"I suppose that is true, Beloved." Luna gave him a small smile. "I… I apologize."

"Apologize? Why?"

"I have been… avoiding you."

"Avoiding me? I've only been here two days."

"I know, I know, but…" She sighed. "That first night… I should have been with you."

"You had your duties, right? I'm not upset."

"No, I… I didn't have any duties to attend to." She looked down at her hooves. "I… I thought you may not wish to see me… like this."

Tyr frowned. "As a… as a pony? I saw you like this when I was dreaming that one time, remember?"

"I know, but…" She looked away. "We're not the same species anymore, so I thought…"

"Moon."

His voice was soft, but something in it made her turn back. When she did, she was greeted with his lips meeting hers in a gentle yet loving kiss. She almost melted into his arms, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. His hands twisted into her hair and ran along her back, and she shivered. When they finally broke apart, she was breathless. "…That was long overdue," She complained.

"If you had been here last night that would have been my first in this world."

"Your first…? …Chrysalis." She scowled. "Of course she took your first…"

"It was to repair the Bond," Tyr explained. Luna kept pouting, so he kissed her again. "Hey. Moon, think about this."

"What?"

"Chrys may have been my first, but I'm pretty sure you will be my last." She stared at him for a minute, before giggling. "W-What?"

"Oh just that. That was quite corny, my Beloved."

"And you thinking I'll be turned off by you being a pony?" Tyr smirked when she blushed.

"I-I'm not at all confident in my body…"

"Oh come now. You're beautiful, Moon. Even comparable to your sister."

"Most ponies consider my sister the most beautiful mare in the land."

Tyr smirked. With one fluid motion, he pushed her onto her back, climbing on top of her. She yelped, wings snapping open. The man raised one eyebrow. "I-It's a natural reaction!"

"I see…"

"Um… what shall we do now?"

"Well, I believe we might want to be reacquainted…"

"DADDY~!" Tyr and Luna jumped up, trying to look as natural as possible as Aurora came bouncing in. She stopped just shy of where they were, and noticing the blush on both of their faces she frowned. "…Did I interrupt something?"

"We were just talking," Tyr said.

"Did you need something, my little crescent moon?" Luna asked, smiling nervously. By the night, had Aurora not announced herself coming in…

"Oh! I saw Aunt Celestia and I thought I could spar with daddy now!"

"Um…" Tyr and Luna shared a look. The Princess of Dreams let out a sigh before turning back to her daughter. "Go ahead, Beloved. Spend some time with your daughter."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yes. I will have all the time I need with you… tonight."

There was something seductive in her voice, and Tyr felt a shiver run down his spine. Without saying anything, he stood up and went over to his daughter. "Come on then, Ro."

"Yay!" She rubbed her face into his chest before pushing him out of the room. As they reached the door, he glanced back behind him.

"I love you," Luna said softly.

"I love you too Moon." Tyr gave her a smile back. "I'm glad you waited."

The door to Luna's room closed, and she let out a sigh before falling back onto her back. It had been so long since she had felt his touch, his lips… She reached one hoof to touch her lips, remembering the feel of his against hers. She didn't care if Chrys had taken his first kiss in this world. Even the discovery of another daughter didn't bother her. Sure, it was strange. But as she rolled over to her side, there was a smile on her face.

"I'm glad I waited too," She said softly, lifting her ring off her horn with her magic so she could look at it. "I'm glad I waited too."

* * *

 **That's it for this week, folks. Next, Tyr still has six more ponies he's got to reconnect with.  
**

 **As for these chapters+prologue... I eagerly await your comments and reviews. Don't hesitate to ask questions, for you all should know:**

 **The Library Accepts All.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, dear readers, and welcome to another chapter of Lunar Legacy! First off, thank you all for the impassioned reviews and comments! I'm happy to see so many people waiting on this story. And then subsequently satisfied by the results. Hopefully this chapter meets your expectations as well, but for now, comments.**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Glad you're enjoying it!**

 **Lux Umbrae: I did keep you waiting for a bit, didn't I?**

 **Kevin Lapse: Hey, if I don't have a hook, how can I keep my readers interested?**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Bright Soul is... difficult, I agree. She'll get better with time. Thanks for the encouragement, and I will continue to do my best to improve!**

 **DragonLord Ryukioku: Actually, it was five years. Tyr was working with Jehu for two, then wandering in Equestria for three. And yes, Racist Ponies. Humans did try to kill them, y'know.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I think like, the first four or five chapters are all about reunions. But, the Twins should take it well enough, you'll see. And I like that little tag line! I humbly accept your comment, and I will continue to provide quality content. Just keep coming back!**

 **Mr. Derpface: Tyr is an agent of chaos, yes. That will become a plot point further in the story. And not everything is okay, as you'll soon see. And I do have plenty of Tyr and Luna scenes planned.**

 **Derpy101: Yeah, I'm thinking he's back.**

 **And now, without further ado:**

* * *

Chapter 3: A Warm Welcome

It was a lot warmer when he woke up. Tyr blinked a couple times before rubbing at his eyes with one hand. The room was dark, and the curtains were drawn. "Where…?" He murmured, before a soft sigh from his right drew his attention. It was Luna, the Alicorn mare curled up against him with her head lying on his chest and one leg draped across his stomach. She was still asleep, obviously quite comfortable with the current sleeping arrangements. The man beneath her couldn't really complain—having his wife sleeping beside him was heaven on earth. Or Equus, as it were. Instead, he let his arm that was underneath her curl around her, running his hand along her back. As he felt along her fur, his eyes were drawn further down and he noticed the black splotch on her hip, with the silver moon in the center of it. Her Cutie Mark. He let his hand go down to trace like he had done so many times in his own world.

"Are you truly going to be rubbing my flank this early in the morning?" Luna's sleepy voice asked, stopping him just shy of her Cutie Mark.

Tyr chuckled slightly. "Morning Princess. Sleep well?"

She cracked open one eye, a small smile gracing her lips. "I did. Now that you're here with me."

She nuzzled up next to him, surprisingly aware of keeping her horn from poking him. "Last night… I probably slept better than I ever have," He murmured, letting his hand stop just shy of her Cutie Mark. She squirmed a bit in his arms, and he smirked.

"…You're teasing me," She growled playfully, lifting her head off his chest.

"I thought you didn't want me to touch you there."

Luna fell silent, looking away for a moment. "…I have been waiting five years for you to touch me there," She told him, using one of her forelegs to push his hand further down. Tyr unconsciously let his fingers dig into her Cutie Mark, getting a soft moan of pleasure from Luna. He leaned down to kiss her and she received him, mouth open to let his tongue enter. She welcomed him eagerly, pushing up so that she was slightly on top of him. He pulled her up onto him, letting his own need for her fuel his desire. It took a knock at the door to get them to finally break apart.

"I was sent to call you to breakfast," Chrys's soft voice informed them. "Since I'm already full…"

Luna sighed. This was one thing she had not been looking forward to. "…We will be up in a moment, Chrys."

"Wonderful."

They heard her leaving, her soft hoofsteps growing fainter as she left. Once they were sure she was gone, Luna sighed and let her head fall back onto Tyr's chest. "…My apologies, Beloved."

Tyr chuckled. "No, it's fine. I wanted to do that too. I've missed you, Moon."

"And I have missed you as well. And… you can let go of my flank now."

"Oh… right." Tyr let her go, and she sat up in bed, her long mane falling about her. Tyr sat up as well, and sighed. He had to fight the urge to simply take her back into his arms and continue where they had just left off. Human or Pony, Luna was Luna, and that was all that mattered to him. He glanced down at his bare chest. "Guess I gotta get dressed."

"Hm? Oh! I have not really thought about it, seeing as we ponies do not usually wear clothing…"

"You and Celestia wear those regalia right?" Tyr was talking about the horseshoes and necklaces the Princesses wore. Luna's were set in a case near the far wall, waiting for her to don them. She glanced over at them, and sighed.

"Too true. I had forgotten. I suppose we both will be getting dressed." Tyr simply smiled and got up. He retrieved his clothing, an article made up of almost a dozen different kinds of fabric. "…That shirt… why are so many different kinds of fabric involved in it?"

"Repairs mostly," Tyr said, pulling on the shirt. "Most times, I wasn't able to get the same fabric for it to match. So I did what I could."

"I kinda like it," Luna said honestly. "It's an… interesting look."

"Well, glad you like it, Moon."

She gave him a cute smile, but didn't say anything else. Instead, she got up and used her magic to retrieve her night gown. A strange thought came to Tyr then, watching his wife essentially dress herself. For all intents and purposes, she was naked. Well, that was a thought, wasn't it. He pulled on his pants and went over to one of the dressers. A top it lay his amulet, a silver shield with a dark blue shine to the center, its appearance akin to that of the night sky. He glanced back at Luna, who was busy using her magic to brush out her hair. He smiled and pulled it on. "I do have a question, now that I think of it, Beloved."

"Yeah?"

"Those amulets and trinkets you have… what are they?"

"Ah. Most are just jewelry, but a couple are anti-hex charms from the zebras in the Sereneighti. Supposedly they protect against harmful magic."

"That sounds useful."

"Seeing as it kept my mind from being probed, I think it's pretty good."

Luna chuckled. "That does sound good."

"Well, I don't need my armor or anything. So let's go."

"Of course, my dearest." She followed him as he left the room, easily keeping pace with him. She stayed close to him, a soft smile never leaving her face. She was elated to have him by her side again, and he was sure she would do her best to not let him stray too far. They reached the royal dining room, with the usual people waiting inside. To Tyr's mild surprise, Bright Soul was seated in one of the other window seats, eating quietly. She glanced up as he and Luna entered, only giving a short nod before going back to eating.

"Morning you two," Celestia said warmly, Tyr nodded in greeting as he and Luna took their places at the table. Aurora hopped into her dad's lap, snuggling up against him.

"Hey Tia. And morning to you, Dawn."

Aurora grinned. "Hi daddy! Thanks for training with me yesterday!"

"Of course, love. You're quite good."

"Uncle Ace and Uncle Flash would practice with me when they had time," She told him.

Grace laughed softly. "I think Ace enjoyed it."

"He was always a blood thirsty brute," Bright Soul mumbled. Grace gave her a flat look but didn't say anything.

"Well, it ran in the family after all," Celestia pointed out.

"Speaking of Ace's family," Tyr said, biting into a piece of toast. "How's Heart Song doing?"

"She's doing quite well. She sings solos for the orchestra here in Canterlot."

"Oh? I may have to go see a performance one day."

"Speaking of seeing people…" Tyr glanced up from feeding Aurora her own piece of toast to see Chrys leading Cori in, the younger Changeling in disguise yet still looking quite frightened. Chrys herself was disguised, taking the form of a tall and slender silver furred unicorn with a long green-blue mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was a dark green heart bound by a silver chain. Sensing his thoughts focusing on it, the Changeling gave her master a knowing smile. He simply shook his head. "Good morning, Chrysalis."

"Morning everyone," The Changeling said amiably. She nudged Cori gently. "Go ahead, little one."

Cori blushed and looked down at her hooves. "G-Good morning…"

Aurora hopped out of her dad's lap and trotted over to them. She held out one hoof and smiled widely. "Hi! I'm Aurora Dawn!"

Cori shied back a bit, glancing up at her mother. Chrys nodded back. The younger Changeling swallowed and gently reached out to shake hooves. "Um… Hello. I'm Cordelia. B-But you can call me Cori…"

"Come on, sit with me and my brother!"

"But…! Wait…!" Cori didn't have a chance to resist before Aurora had gotten behind her and began pushing her to an empty place at the table. Aleron looked up from his book momentarily to see who it was, raising one eyebrow as Cori and Aurora came over.

"Hello," He offered.

Cori blushed. "H-Hi…"

"Aleron, Aurora," Luna spoke up, deciding to help the nervous Changeling filly. "Cori is your half-sister."

Aleron frowned. "Half-sister?"

He looked like he wanted to question it further, but Aurora was too excited. "Oh, a sister! Awesome! Now I've got someone to hang with that's my age besides Al!"

"Hey, I take offense to that."

"You can't even deny you're not fun."

"Hey, I am fun!"

"In a fun-to-tease sort of way, maybe."

Cori looked a bit worried. "Ah, please don't fight…!"

They both paused and looked at her. They glanced back at one another, and then broke out into laughter. Aleron gave her a soft smile. "Oh, it's alright, Cori. This is how we always are."

"Uh huh!" Aurora agreed with a grin. "Make no mistake—I love my brother. I'd do anything for him."

"Ro…" Aleron said warmly, just as Aurora leaned over and nuzzled him affectionately. "Gah. What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep me!" The Alicorn filly said.

"It is quite refreshing to see how pure your love for your brother is," Celestia said, smiling at the two siblings. "Be sure to always watch out for each other, alright?"

"Of course, Aunt Celestia," Aleron said with a nod.

Aurora smiled. "Okay~!"

"And be sure to take care of your half-sister," Luna added. The young Changeling looked over at her in surprise, only to find Tyr and Luna both looking at her with warm smiles. She blushed and looked away. Next thing she knew, she was up against Aurora, the older filly pulling her into a hug.

"Got it!"

Tyr patted both his daughters' head. "Good girl."

"Ah, Tyr," Celestia spoke up, getting the man's attention.

"Hm? What is it, Tia?" He could barely see the slight twitch of Bright Soul's ears out of the corner of his eye and suppressed a grin at the action.

Celestia seemed to notice as well, for a small smirk formed on her lips. "I was wondering when you planned to go visit Twilight and her friends. I'm sure they all would be quite ecstatic to see you."

"That does raise a good point," Luna said, frowning. As much as she wanted to keep Tyr nearby, she couldn't deny his friends the opportunity to see him. She let out a sigh. "I believe seeing you would raise their spirits."

Tyr thought for a moment. He did in fact want to see all his friends. During their time in his home world, he had begun to consider them almost akin to family. Plus, he really did want to see how they all were doing. He glanced over at Luna, who was focused on slicing an apple for Hope. "…That alright with you, Princess?"

"Alright?" She frowned, looking up at him. For a moment she felt like he had seen right through her. She seemed to pause for a moment, a slice of apple hanging just out of Hope's reach. That fact seemed to distress the young Alicorn greatly. "I… I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later…"

"…I guess. Would you want to go with me?"

Luna blinked. "I… You want me to go with you?"

"Yeah. It lets us spend the day together."

The bright smile on Luna's face was just what Tyr wanted to see. But before the Princess of Dreams could respond, Celestia spoke up. "Actually, I need my little sister today, Tyr."

"For what?" Luna protested. Hope's horn lit up faintly with her magic, taking the apple slices from Luna. The white maned Alicorn snuck away with her prize to eat beside Grace.

"The Council has that matter they wished to speak with us about, remember?" Celestia chided softly. She took a sip of her tea. "Were it my decision, I would allow you all the time with Tyr you wanted, but…"

Luna let out a sigh. As disappointed as she was, she was still a Princess and her duties came first. "Very well," She murmured.

Tyr shrugged and let out a sigh. "Guess I'm going solo then."

"In regards to that," Celestia said, catching his attention. His sister-in-law was full of surprises today, it seemed. "I would like you to take Bright Soul with you."

"Wait, what?"

Even the hazel unicorn started at that. "What? Go with him? Why?"

"Because I received a report from Twilight that Timberwolves were getting close to the town. The ponies in Ponyville would no doubt be reassured to have one of the Knights there to help."

"But Flash and Ace are already there, are they not?"

"Yes, but they are technically not on duty."

"Plus, Timberwolves simply pull themselves back together unless they're struck by magic," Grace pointed out. "And out of everypony in Ponyville, probably only Twilight is strong enough to blast a Timberwolf to pieces."

"And considering the report spoke of nearly hundreds of Timberwolves gathered in one place…" Celestia trailed off, leaving the rest to imagination.

"Well…" Bright Soul seemed to be thinking of any and every excuse she could use to get out of going. "What about Grace?"

"I'm on call," Grace said. "The Canterlot Hospital wanted me available today just in case."

"Ugh…"

Fenrir popped up onto Tyr's shoulder, laughing quietly. "Methinks the mare is simply afraid of wolves," She said.

"I-I am not!"

"Do not fear, little pony. I am Queen of all wolves. Alpha and I will protect you—hey, what are you doing?"

Tyr glanced back to see Cori gently touching Fenrir's tail. At the sudden rebuke from the wolf spirit, she jumped back. "S-sorry! It's just…. It looked so soft and I wanted to touch it…"

"Humph. Give a warning next time you do that."

Bright Soul got up from her seat. "Fine! I will go with you. If only to prove to your pet that I am not afraid of wolves!"

Fenrir scowled. "I am not a pet!"

"Sure do act like one at times," Tyr said, lifting up a slice of apple for her. She frowned, but took it anyway to eat. He gently stroked her head as he looked back over at Celestia. "So, when should we leave?"

"Well, if you plan to take the train down…" Bright Soul began, but Tyr simply smirked.

"I can teleport us. We don't need to take a train."

Luna stared at him in shock. "But Beloved, didn't you say you weren't that skilled with teleportation?"

"Like I said, I can do it if I can see where I'm going. I should be able to see Ponyville from here, right?"

Chrys looked thoughtful. "That is true. There is a suitable place for a clean teleportation just outside of Ponyville's main entrance that would serve."

"You should be able to see it from any of the towers," Celestia pointed out.

Bright Soul sighed. "As much as I don't trust this, I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" She got up, using her magic to take her plate and place it in a nearby tray. "So when should we do this?"

Tyr thought for a moment. "We'll go now, so we have the entire day. So get whatever you need and meet me on the center balcony."

"Very well."

She left the room, Tyr pausing to give Luna a kiss as he got up. Aurora tugged in his pants leg to get his attention. "Hm? What is it Ro?"

"Can I go with you?" She asked cutely, giving him a puppy dog look. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was his adopted daughter who spoke up instead.

"Trying to get out of our history lesson, huh Ro?" Sherry said, frowning.

"Nuh uh! I just wanna go with daddy…"

Cori frowned slightly. "But you just told me that history was your least favorite subject…"

Aurora blushed and put a hoof over the Changeling's mouth. "Shh! You're not helping, Cori!"

"S-Sorry!"

"You need to stay, little ones," Celestia admonished. "You cannot skip your lessons."

"But Aunt Celestia…" Aurora began to complain.

"No buts. Hope is doing her best in all her lessons too, and you don't see her complaining." At the unexpected compliment, Hope's face brightened as she smiled widely.

"…Okay…"

Tyr gently patted Aurora's head. "It's alright Ro. I'll take you with me one day."

"Promise?" She looked up at him with her big silver eyes. He smiled.

"Of course love. Pay attention in class, okay?"

"Kay."

With that, Tyr bid his goodbyes to everyone else in the room and headed back to Luna's chambers. He quickly retrieved his armor and put it on. It was strange, he thought pausing as he passed by one of Luna's mirrors. To be human in a world full of ponies. None of the ponies in the castle treated him oddly, most simply giving him respectful nods whenever he passed or just not looking at him at all. No doubt because of Ace's orders. Other ponies simply gave him one look before hurrying away. He was a mostly unknown creature wandering around the castle. Plus, he looked like he was straight out of those old Norse tales—fur pelt about his shoulders, hard leather armor with a single shoulder guard, amulets and trinkets hanging from his belt… He fit the whole winter born warrior look quite well. He adjusted his belongings one last time before heading back out. The balcony he was looking for was easily located, with Chrysalis in her disguise waiting there with Bright Soul. The hazel mare was adjusting her saddlebags, making sure they were situated well on her back. It was still weird for Tyr to consider that was the equivalent of a backpack in this world.

Chrys looked away from her study of the sky at the sound of his footsteps. "Ah, Master. You join us finally."

Bright Soul looked up as well. "Oh, you're finally ready?"

"I had to take a minute to make sure I had everything," Tyr admitted. "Are you all set?"

"I am." She glanced over at Chrys. "You better not attempt anything, Changeling. I am only tolerating your presence because of the Princesses."

Chrys looked hurt. "Oh? I see. What would you do if I _did_ try anything?"

Suddenly, with a flash of light, Bright Soul's spear was out and aimed at Chrys's throat. Her eyes narrowed. "Then I will run you through with my spear."

"So let me clarify," Chrys said, smiling mischievously, "If I'm being naughty, you'll have to punish me by jamming your long, hard rod into my soft body?" She ran one hoof along the length of the spear. "I don't know… sounds like I'd enjoy that more than you would."

"I…!" The color drained out of Bright Soul's face as she realized what Chrys was implying. She dismissed her weapon and turned away quickly, but not before Tyr caught the blush on her cheeks. "V-Vile creature!"

[Do you have to tease her like that?] Tyr thought.

Chrys simply giggled. [It's fun. And I don't do it around the kids, since that's what you're thinking.]

[…Good girl] Tyr petted her gently, getting a surge of happiness from his Changeling. He glanced over at Bright Soul, who was looking back over at them. She had a thoughtful look on her face, but quickly changed it to one of disgust once she knew he was looking.

"A-Are we going or what?" She asked.

"Come over here, and we'll go."

"Are you going to have to touch me?"

Chrys smiled. "Having Master touch me feels good though."

"Stop that!"

Tyr sighed. "No, Bright Soul. You just have to be close."

"…Fine." She moved next to him, taking care not to be directly next to Chrys. The Changeling leaned against the man, and he rested one hand on her head, letting their minds connect momentarily. He saw the town, along with the small clearing outside of it that Chrys had spoken of. There's the spot, he thought. With only a thought, his magic crackled to life, wrapping them all in an aura of silver light.

"Brace yourself!" The man said just moments before they blinked into silver smoke.

~V~

It was only moments before they stood in the clearing outside of Ponyville, smoke wafting off them as the remnants of the magical spell dissipated. "Well, that went better than last time," Tyr admitted, glancing around at their surroundings. "For one, I didn't burn the ground."

Bright Soul staggered forward before recovering her balance. "Ugh. I've teleported before, but this is the first time I've been left feeling so disoriented…"

"That's because Chaos Magic is much different from Pony Magic," Fenrir said, appearing on Tyr's shoulder. "We just rode the natural currents of magic here, and they are not gentle."

"Tell me about it."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at his erstwhile companion. As much as he didn't like Bright Soul, he was technically responsible for her wellbeing while they were here. It was because of that fact that he moved over to check on her. "Hey, Bright Soul? You alright?"

She spared him one glance before she straightened back up. "I am fine. Just caught off guard. Your… concern is noted."

"We can't have you dying on us, now can we?" Chrys asked, smirking. The Lunar knight gave her a flat expression before turning back to face the town. She gestured with her hoof. "Let's just go. You see that castle in the distance?"

Tyr looked where she gestured. Indeed, there was a large castle standing a short ways out of town. It looked like a normal castle but purple in color and sat in a large silver-purple tree. The tree part of it looked carved out of crystal. It almost looked like the castle had grown out of the tree itself. At the very top was a massive purple star like formation that he recognized as Twilight's Cutie Mark. Well, a Princess always has her castle, he supposed. "Yeah. Is that Twilight's?"

"Princess Twilight," Bright Soul corrected.

[Such a stickler] Chrys thought. Tyr simply sighed. He best get this cleared up immediately.

"Bright Soul," Tyr began, frowning slightly. "The ponies you see as Princesses are more like family to me. As much as you want me to attach titles to their names, I'm going to keep not doing it."

She glared back at him, before sighing. "…I know. It's more of a reminder to myself."

"Why?"

"…Forget it. Let's just go." She began trotting off towards the town. Tyr made to follow, only to notice Chrys wasn't moving.

"Chrissy, is something wrong?" He asked. She glanced at him and shook her head.

"No, I am alright Master," She said. Her eyes went back out to the forest. "…I am not in the mood to see them…just yet. I will go start looking into this Timberwolf issue."

"…Chrissy, you know Twilight and her friends know you—know what you've done for them. They'll be happy to see you."

[It's been almost five years since I saw them, Master. It's not that I believe they won't want to see me, it's more… I don't know if I'm ready to see them]

Tyr was about to ask why she had switched to thought-speak, but just as he opened his mouth to say as much he noticed Bright Soul watching them. She was obviously wondering what was keeping them. He thought for a moment. […Be careful, Chrissy]

[Of course, Master] She made a small bow, and then flew off into the forest.

"Where is she going?" Bright Soul asked once Tyr had walked over to join her. She was suspicious, but Tyr had expected it.

"She's going to see if there's anything she can find out that would explain why the Timberwolves are attacking," He told her.

"Hm. I see."

No more words were said, as they went into the town. Ponyville was not as bustling as Canterlot was, but there were plenty of ponies going about their daily business. Tyr had to stop for a moment to admire the town—there were so many different colorations among the denizens of the town that it was like walking into a rainbow. Canterlot had a more muted tone to it, but it was much brighter here in Ponyville. Many of the ponies stopped and looked their way as they entered. "Hm…?"

"Seems you're terrifying," Bright Soul teased, only for the ponies in the town square to begin crowding around them. Almost a dozen voices spoke up at once.

"It's him!"

"The Silver Knight!"

"I'd recognize those eyes anywhere!"

"He's here?"

"Don't care how he got here, but he's a hero!"

Bright Soul's eyes were wide in confusion. "What in Princess Celestia's name…? How do all these ponies know you?"

"I think the majority of the ponies sent to my world were from here," Tyr said, smiling at the crowd. He raised his voice to be heard over the crowd. "It's wonderful to see you all made it home safely. I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm on official business from the Princesses."

There was a collective sigh of disappointment, but the ponies dispersed, most taking one last moment to thank him for his heroism. Tyr took each thanks with a gentle smile, being appreciative of each of them. Once they were all gone, the man glanced at Bright Soul. She was staring at him with the most dumbfounded look on her face. It took her a moment to finally speak. "You… you know all those ponies?"

"Not all by name," Tyr admitted. "But I fought for all of them in my world."

"They all recognized you…"

"With eyes like mine, it's hard not to," Tyr joked. "Come on."

He began walking, the mare quickly shaking off her confusion and following. They walked mostly undisturbed down the main road, only pausing when a young filly came running out in front of them after a bright blue ball. She was a light pink color, with a puffy pink mane with black streaks running through it. One of her eyes was a bright, brilliant blue while the other was a pure silver. She paused, looking up at them.

Bright Soul cleared her throat. "Um… hello."

To both of their surprise, the filly gasped loudly and theatrically, before bolting off into the town. Tyr stared at the dust cloud for a long moment. "…Well. That was… interesting."

"Perhaps you frightened her?"

"I didn't even say anything!"

Bright Soul rolled her eyes. She started walking, circling around a mud puddle that was in the middle of the road. "Come. We should continue on before—"

"LOOK OUT!" A loud voice cried. Tyr paused in step and looked, Bright Soul continuing past him. She turned just as a white blur smacked into her from the side. She and whatever it was went tumbling into the puddle of mud.

"What the hell…?" Tyr murmured, looking close. It was another pony, a Pegasus this time that had slammed into Bright Soul. A colt, if he wasn't mistaken. "Are you alright?"

"I'm good!" The colt hopped up onto his hooves, trying to shake off mud. He flapped his wings quickly, managing to throw off all the muck. It revealed pure white fur, with a mane and tail the same color. His light pink eyes looked around quickly, finally alighting on Tyr. Those eyes widened. "Whoa."

"Hi there," Tyr said with a small wave.

"You're a… wait, what did I run into?"

"Me," Bright Soul complained, getting up. She wiped mud out of her eyes. "And now I'm covered in mud."

The colt chuckled quietly, trying to contain himself. "Wait, wait, I can fix this. My mom showed me how."

He shot off into the sky, and came back pushing a small dark cloud. Tyr stared in surprise for a moment, before remembering that Pegasii had the ability to manipulate the weather. A trait that was quickly shown by the colt hopping up and down on the cloud, forcing water out of it to rain down on the unfortunate Bright Soul. It matted her mane and tail down, ruining her hairstyle. "…And now I'm all wet," She complained.

"Wait, I can fix this!" The colt assured her. He took off in a circle around her, quickly building up a tornado around her. After about a moment, he broke off, and left the Lunar Knight dry—but with a mane style that looked like Pinkie's mane on a bad day. Tyr had to try to hold back his laughter. The colt couldn't, and broke out into laughter. "Oh man! That's hilarious!"

"Wonderful," Bright Soul muttered, looking at her reflection in a nearby window. She sighed. "I look ridiculous."

"Sorry," The colt said sheepishly. "I was just trying to help."

"Vi!" A voice called, getting their attention. It was Ace, flying in. "Oh, there you are. Oh! Hey Tyr!"

"What's up?" Tyr greeted his friend with a smile. "I'm guessing this is your son?"

"Yup! Meet Vibrant, son of the two fastest Pegasii in Equestria!" He pulled his son into a side hug. "Plus, almost a spitting image of his dad!"

"Come on pops," Vibrant said, grinning. "Stop bragging."

"I'm not bragging!" Ace grinned. He spared a glance over at Bright Soul, and he paused. "…Jeez, Bright. What happened to you?"

Bright Soul scowled. "Your son happened to me."

One of Ace's ears perked up as he heard something coming. "Ah, seems like the other half of the family is coming." At his words, Tyr turned his eyes to the sky. Just within sight range, he could see two more Pegasii flying towards them, one the familiar light orange of Scootaloo and the other a light sky blue mare with a bright rainbow colored mane. He paused. He'd know that shock of rainbow hair anywhere.

"Rainbow Dash," He said softly, just as the mare in question saw him. She stopped at once, her magenta eyes wide with shock. Scootaloo kept going, landing a few steps away from Tyr. He couldn't help but give her a slightly impressed look at her ability to fly. She wasn't really fast, but she was flying—that was something at least.

"Tyr!" She cried happily. "You're visiting Ponyville? Awesome! I gotta tell Sweetie and Applebloom!"

She galloped away, but Tyr was still looking at Rainbow Dash. The blue mare couldn't seem to decide between whether she should come closer or not. She rubbed at her eyes, probably believing him to be an illusion or something. When he didn't vanish immediately, she shot towards him, crashing into his chest with enough force to knock him back a couple steps. Her forelegs were around his waist in the best hug she could really give him. "…I can't believe you're real," She murmured quietly, face buried in his chest.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Tyr replied, gently rubbing her back. She was crying—he could feel her tears through his shirt. But she was trying her hardest not to show the others.

"Five years. What took you so long?" She sniffed quietly.

"I had some trouble."

She pulled away after a moment, eyes finally dry enough for public. "Well, I gotta say, it's really good to see you man."

"Same here, Rainbow." Now that she was this close and not in his chest, he could finally get a good look at her. Her hair wasn't as short as he remembered, but now hung a bit longer and was tied back into a ponytail by a white ribbon adorned with a long white feather. "Long hair looks good on you."

She chuckled. "Well, if it wasn't for Ace, I would have kept it short."

Ace shrugged. "So what if I like my mares with long hair?"

"You mean you like _me_ with long hair, right?"

"Right, baby."

Tyr chuckled. "Nice to see you two are close as ever."

"Tyr, we have business, remember?" Bright Soul pointed out.

"Business?" Ace frowned. "Was it something from the Princesses?"

"It's about the Timberwolves," Bright Soul said. "Princess Luna and Princess Celestia sent us to help out Princess Twilight."

"Essentially," Tyr admitted. "Although I was originally coming here for a personal visit."

"Oh, you're going around seeing the girls?" Rainbow smiled. "I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

"Maybe you should get your mane checked out," Ace said, snickering at Bright Soul. Vibrant chuckled too, earning him a scowl from the Lunar Knight.

Rainbow chuckled too, but it seemed like she was reminiscing. "Well, you can probably get that fixed at Rarity's if you want."

"Rarity runs Carousel Boutique, correct?" Bright Soul questioned.

"Yea," Ace replied. "If you keep following the road, you're bound to see it."

Without another word, Bright Soul began walking. Rainbow frowned. "She's… more stuck up than I remember."

"She's… trying," Ace murmured. He shrugged. "Probably too hard, in my opinion."

"Are you gonna go with her?" Rainbow asked Tyr, glancing over at him. He gave her a weak smile.

"I guess I kinda have to. If anything, I get to see Rarity."

"She's going to be really happy about seeing you," Ace said knowingly. Tyr gave him a look, but his pure white friend was already turning to the rest of his family. "Alright, we should get going!"

"Going?" Rainbow stared at her husband with a confused look before catching on. "Oh! Right. Come on Vi, we gotta motor!"

Vi nodded. "Alright!"

"Catch you later, bro!" Ace called as he and his wife and son took off into the sky. Rainbow waved one hoof before they were out of sight. He waved back. It was good to see the athletic mare again, and watching her and her son fly crazy routes in the sky was entertaining in its own right. But he couldn't stand there watching forever, and he took off at a jog after his quite upset companion. He caught up to Bright Soul outside of a tall, elegant looking building decorated in purple and white. Familiar colors, Tyr thought with a small smile. He glanced over at Bright Soul.

"You're not going in?" He asked, coming up beside her. She glanced over at him, a small frown on her face.

"I knocked on the door but no one was inside," She explained. "I suppose she isn't in."

Tyr frowned at that. He was disappointed, since he had wanted to see his fashionista friend. If anything, she was one of his closest friends out of the six girls. "Well, I guess we have to pass on getting your mane fixed."

"I can fix it later," Bright Soul asserted, beginning to walk away from the door. "It's really no big deal—"

"I think it's a big deal," A young voice told them. They both turned to see a young unicorn filly approaching them, her elegantly styled purple and white mane coming down around her shoulders in looping curls. She was a light gray color that was almost white at first glance. Her silver eyes regarded Tyr with pure curiosity. "…Are you… a human?"

Tyr blinked. He didn't think someone this young would know what he was. "Um, yes I am. I'm Tyr. And you are?"

"My name is Exuberance, but my friends call me Ancè." The filly said. She had a slight upper class accent, Tyr noted. "And… you said Tyr, correct?"

"Yes I did. You've heard of me?"

"My mother told me about you," Ancè said. "She said you were a gallant knight that fought valiantly to protect her and her friends."

Definitely Rarity's daughter, Tyr thought with a smirk. Only his elegant friend would have called him 'gallant'. "Oh? She told you all that?"

"Yes. But we can talk inside—I need to fix all of… that." She gestured to Bright Soul's mane with a slightly disturbed look on her face.

Bright Soul frowned. "Um, I was just going to wait for Rarity to come back…"

"That will not do!" Ancè got behind Bright Soul and began pushing her into the Boutique. Tyr followed them inside, leaning over a bit so he didn't bang his head on the door. Lucky for him, he was at most only an inch or two too tall, and he could stand comfortably inside the building with enough space about his head to stretch all the way. He followed the two ponies to a side room, chuckling softly at Bright Soul's panicked expression. Ancè pushed Bright Soul over to what looked like a hair washing station, getting the older mare to sit down in the chair. Ancè's cyan magic aura came to life as several bottles of what seemed to be shampoo and conditioner came floating over. She began running water through Bright Soul's mane. "Never fear. I will have your mane shining and glorious in no time."

"Wait, really, that's—ooh, that actually feels good…" The young filly had climbed up onto a small stool, and was massaging the conditioner into the knight's mane, getting a satisfied sigh from her. Tyr pulled over a chair and sat in it, watching the filly work. She seemed quite skilled in what she was doing, easily getting the conditioner all through Bright Soul's mane. That and she was extremely focused. Bright Soul seemed to notice as well. "You're quite good at this…"

"It's what I love to do," Ancè said with a small smile. "Mother even lets me do her hair occasionally."

"I can hardly imagine Rarity letting anyone other than herself work on her hair," Tyr joked.

"Normally, that would be true. But I've been practicing for a long time."

Tyr opened his mouth to reply, only for the front door to open and a cheery voice called out in what could only be described as a "fashionable" accent; "Exuberance~! I'm home, darling!"

Ancè looked up in mild surprise. "Mother is home?"

The voice from the hallway continued speaking. "I had such a wonderful day at the spa with Fluttershy that I almost forgot to pick up my fabrics from Carte Blanche! I can't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't remembered! I wouldn't have been able to—"

Hearing the abrupt stop in the sentence, Tyr glanced to the door to the room they were in, spotting a pure white unicorn with an elegantly curled purple mane and tail staring at him. Her blue eyes were full of shock, and her mouth was attempting to make words but utterly failing. Tyr himself had to take a moment to collect himself before he said simply, "Hello, Rarity."

The very sound of his voice proved to be too much for the mare, and she tipped over to one side, eyes lidding over. "Ah!" Ancè cried out. "Mother!"

Tyr didn't hesitate, letting his magic flow about him and with just a blink he was there to catch her, sweeping the white mare into his arms before she could bang her head against the floor. "Whoa there," He whispered, cradling her in his arms. Bright Soul's eyes were wide from her half leaned back position.

"…You're fast."

"Acceleration spell," Tyr explained, straightening up. He made sure not to touch Rarity's Cutie Mark, the three blue diamonds on her flanks. Experience had taught him that was not socially acceptable. "Didn't think I'd be able to catch her without it."

"Well, regardless… nice save."

"I'm just surprised she didn't get her couch," Ancè said thoughtfully.

"Can't have her hurting herself," Tyr said, carrying the unconscious mare into the room. The motion of his walking seemed to jar her awake, and her eyes flickered open. "Oh. Welcome back, Rarity."

"Tyr…?" Rarity was still a bit disoriented, blinking rapidly. Finally she kept her eyes open long enough to focus on his face. One hoof went up to touch his cheek. "…It really is you, darling…"

"Yeah, it's me. It's wonderful to see you, Rarity."

"And I you, dear. It has been far too long." There were tears in the fashionista's eyes that she wasn't bothering to wipe away. Probably didn't want to ruin her make up too much. But at this point, Tyr was simply happy to see her.

There was a soft cough from the others in the room, and Tyr and Rarity looked over to see Ancè and Bright Soul watching them, the former with a bit of a blush on her cheeks. "Um… Mother?"

Rarity glanced down, finally noticing that Tyr was still holding her in his arms. "Oh! Er… darling, could you put me down?"

"Oh! Sorry," Tyr said quickly, setting Rarity gently down on her hooves. She smiled up at him warmly.

"Thank you very much, darling." She coughed gently. "So, er… how long have you been in town?"

"I came in today," Tyr replied honestly. "Although I've been in Equestria itself for three days."

"Only three days? Where have you been?"

"…I should probably clarify. I've been in this world for three years. I arrived in Canterlot the day before yesterday."

Rarity stared at him in mute shock. "…Three… Three _years_? Darling, how… why…?"

"Short version is: teleportation is hard." Tyr smiled ruefully. "Bright Soul and I are supposed to be helping Twilight with a Timberwolf problem, so I came along."

"Ah, I remember Twilight talking about the Timberwolves the other day," Rarity said. "She asked for help?"

"Princess Celestia suggested we come," Bright Soul said. The mare was extremely relaxed as Ancè began moving on to the next step of her hair care. "Oh goodness, this girl is good…"

"That's my Ancè for you," Rarity said fondly. "I wouldn't be surprised if her Cutie Mark was something pertaining to hair care!"

The filly in question smiled. "Maybe. Who knows until it happens, right?"

Rarity turned her attention back to Tyr. "So what will you do now, darling? Have you already seen all the girls yet?"

"Just you and Rainbow Dash so far," Tyr admitted. "We kinda got a bit… side tracked."

"Let me guess: Vibrant?"

"You can guess?"

Rarity shook her head. "That colt is just like his mother. At least Rainbow keeps her stunts outside of town where she can't crash into anypony."

Tyr sat back in his chair. "Well, until Ancè is done with Bright Soul's hair, I might as well hang around. If you don't mind?"

"Of course not, darling!" Rarity said at once. She glanced at the clock. "Ancè will be no more than perhaps a half hour or so. Then you can go see the others."

"I know I don't mind," Bright Soul muttered. "This girl has magic hooves…"

"Actually mother," Ancè spoke up suddenly. "I had a question."

Rarity perked up. "Oh? Yes dear?"

"You told me a lot about Tyr but… how do you know him?"

The seamstress bit her lip, looking from Tyr to her daughter and back again. He knew what Rarity would say, but he wasn't going to pressure her to say it. After a long moment of internal debate, she let out a heavy sigh. "Darling, you know I don't want to lie to you… so I'll tell you the truth. Tyr is… well, he's not only a very dear friend, but he… he is… well, to put it simply, he is your father."

-x-

Luna had never felt this… cold. As Princess of Dreams and having a natural affinity for ice magic, she never noticed how cold it was. But at this moment, her entire body was like she had been dipped into a pool of freezing water. She had to swallow once before she could even repeat the words she had just heard. "You… you won't recognize my marriage with Tyr? Why!?"

Jury Review cleared his throat. The older, dark brown stallion had not wanted to bring this topic up with the Princess of Dreams, but the rest of the Council had voted on it, so they had to speak about it. "…Yes, Princess Luna. For one, you were married in another world. Second, he is not a pony."

"What bearing does that have on my sister's love?" Celestia demanded. "What recourse have you to deny their marriage?"

The mare to Jury Review's left cleared her throat. "He is of a species that you reported to have tried to _kill_ you, Princess. How can we accept that he is a suitable husband for Princess Luna?"

"On top of that," another stallion said. "We've learned something about this human."

Luna stared at him with that confused look still in her eyes. "…What is that?"

"We noticed something during the last census," the stallion murmured. "We discovered there are a total of four ponies with silver eyes in the entire land of Equestria. Two of them are your foals of course. And the other two belong to the daughters of a certain Rarity and Pinkie Pie of Ponyville, also known as the Elements of Generosity and Laughter.

"I know who they are. And what does it matter what eye color their daughters have?"

Jury Review frowned. "Once we discovered that your children inherited their eye colors from your… lover, we realized that if that trait was dominant…"

The mare that had spoken picked it up. "Is this Tyr Hymir the biological father of Exuberance and Jubilee?" She asked plainly.

Luna scowled, trying to think of a way to explain. "…Technically yes, but it is not what you—"

"We cannot allow you to marry a stallion that so willingly fathers foals with other mares, especially when he had 'proclaimed' his apparent love for you."

"There is an explanation for this!" Luna growled, standing. "If you would simply _listen_ to me—"

"On top of that, we discovered that he also fathered a child with the former Queen of the Changelings."

The color drained from Luna's face. How had the Council found out about Chrysalis and Cori? The two Changelings had been staying in their disguises whenever they were out in the castle, and she had even ordered Bright Soul to keep it a secret. Then that meant… "…You had him followed."

"We had to be sure of his intentions."

"I trust Tyr with my life!"

Jury Review narrowed his eyes. "And we do not."

Celestia frowned. "…You can claim to not accept my sister's marriage, and now you bring up Chrysalis. What do you plan to do?"

"We are already making plans for that," The mare from earlier said cryptically. All of a sudden the doors to the council room burst open, and in burst Grace. The council mare jumped up in her seat. "What the…?"

"Princess!" The red haired knight came galloping in, coming to a stop near Luna. Celestia glanced back the way she came, noticing the two unconscious guards with needles in their necks.

"What in the name of the sun…?" She murmured.

Luna frowned. "Saving Grace? What is it? Why are you in such a rush?"

"The guards stormed into the library while I was reading with Cori, saying they had orders to arrest her!" Grace said quickly, just as more guards came rushing in. Grace whirled on the spot to face them, only for Luna to step in the way.

"What in the name of the moon is going on!?" She demanded.

The lead guard stepped forward. "We found Saving Grace harboring a Changeling, Princess. We were ordered by the Council to bring in anypony colluding with them."

"So I'm apparently a traitor now," Grace said, eyes narrowed. A brace of needles lifted out of her mane, aiming themselves at the guards. They shied back a step, obviously wary of the miffed knight. "I've knocked out about a dozen or so and they haven't given up yet. Points for persistency, I guess."

"Saving Grace is no traitor," Luna said. "And the Changelings are no threat."

"Then why did they not come quietly?" The lead guard demanded.

"You tried to kill her on the spot!" Grace snapped.

"This is getting out of hoof," Celestia said, glancing back at the council. "Cease this foolishness at once."

"I apologize Princess, but no." Jury Review sat back down slowly. His face was grim, and so were those of the other council members. "We have been protecting Canterlot since your disappearance, and we will continue to do so—with or without your consent. We will protect our ponies."

"And I will protect those dear to me," Luna snarled back, magic gathering in her horn. The council members shrunk back, thinking that she was going to attack. But instead, her magic enveloped her body in a dark blue glow, and she winked out of sight.

"She teleported away," Celestia murmured.

"And left me," Grace complained. "Am I not dear to her?"

The Princess of the Sun smiled at the knight. "She left you with me, Saving Grace. You will be safe by my side."

Grace let her needles slip back into her mane, slowly moving to take a spot beside Celestia. She gave the Solar Diarch a sheepish smile. "…Thanks, Princess."

"It is no issue." She turned back to the council. Her eyes were hard. "…And now we will clean up this mess."

-x-

* * *

 **Told ya not everything was okay.**

 **Council is a bunch of jerks, Celestia is almost at her wits end, and Luna is off who knows where. I've still got more of the mane six to go though, but that will have to wait until the next chapter.**

 **Until then my friends, I await your Reviews and comments.**

 **For as I always say: The Library Accepts all.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello All. Hopefully your week has been pleasant! This week, I wrap up the meet and greet of Tyr and friends, and follow Luna as she goes Changeling searching. So now, I'll move on to comments, of which I had quite a few.**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Yes, Luna did give her consent. But to other ponies that don't know this, Tyr could be seen as cheating.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Celestia and Luna have it hard.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: And remember, Celestia's being trying to work with them for five years, and its still this bad. And doing Hope's little background appearances always bring a smile to my face.**

 **Kevin Lapse: I'll avoid doing a hook for every chapter, but sometimes, it just happens as part of the writing process. And that Caps lock use though...**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Glad I've got such a good grip on you. Or you on me? Hm. But yeah, Tyr is kinda spread around. But I'm sure he's fine with a large family.**

 **Lux Umbrae: You know what they say, Equestria is crisis prone. And Celestia wants to fix the problem more diplomatically instead o just using a royal decree.**

 **Mr. Derpface: At final count, Tyr has a total of seven children-Two from Luna, One from Rarity, Pinkie, and Chrysalis each, and Sherry and Hope adopted.** **But Ponyville was there to welcome Tyr with open arms. Little Pinkie is her mother's pride and joy, you know. And had the affectionate placeholder name of "MiniPinkie" before I settled on Jubilee. She almost was named Celebration Pie, but I grew to like Jubilee much more.**

 **That settles that. Now we cam move onto the chapter proper:**

* * *

Chapter 4: Confusion Sets In

"I have to admit, you did a really good job," Bright Soul said, admiring her mane in a nearby standing mirror. It was shiny and clean now, running down her neck and ending in a slight curl, with a singular braid that hung in front of her face. "My mane looks better than it ever has."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Bright Soul," Ancè said with a slight bow. "Please, if you ever need your mane done again…"

"I'll be sure to come back," The golden haired pony said with a nod. She turned and began heading out of the room. Tyr lingered a moment more with the two white unicorns, noticing Bright Soul glance back in his direction with a look that implied she wanted to talk to him. He sighed. He turned back to an expectant Rarity.

"You'll come back, won't you darling?" The seamstress murmured, looking up at Tyr. "You won't… disappear or anything after you leave, right?"

It was a valid fear, the man figured. Tyr knelt down and gently stroked her mane with his hand. It didn't seem so strange for him to do something like this—Rarity was important to him. "I won't vanish, Rarity. With any luck, I'll be by more often to visit."

"I will hold you to that, darling."

Tyr straightened back up, only for Ancè to come over to him. She looked a little nervous, and was rubbing one of her hooves against her other leg. If it wasn't for her silver eyes and white and purple mane, he would have called her an almost exact copy of Rarity. He gave her the most comforting smile he could. This was his daughter after all. "Something the matter, Ancè?"

"I know mother explained it all, but…" She looked away, a slight frown on her face. "…I apologize if I seem uncomfortable. I've just grown up without having a father."

Tyr noticed Rarity wince out of the corner of his eye. "It's alright, Ancè. I understand. It it's uncomfortable for you…"

"Although I wouldn't mind trying." She blushed. "It was… a pleasure to meet you, father."

She got up on two legs and held out her forelegs. Sensing what she wanted, He got down low enough to return her hug. He suppressed a small smile at the height difference between him and all the ponies in this world. After all, he was six feet tall, and most of them were at least a foot or so shorter than him. Only Luna and Celestia had been closer to his height. He shook off the thought and continued hugging his… well… daughter. "The pleasure was all mine, Exuberance."

He released her then, finally able to see a small smile on the face of the young unicorn filly. With one last wave to Rarity and her daughter, he went off to join Bright Soul. The hazel unicorn was waiting for him outside the boutique with a small frown on her face. After a moment of staring at him, she finally spoke up. "So. You want to tell me how many other foals you have had?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "You heard Rarity. She and I never slept together. I simply provided her with my genes."

"And Princess Luna? Does she know?"

"Of course she knows!" Tyr snapped. He kept his voice low, not wanting to draw attention. However dealing with Bright Soul was beginning to grate at his nerves. "Do you think I would have done it without her consent?"

"I don't know. I don't know you."

"Then stop being so accusatorial!" He scowled. "Yes, it does seem like I have a lot of children that bear my genes, but two of them were because I was helping out friends, and one I didn't know about until yesterday!"

Bright Soul was silent. "…So one of your other friends had a child by your DNA?"

She had done the math, and Tyr mentally kicked himself. "…Yeah. Pinkie Pie."

"And Luna knows about that as well?"

"Like I said, she gave her consent."

"So you allowed those two mares to use your seed to have foals. And then what? Avow no responsibility?"

Tyr frowned. "I…I don't know. I'd have to speak to Rarity and Pinkie Pie about that. I'd like to be part of their lives, but…"

He trailed off. Any interaction he would have with Ancè and her sister would probably be up to their mothers. Rarity seemed happy about what little relationship had formed between him and the gentle Exuberance, but who knows what Pinkie would say? And Luna for that matter, what would she think about him openly claiming them as his kids? He wasn't planning to disavow Cori either. As he stood there silent, Bright Soul let out a sigh. "…I didn't have a good relationship with my father," She said quietly.

Tyr looked at her sharply. "What?"

"I said I wasn't close to my dad. He was never home, and by the time he started coming home, he was a drunk." She glanced at Tyr, who was staying silent. She continued. "Turns out he wasn't my dad—just a man my mother left me with while she remarried. Drinking so much had turned him into… well, regardless of who he was, I didn't care anymore. I immediately went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I managed to get enough bits together for my own place and started living alone as a filly."

"You couldn't have been that old…"

"I wasn't. Lucky for me, Princess Celestia took a liking to my diligence. She took over payments for my place and made sure I ate properly. So it was no question that I when they returned from your world and Princess Luna needed a knight… I jumped at the opportunity."

"I see."

"I wasn't her favorite student, but I was at least noticed, I suppose." She sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… sorry. For jumping to conclusions."

Tyr stared at her for a long moment. For just a split second, he didn't see an arrogant knight that was trying to prove herself—he saw a young mare that was hurt deeply and was still healing. "…It's alright, Bright Soul. How about this—we start anew?"

"How so?"

Tyr held out one hand and smiled. "Hello, I'm Tyr Hymir, Luna's husband."

Bright Soul stared at his hand for a moment before placing one hoof in it. "I'm Bright Soul, Lunar Knight. Pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you, Bright Soul."

They shook on it, both wondering if they could call it a hoof shake or a handshake. After a second, Tyr let go. "Well, now that that is out of the way…"

"Right. Let's go see Twilight." They moved back out into the main street, only for Bright Soul to run into a somewhat tall green stallion pony with a light chestnut mane. He was pulling a cart behind him full of apples. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Ain't no trouble," The stallion said gently. On closer inspection, Tyr could see that the pony before him wasn't as old as he thought, just a bit better built. He really was only a little smaller than Bright Soul. Guess there's the difference between mares and stallions. The colt—supposedly—looked up at Tyr. "…I don't reckon I've ever seen someone like you."

"I'm from a place far away," Tyr said, giving him a half truth. "I'm Tyr, and this is my friend Bright Soul."

"I'm Bramley," the colt said. "Like the apple."

"Like the… hold on a moment, you wouldn't happen to be—"

"BRAM!" A country voice called. Tyr recognized it immediately, a small smile on his face as the familiar Stetson hat came into view. That and the trio of apples on the mare's flanks gave away her identity immediately. The blonde maned orange pony came around the corner, a frown on her face. Bramley turned his head.

"Momma? I thought you and Momma Fluttershy were right behind me."

"I was yelling at ya to get ya to stop," The mare said, going right up to him. She seemed completely oblivious to Tyr and Bright Soul's presence. "You know Flutters and Goldie don't walk as fast as us!"

"Sorry momma. I wasn't paying attention."

"I reckon you wouldn't. You were in your own little world all the way into town today."

"I didn't run into anypony though. Well, except till now."

"Who?"

Bright Soul cleared her throat. "Um, that would be me. You're Applejack, Element of Honesty, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me—" She stopped short, looking over at them. Her green eyes widened slowly as they came to rest on Tyr's legs, then traced their way up. Her breath caught as she met his eyes. "…Tyr?"

"Hello cowgirl," He said playfully, getting a soft chuckle from the orange mare.

"You didn't forget, huh?" She pulled her hat down to cover her face, but he could still see the small smile on her face. "…It's been a while, sugarcube."

Tyr smiled. Out of all his friends, he hadn't expected Applejack to jump on him. Despite being as honest as the sun on a clear day, he thought with a chuckle. But to his surprise, the mare hopped up on her hind legs and hugged him. "Applejack?"

"It sure is good ta see ya, Tyr," She mumbled into his chest. "Took ya long enough, but that's beside the point."

She let him go then finally letting him see her face. She was grinning up at him. "What?"

"You're a lot taller than I remember, partner."

"You're a lot shorter," Tyr countered.

Bramley looked between his mom and the tall non-pony with a look of mild confusion. "Um… Momma, you know this guy?"

"Oh, right!" Applejack looked over at the young colt. "Bramley, this is Tyr. He's a friend of the family."

"Nice ta meet ya, Mr. Tyr," Bramley said respectfully.

"Jeez, he sounds like Big Mac," Tyr chuckled.

Applejack nodded. "He does act like his uncle, don't he? And Goldie takes after Fluttershy…"

"Goldie?"

"My sister," Bramley clarified. "Golden Grove."

The sound of hooves behind them all caught their attention, Applejack brightening up almost immediately. "Shy!"

A yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane and three butterflies on her flank slowly made her way around the corner, a much younger filly on her back. The filly, a little brown Pegasus with a gold mane was situated between her wings. She looked to be attempting to hide herself. The yellow Pegasus approached slowly, eyes fixed on Tyr. "…Tyr? Is that you?" She asked softly, her blue-green eyes wide.

"Yeah, it's me," Tyr said.

Fluttershy smiled a little smile that was about as wonderful as any full grin. She glanced back to the filly on her back. "Come on Goldie, meet your Uncle Tyr."

"Uncle?" Bright Soul questioned, but Tyr locked eyes with the filly on Fluttershy's back. Golden Grove was looking him over shyly, hiding behind her long gold mane. Much like Fluttershy had been when he had first met her.

The filly slowly got off of Fluttershy's back, glancing up at Tyr and back to the ground. She blushed heavily. "H-Hello uncle…"

"You are related to Tyr?" Bright Soul asked Applejack. The cowgirl glanced over at her, almost a little surprised at the question.

"Related? Not really. But we've been through a lot with him that we're just about as close," She replied, watching the smaller, shyer filly gently putting a hoof in Tyr's offered hand. He was waiting patiently, and when she finally gave him a hoof/handshake, he gave her a winning smile. Golden Grove smiled and giggled softly. "And I ain't ever met someone who could get Golden Grove to laugh like that on a first meeting."

"She's adorable," Tyr said, letting the little filly nose around him, looking at all the charms on his belt. "And quite curious, it seems."

"She's likes seeing new things," Fluttershy said. "Where did you get all those charms?"

"A lot of them were made for me in the Sereneighti," Tyr explained. "Except for that one."

He pointed to one that looked like the talon of a bird. Golden Grove leaned in closer to look at it. "Is that from a bird?"

"Sort of. I got it from a griffon."

Bright Soul blinked. "A Griffon talon? How did you get one of those?"

"Rescued a griffon patrol from a giant worm thing," Tyr said with a shrug. "I mostly just drove it off, but they gave me one of their talons as a good luck charm."

"Wow."

"Sounds like you've done some travelling, sugarcube," Applejack said.

Tyr chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Oh!" Golden Grove squeaked and dashed away from Tyr, hiding behind Fluttershy. "There's something in his coat!"

"Huh?" Tyr blinked and glanced down. Suddenly, Fenrir poked her head out of his coat. "Oh, I was wondering where you've been."

"I was asleep until some nosy pony poked me with their nose." Fenrir complained. She looked over at Golden Grove. "Oh? Progeny of our shy friend?"

"We adopted her and Bramley when we returned," Fluttershy said, holding Golden Grove comfortingly with her wing. The little filly was watching Fenrir warily from under her mother's wing.

Fenrir glanced over at where Applejack stood beside Bramley. "Hm. I cannot say I am surprised."

Tyr smiled at the little Pegasus filly. "Goldie, it's alright. Fenrir is my friend. She won't hurt you. See?"

The man held out his hand, and Fenrir hopped out onto it. He held her close to Golden Grove, the filly shying away a little. Neither Tyr nor the wolf spirit tried to force the issue, letting her come to them. She lifted one hoof tenderly, touching Fenrir's head. When the wolf spirit didn't react, she smiled and came back over to him. "He's really good," Bramley said softly.

"So!" Applejack moved back over and got Tyr's attention. "Y'all going to Pinkie's party later?"

"Pinkie's having a party?" Tyr asked, a bit surprised. In fact, he was more so surprised that he hadn't seen Pinkie Pie yet. He had almost completely expected her to be the first pony he ran into when they came to Ponyville.

"We didn't come for a party," Bright Soul said. "We came about—"

"Now y'all know Pinkie would love to see Tyr!" Applejack cut her off. "He can't just come to town and not see her!"

"I think he can, we have business with Princess Twilight—"

"Oh? Then he'll have to see her anyway! We—"

This time, it was Fluttershy cutting off Applejack. "Erm! Jackie, weren't we on our way somewhere?"

"We were? Oh, we were!" Applejack turned to Tyr, an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry sugar, but we gotta get moving. It's been real nice seeing you again!"

"Come on Golden Grove, we'll see Uncle Tyr later," Fluttershy said softly, bringing the young Pegasus back to her. She smiled over at Tyr. "See you later, Tyr. Oh! And bye, Bright Soul!"

They all left then, leaving Tyr and Bright Soul alone again. "You have quite the gentle touch," The mare murmured, watching as Fenrir took her spot up on Tyr's shoulder.

"I had kid sisters," Tyr replied. "So, let's not hang around. It is kinda getting late."

Bright Soul glanced up at the sky. The sun was indeed beginning to set. Had they really spent that much time at Rarity's? "Right then. We do not want to be calling on Twilight too late, correct?" They continued on their way, getting back on their path to the castle of the Princess of Friendship.

-x-

Luna could not remember the last time she had ever been to the poorer section of Canterlot. As she walked through the alleyways, she let her eyes wander to the ponies that lined the streets. Most were too out of it to really notice her, with those that did quickly retreating into the shadows or bowing to her as she passed. She didn't like it. "Where is she…?"

She rounded a corner, coming across a small group of stallions. They hadn't noticed her, so she stayed quiet and let her magic come to life. After her time in the human world, Luna had come to terms with the darker part of her magic. Even as her horn lit up with soft blue light, her body melted into shadow. No one could see her now. "Hey, you hear that that mare down the street vanished the other day?" One of the stallions was saying.

"Which one?" another asked.

"The one who you could pay like a hundred bits for a night."

The one to his left nodded. "Yeah, I heard. Rumor has it two of the Royal Knights and some other creature came down and talked to her. They say she was a Changeling."

"A Changeling? Buck."

"Yeah! That human creature was walking around town with the Queen of the Changelings on a leash!"

Luna glanced down in the direction the stallions had been talking about. There was a nondescript house in one of the corners with a crystal light in the window. She noticed a shadow moving about inside, and then the window blinds closed. "I see you," She murmured with a small smile. She moved down the street in the shadow, ending up outside the house in question before reemerging into normal space. She looked around, scanning for any of the royal guards that may have chased after her. They were still searching for Cori she knew, but the Changeling filly had learned well from her mother and had remained hidden from everyone, including her.

Until now.

She shifted back into shadow, sliding through the crack between the door and the frame around it. The feeling of being nearly incorporeal was still strange to her, and she was still recovering from it as she heard a soft noise from one of the back rooms. The house was tiny, really only large enough for one person to be comfortable in. Luna couldn't imagine how hard it was for Chrysalis to raise a child here. Speaking of that child… Luna slid along the hallway, going towards the noise she heard.

"Mommy…!"

Luna stopped. The plaintive whimper had triggered her motherly instinct. Memories of helping Aurora through the magic flu came to the fore. She frowned and slipped into the room. Cori was curled up in the corner, hidden partially behind a slightly dingy bed. She was out of her disguise, apparently trying to simply hide herself behind the bed. Luna could see the tearstains on Cori's face—the filly had been crying heavily. She pulled herself out of the shadows.

"Cordelia," She called softly.

The Changeling filly cried out, recoiling from the sound of her voice. Her horn lit up with a weak green light. Luna blinked several times, recognizing the weak offensive spell. Cori had been prepared to protect herself. "S-Stay away from me!"

"Little one, it is I—you remember me, don't you?" She tried to be as gentle as she could and not come off as threatening. Cori stayed defensive for a moment before cracking open one eye to look at her. She shrunk back even further.

"Please, don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I don't know what I did but I'm sorry!"

Luna paused. There was pure terror in the Changeling's eyes. Why would Cori think she was going to hurt her? "Little one… why do you think I would be here to hurt you?"

"T-The guards said that they had orders to get me and mommy," Cori said, sniffling. "And mommy always told me the guards took orders from the princesses…"

"Cori," Luna said softly, but firmly. "Neither I nor my sister sent those stallions after you and your mother. We only discovered their mission a while ago."

"So… I'm not in trouble?"

Luna smiled. "No, you are not in trouble."

Cori let out a wavering, yet relieved sigh. "I… I was scared…"

Luna moved over beside her and wrapped her in one wing. "I understand, little one. But you are safe now."

"I… I was scared I wouldn't see Ro or Al again…"

Luna glanced down at the Changeling under her wing. Had the three children bonded that quickly? "Do not worry. You will see them again. Once my sister and I clear up the misunderstanding."

There were noises outside, and Luna directed her attention there. The telltale clank of armor and hooves gave away the presence of the guards outside. Cori squeaked and squeezed closer to Luna. "They're here!"

"I will protect you, little one. Do not worry."

The guards burst into the house, spears already lowered. They did stop in surprise upon seeing Luna emerge from the back of the house, Cori under her wing. "P…Princess? You got here before us?"

"I can travel in ways you cannot," Luna said, switching into her regal voice and flaring her wings. She hoped that she could simply intimidate the guards into backing off. Unfortunately, as she looked over the guards, she noticed she didn't recognize any of them. The council most likely hired new guards when they all vanished… hm.

"We are under orders to kill or capture any Changelings we find," the lead guard said. "And also that we are to do this by any means necessary."

The spears pointed at Luna. She drew back, before scowling. "You would threaten me? Your princess?"

"…We have our orders."

"And I have my pride! BEGONE!" Luna's voice boomed, and a wave of magic exploded from her. The blast of magic tore through the front of the house, pushing the guards out onto the street like they had been hit with a wave. Cori stared in shock.

"You're… you're so strong…"

"I am not a Princess for nothing, little one. Now, we should go before…" She trailed off, seeing more guards coming down the street. Other ponies made way for them. "…Wonderful."

"Princess Luna! Give up the Changeling!" The lead guardpony called.

Luna bit her bottom lip. But then a thought occurred to her. She didn't need brute force to get through. It was getting late in the evening now, the sun slowly setting by nature of her sister's magic. She felt the familiar tingle in her own horn as if to signal her turn had arrived. "…Excuse me, gentlecolts," She murmured.

The guards unconsciously backed off. Luna lifted her head slightly, closing her eyes and letting her magic flow forth. As everypony present watched, the moon and sun switched positions in the sky. Darkness fell on the city as night was ushered in by the Princess of Dreams.

"Even though I watched her do it, I still can't believe it…" One of the guard ponies said.

Another one of them backed up a step. "What are we even doing here, guys…?"

Luna let out a theatrical sigh. "I do not wish to hurt any of my subjects. Therefore, I will not use force against any of you."

The lead guard took a tentative step forward, obvious relief on his face. "Then you'll hand her over?"

"No," Luna said shortly. She glanced down at Cori. The changeling looked up at her with expectant yet completely trusting eyes. "…Little one, are you afraid of the dark?"

"I used to be," Cori said honestly. She blushed and looked down at the floor, her own insect like wings rustling slightly. "But Mommy would always tell me that the dark can't hurt me. And she would sleep by me until I wasn't afraid anymore."

Chrysalis had been quite the kind mother, Luna thought. "Then stay close to my side, Cori. This may feel strange." Her magic flared to life again, causing the guards to back up in shock. Before any of them could react, the Princess of Dreams and her young charge melted into the shadows and slipped away, out into the night.

"She's escaping!" One of the guards said.

The lead guardpony simply watched as the shadows around them deepened, and then receded. He let out a sigh. "There's nothing we can really do about it, is there?"

There wasn't, and before long the Princess of Dreams and the filly Changeling were out of the city. Luna brought them back to solidity a distance away and let out a long sigh. "…We are safe now, Cori."

Cori staggered to the ground. Luna couldn't blame her—her first attempt at Shadow Travel had left her dazed and confused as well. She gave the child a moment to compose herself. "That felt… strange…"

"I'm sorry little one," Luna said, "But that was the only way we could leave easily."

"I'm fine!" Cori gave her a weak smile. But then her attention went back to the city of Canterlot. It was slowly going to sleep with the night, although some parts would be wide awake until it was late into the night. "…Aunty Luna?"

The dark blue mare turned slightly at the name. Aunty? "…Yes, Cori? What is it?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well…" Luna gave her a gentle smile and a soft rub on the head with one hoof. She had wondered ever since meeting the changeling why Cordelia did not look like all the drones had. Her sister had described them as gangly, black skinned creatures with holes in their legs and bent, twisted horns. But Cori was different. She was whole, for one thing, without the holes in her wings and legs that plagued her mother and the rest of her race. Her wings were actually quite beautiful to look at, quite elegant and pretty. Her horn was straight as well. For all intents and purposes, she simply looked like a pure black pony. Her green mane was just like Chrys's, simply lighter in shade. Only her eyes, which were mismatched and bright, gave away her changeling heritage. "…I suppose we go find your mother."

-x-

"It's a lot bigger up close," Tyr muttered, looking up at what Bright Soul called the Castle of Friendship. And it was indeed made of crystal, as he reached out to touch it. "…And crystal. Huh."

"From what I heard, it just sprung up after the Elements of Harmony used the Rainbow Power for the first time. Twilight claimed it as her castle, and the Elements of Harmony meet here regularly. From what I heard, they're essentially the ones the town goes to when there's danger."

"No too surprising," Tyr replied, going up to the door. "Those girls were pretty responsible."

Bright Soul's horn lit up, and the doors opened. She began walking inside. "Let's go in then."

They entered the main hall, soft hoofsteps and Tyr's own boots clicking quietly against the crystal floor. There was a somewhat eerie silence as they walked, not a single soul to be seen. Tapestries depicting Tyr's six friends facing off against beasts he had never seen before, even with his wandering in Equestria. One of them even looked like a mish mash of a dozen different creatures. "Seems your friends have met some strange creatures," Fenrir muttered, climbing up onto Tyr's shoulder. She sniffed at one of the tapestries.

"Smells like apples in here too," Tyr pointed out.

Bright Soul gave him a flat look. "We're ponies. We eat apples. Is it so strange to smell them?"

Tyr sniffed the air as well. "…Not this concentrated. There's a lot of apples here."

"…Someone lives here, you know…"

"Plus, I smell… perfume?"

"You've got a nose like a bloodhound," Bright Soul said dryly, continuing to walk.

Fenrir growled. "A _wolf_ , not a bloodhound!"

"Same breed of animal, right?" Bright Soul went over to one of the main doors, ignoring the fuming wolf spirit. "Here. This is the main room. If she's anywhere, Twilight is here or the library—"

She opened the door. Suddenly, Fenrir's ears twitched and went flat against her head as she covered them. Tyr had only a moment to notice what she was doing before a giant blast of sound and confetti rolled out of the room and sent Bright Soul careening into the wall. The hazel pony smacked into the wall with a sound that made Tyr flinch. "Ah," Fenrir murmured, letting go of her ears, just in time to hear a number of voices speak up.

"Oh! I think you hurt her, Bibi!"

"I _may_ have used too much powder… But she's fine, Beri!"

"…How much powder did you use?"

"Um… a lot?"

"I told you two silly fillies—10% glitter, 30% sparkles, 50% confetti and 20% powder! That's the party cannon recipe!"

"…Aunty Pinkie, that doesn't add up."

"Yes it does! It adds up to 110%!"

"Pinkie… oh forget it. I don't know why I let you bring that thing in here… Someone go make sure Bright Soul is alright."

"Jubilee has to practice, Twilight!"

"I'm going upstairs. This is ridiculous…"

"Wait, Evie, we'll get it right next time!"

"I'm not sticking around to watch you hurt another innocent pony…"

"Wait. Bibi said that she saw two ponies, right?"

"Well, to be precise, she said she saw a pony and a creature. One bigger than her that walked on two legs."

"Two legs…?"

"I think that might be me," Tyr called out. "I'm not going to be blasted with confetti, am I?"

There was a sharp intake of breath. A shaky voice called out. "…Is that… Tyr? Is that you?"

Tyr rounded the corner, coming face to face with all of his friends, plus a very excited pink mare with a pink mane and a violet Alicorn that looked like she was completely in disbelief. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity, also in the room, gave him quite wide smiles. He glanced around, finding the room decorated for a party, and a giant banner with the words 'Welcome Home!' hung from the ceiling. The huge table in the center of the room was covered with an assortment of food, mostly cakes and other sweet treats. But that was all forgotten at this moment. "Hey girls," He managed to say, before a pink blur crashed into him and knocked him to the floor. Tyr managed to look down at his chest to find the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"I knew you'd come back!" Pinkie squealed happily. "I knew, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Pinkie—"

"I told all the other girls that we'd see you again, but they didn't believe me! 'Pinkie, we'll probably never see him again' They'd tell me. But this mare never stopped believing! No siree bob! I made sure to keep all my party supplies on hand so I could throw you a party at the drop of a hat!"

Tyr couldn't help but laugh. "Not surprising, but Pinkie—"

"Rarity and Rainbow Dash were so sad not to have you with us, and it took forever to cheer them up!"

"…Pinkie…"

"Oh! And Jubilee was really wanting to meet you, cause I told her all the stories about you being a hero and stuff!"

Tyr glanced past his excited friend to where he spotted Ancè and another young filly, surprisingly enough the first filly he and Bright Soul had run into. To his surprise, little Jubilee instead chose to wave at him this time. "Ah."

"Oh, and—"

"PINKIE." Without thinking about it too hard, Tyr pushed up to a sitting position, tossing Pinkie off of his chest and onto her back. The pink mare hopped right back up without missing a beat. "Can you calm down?"

"No! I'm really happy to see you!" Pinkie complained. She glanced around nervously, her train of thought derailed. It almost looked like she couldn't think of what to say. "I just… I don't…"

"…Pinkie?"

Suddenly, Pinkie's puffy mane deflated with a noise like air rushing out of a balloon. She slumped onto her back legs, sniffling. Before Tyr could say anything, she had begun to cry. "I…! I…! I missed you so much!"

"We really did, sugar," Tyr heard Applejack say. He glanced up to the rest of his friends to find most of them watching the small display with teary eyes and smiles. They really had missed him, hadn't they? He looked back at Pinkie, who was still bawling her eyes out. With a warm smile of his own he pulled the pink earth pony into a hug. She sniffed, a bit surprised.

"T-Tyr?"

"I'm so happy to see you, Pinkie," Tyr told her while pulling her out to arm's length. "You and all the others. Believe me I was really lonely without all of you."

"You… you really are happy to see me?"

"Of course I am!" Barely had Tyr uttered the words than Pinkie was back up against him. He smiled—Pinkie sure did love her hugs. But this time, instead of a wild eagerness to greet him, there was some other emotion there. He couldn't spend much time thinking about it, for suddenly all he could taste was cake and his vision was obscured with pink. At first he thought Pinkie had taken her usual route and shoved cake in his face, but from the sounds of surprise coming from the others, it became clear what had just happened.

Pinkie Pie had kissed him.

Well, way to keep misunderstandings to a minimum.

* * *

 **Oh dear. Pinkie, are you alright?**

 **Well. You'll have to wait a bit to find out. Sorry Kevin!**

 **But as usual, Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, and don't hesitate to leave any comments or complains. The Library Accepts all.**

 **Ta ta for now!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Greetings from the Library, dear readers! Sorry for the late post, URF is up on League and I was six or seven games in before I remembered I needed to post. Many apologies.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Is something the matter?**

 **Chaddmychal: I wish I could as well, but my quality standards require a week of attention to each chapter in order to be as good as it can be.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I couldn't keep Bright Soul the way she was for long, honestly. She's still not entirely trusting of Tyr, but it'll get there. Eventually.**

 **Mr. Derpface: Pinkie is indeed erratic. I wanted to make the children like their parents, but with characteristics to make them unique.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: There are reasons for everything, dear wolf. Honest answer, not even Luna knows what to call her Shadow Travel (which was my name for it). And the council will get sorted out, through a combination of events I don't want to spoil. :D**

 **NATSUxERZA 123456: Thanks for the comment!**

 **Lux Umbrae: Eh, the council can think what they want.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: There are multiple reasons, but those will be explained over time. I do remind you of the Bond between Tyr and Chrysalis. He technically has some Changeling in him. And Ance (I can't do accents like this, sadly) is one of my favorite children to write. A little Rarity is personally too adorable to pass up for me. And Blueblood is around... Somewhere. I mean, you really think he wants to take the chance of crossing Ace? Nah bro.  
**

 **So now we continue on with our story!**

 **...Wait, do I hear yelling?**

* * *

Chapter 5: A Peaceful Evening

" _ **Pinkamena Diane Pie**_!" Rarity snapped, bringing everyone out of their respective shock. Pinkie jumped back at the sound of her full name, releasing Tyr in a panic.

"What, what?" She said, whipping her head around. Her friends were staring at her in confusion.

"You kissed Tyr!" Rainbow said, finally regaining her senses. "Like, totally kissed him!"

"I… I did?" Pinkie looked over at Tyr, who was still wide eyed. "Oh sweet marmalade, I did!"

Twilight stepped forward, her purple eyes wide. "…Pinkie, why…why did you do that?" She asked slowly.

"I don't know, I was just so excited to see Tyr and hear his voice and smell that odd doggy smell that I…" She stared down at her hooves, ashamed. "I… I'm so sorry Tyr…"

Tyr shook his head slowly, clearing his surprise. "It's… okay Pinkie, I know how excited you get…"

"No!" She jumped up to her hooves. "That's no excuse for doing that! I know you love Luna, and I have Rare-bear, but I…"

Tyr pulled her into a gentle hug. "Pinkie. You were excited to see me and weren't thinking straight. It's alright."

"You… you forgive me?"

"Of course! You know I can't stay mad at you." Tyr winced slightly as Pinkie's mane 'poofed' back out, scattering confetti all over him. She hugged him back tightly. The happiness radiating off her was palpable. Tyr glanced over at Rarity, who's expression was a bit odd. She seemed torn between frustration and exasperation. But when she met Tyr's gaze, she forced a smile to her lips.

"…Thank you Tyr." Pinkie murmured, snuggling closer against his chest. The man couldn't bring himself to force her off.

"Alpha," Fenrir called out. She was over next to Bright Soul, who still hadn't moved. Her voice caught everyone's attention. "It seems our new friend is out for the count."

Twilight left the circle of her friends and came over to where the wolf spirit was. After a moment of examination, she sighed. "…Seems to be true. She's out cold."

Ancè and Jubilee, at the party cannon, immediately began arguing. "I knew you used too much powder!" Ancè said.

"I thought it was enough," Jubilee said. Suddenly, she brightened up. "Oh, oh! Beri, you said that human guy is dad?"

Ancè bit her lip. "Well… I know he's my dad too…"

"He's Jubilee's father as well, darling," Rarity said. She glanced over at Tyr, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry darling, I thought it best we tell them…"

Tyr shook his head, aimlessly tickling behind Pinkie's ear. The pink mare began giggling loudly, trying to squirm away. "It's alright Rarity. I don't mind at all."

The mini-Pinkie trotted over to her father, a wide grin on her face. "Hi daddy! I'm Jubilee Pie! Nice ta meet ya!"

She was adorable, as any miniature version of Pinkie was obligated to be. Tyr couldn't help but ruffle her mane with one hand. "Nice to meet you too, Jubilee."

"We should get Bright Soul up to one of the extra rooms," Twilight murmured. She turned to the hall. "SPIIIKE!

There was silence. "Where is little Spikey-wikey?" Rarity asked.

"Not so little anymore," Applejack said with a chuckle.

"He should be upstairs…" Twilight murmured.

"Ain't he up their with the kids?" Applejack asked.

"True. Flash and Ace are up there too, aren't they?"

"That's right," Applejack said. "Flash was showing the kids his guitar skills, right?"

"And that's where we'd be, if it wasn't for Bibi wanting to play with Mom's party cannon," Ancè pouted. Jubilee giggled.

"Sorry~!"

"Flash plays guitar?" Tyr asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. If you don't believe us, go on up."

"I think I will. He's the only one I haven't seen…" Tyr trailed off as a unicorn filly walked into view, a large book held in a bright pink aura floating alongside her. Her coat was a deep bluish-violet, and her short straight cut mane was purple, blue and pink. A pair of glasses were balanced on her nose. "Oh? Who's this?"

The filly went over to Twilight. "Mother? Did you call for Spike?"

Twilight seemed a bit surprised. "Yes, I did. But why did you come down, Evening Star?"

"Spike was busy," Evening Star said. "So I volunteered to see what you wanted."

Twilight nuzzled the little filly affectionately. "Oh, you're such a good girl. But I needed Spike to get a bed ready for Bright Soul."

"I'll let him know, mother." She smiled softly and headed back upstairs. Tyr watched her go, glancing between the young filly and his librarian friend. "So… that's your daughter, Twilight?"

The violet mare glanced back at him. "Yes, she is. What, did you think Flash and I wouldn't want to have kids?"

"Not that. I just expected her to be more… hm. Interested in what I am."

"Well, no worries there. Star has rooted through every book we had on humans. Just be prepared for her to want to ask you a lot of questions."

"Believe me, I've been through that already."

"Come on Dad!" Jubilee suddenly ran around him and began pushing at his back. "Let's go upstairs!"

Pinkie gave Tyr a weak smile. "Jubilee…"

Ancè made a loud noise like clearing her throat. She began to walk past Tyr. "Come, father. Before Jubilee begins pouting."

"Hey!" Jubilee frowned. "I don't pout!"

The two sisters kept arguing as they walked past Tyr. He watched them go with a smile. "So…" Rarity's voice caught his attention. The seamstress had come over to him. "Are you happy, darling?"

"Happy with what?" He asked, deciding to play dumb.

Rainbow frowned. "You know what she means, dummy! Are you happy being here, in Equestria!"

Tyr looked around at the room. His friends were gathered around him, each with a smile on their faces. They were happy to see him, and he in turn was happy to see them. "Not just happy," He said, resting back. He liked sitting while he was with them—it made his height not that much of an issue. "I feel… complete, I guess. I guess I really needed you girls around."

"Oh, darling…"

Suddenly, he was being hugged from every angle, his friends gathering around him to embrace him. He didn't refuse the gesture, instead hugging them back as well as he could. He had been a bit incorrect earlier; these weren't his friends. They were his family.

[Master]

Tyr sat up straight, catching all his friends off guard. "What?" Applejack blinked rapidly. "You alright sugar?"

"It's Chrys," Tyr said, frowning. [What is it, Chrissy?]

[We will be coming inside in a moment. Warn them]

"What about Chrys?" Rainbow asked, a bit skeptical. "We haven't seen her in years!"

Tyr looked at his friends and shrugged. "…She's coming inside."

"Huh?"

The front doors opened, and in walked the Queen of the Changelings herself, followed by a slightly worried Cori. The doors shut behind them with a light thud. Twilight straightened up, a bit of surprise on her face. "…Chrysalis? What are you…? Why are you…?"

"Explanation later, Twilight Sparkle," Chrys said slowly. "First, I must introduce you."

"Introduce us to…?" Fluttershy began, but that's when she and the other girls noticed Cori. The little changeling shied back against her mother once exposed to all the confused looks. "…Oh."

Applejack blinked. "Is that…"

Chrys nodded, gently sliding Cori back in front of her. "I would like you all to meet Cordelia… my daughter."

There was a collective gasp from everyone not Tyr or a Changeling. "Wait one second!" Rainbow said, holding up a hoof. "You… you had a baby?"

Chrys nodded. "I gave birth to Cori, yes."

"Oh my," Fluttershy murmured.

Twilight shook her head slowly. "I… I don't understand. You had a child? And why are you here at my home?"

"Luna sent me here," Chrys pointed out.

"Luna sent you, hm…" Twilight frowned, glancing at Cori. "…and her? Who is her father?"

Chrys fell silent. Six pairs of eyes bored into her, and she let out a deep sigh. "…Cori's father is Tyr."

There was a number of gasps from around the room. "Wait one gosh darn second," Applejack said. She glanced between Tyr and Chrysalis."Tyr fathered that little filly?"

"And does Luna know?" Rarity asked. She was given a nod in response. "…Oh my."

Chrys glanced away sheepishly. "…As of yesterday, she does. And she was surprisingly more… accepting of it than I thought she would be."

There was silence among the girls. Rarity had bit her lip and wasn't looking at him. Twilight seemed thoughtful, Applejack and Fluttershy seemed embarrassed, and Pinkie just seemed to be unaware of the topic at hand. Rainbow made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a scoff crossed with a laugh. "Geez Tyr. I didn't know you were into herding," She teased.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…Herding?"

Twilight thought for a moment. "I think the word you'd associate with it would be 'polygamy', Tyr."

"Wait. That happens in this world?"

"Yup!" Pinkie surprisingly spoke up. "My uncle Pot Pie has six mares in his herd!"

Polygamy was a thing here, Tyr thought with a slight frown. In his world, it was illegal. But here… well, it stands to reason that sort of thing would exist in a society populated by ponies. Horses by nature (at least in his world) were herd based animals. He could feel the slight confusion from Fenrir as she rejoined him. "I do not believe Alpha was planning to make a… herd," She said. Tyr glanced over at her. From what he knew of wolves, they mated for life with one partner. Conflicting social interactions much?

"Anyway," Twilight said, "What did you come here for?"

"I was seeking asylum," Chrys said softly, turning her head away. "At least for Cori. I care not if you wish to let me stay, only that you take her in."

Rainbow frowned. "Asylum? What is that?"

"Chrissy…" Tyr began, but Twilight held up a hoof.

"Why would you need asylum?" She asked. "Is there someone after you?"

"What the hay is asylum?" Rainbow continued.

Chrys's mouth was a hard line. "The ponies of Canterlot still view me as a threat, and my very presence almost caused a riot."

It was Twilight's turn to give a disappointed look. "Well, I would be surprised, but no one in Canterlot was taken to the other world, were they? So it stands to reason they would still view you as 'the evil queen who tried to conquer Equestria' or something along those lines…"

"No offense to Chrysalis," Applejack spoke up, glancing at the Changeling in question, "But I reckon we all would a been like that to her if we hadn't spent so much time with her."

Rarity nodded. "A fair point."

"So it makes sense they're still trying ta get her."

Chrys shook her head. "…I'm well aware that only those in this room and Luna and Celestia are able to tolerate me. But I will not have Cori suffer for my own mistake."

Twilight stared at Chrysalis for a long time, not saying anything. It seems she was thinking quite hard about the situation. Tyr couldn't really blame her, as having a former enemy live with her was something to always be cautious about. Feeling a little nervous himself, Tyr spoke up. "Please, Twilight. Consider it a favor to me?"

"I wasn't going to say no," Twilight pointed out, smiling softly. Chrys and Cori seemed to perk up at that, but the librarian princess wasn't done. "But I do have some conditions."

Chrys nodded. "Name them."

"One: You must stay disguised at all times whenever you are not in your room."

"Fair. I can create personas for Cori and myself with relative ease."

"Two: If at any time I ask you to leave, you will do so without question."

"…Alright."

"And lastly: If I ask you to do anything that would benefit me or my friends, you will do them. Understand?"

Chrys sighed. "…Very well."

"Wonderful!" She smiled. "I think everything will work itself out then."

"Um…!" Cori spoke up then, getting Twilight's attention. Chrys seemed quite surprised to hear her daughter speak up so suddenly. "Um… Thank you, Miss Twilight…"

Twilight blinked rapidly several times before simply smiling back. "You're very welcome, Cori."

"Is anypony going to tell me what asylum means?" Rainbow demanded.

Tyr sighed. "It means a safe place to stay, Rainbow."

"Oh. Then why didn't anyone just say that?"

Ignoring the athletic pony, Chrys turned to Tyr. "There is another thing, Master."

Tyr frowned. "What is it?"

"Luna has informed me that it would be best for you to not return to Canterlot tonight."

"What?" Tyr had been looking forward to spending more time with his wife and kids, and now he was being told not to go back to them? It was understandable a frown crossed his face. "Why? Did she give a reason?"

"She believes your presence would be just as damaging as mine," Chrys explained. She blushed a little. "Especially considering our little stunt…"

Tyr felt a little color rise to his cheeks as well. Pinkie looked between the two of them, confusion on her face. "What happened?"

Tyr was not going to say, but Chrys giggled softly. "Master took me for such a lovely walk to the castle after he found me just to remind me of my place. It was… wonderful."

There was silence for a moment. "Well, ignoring what kind of fetishes Chrysalis is into," Rainbow murmured, "So that means Tyr will be staying in town too, right?"

"Seems like it," The man murmured.

"You're welcome to stay with me, darling," Rarity offered suddenly. When her friends gave her curious looks, she continued. "I mean, we should have some space for you."

Tyr frowned. "What about Pinkie?"

"I sleep in Rare-bear's room, silly!" Pinkie told him. "And Ancè and Jubilee have their own room."

"Papa won't be staying with us?" Cori asked her mother quietly. The adult Changeling simply nuzzled her daughter affectionately.

"We will see him tomorrow, little one," She assured her. "Do not be worried."

"O…okay…"

Tyr went over to the Changeling filly and gently petted her head. "I won't be too far away, okay? Just be good for Twilight."

Cori nodded. "Yes sir."

Tyr straightened up and looked to the door. "So, I guess I should go up and bother Flash, huh?"

-x-

The Council room was silent. No pony wanted to speak, and Celestia was busy staring out the window. Normally, she would have been in bed by now, but the debate with the Council had gone on longer than she thought. And now, with Luna still missing, it seemed they did not want her or Grace to leave their sight. The red mare was quiet, mostly doing things like messing with her needles or playing with a needle with her magic. Celestia noticed the slight glances she was shooting towards the Council members—probably gauging how fast she could take them out if so ordered. But Celestia wasn't one for just random killing. Suddenly, something caught Grace's attention and she sat up straighter. "Muni!"

Celestia looked over as well, spotting a familiar black raven come flying in through an open window. One of the council members sat up as well. "Hey, where did that bird come from?"

"Muni and Hugi go where they please," Grace countered, watching eagerly as the raven alighted on the table in front of her. A small scroll was clutched in its claws which it dropped in front of her. She opened it with her magic and began to read. Jury Review cleared his throat. She glanced up, a slight frown on her face. "…What?"

"What is that message?"

"Need to know information," Grace said shortly, and went back to reading. Jury Review seemed a bit put off by her attitude, but didn't say anything. Grace finished reading the scroll, and pulled out a clean sheet and a quill. In moments, she had finished and was tying the message to Muni's foot. She produced a small bag of seeds and fed the bird as well. And then with a click of her tongue, Muni took off back out the window he came in. "Good bird."

"What… who are you corresponding with?"

"What part of 'need to know' didn't you catch?"

"I should be informed of anything that—"

The doors burst open then, and Luna reentered the room, a scowl on her normally gentle features. "I have returned," She said simply.

One of the mares on the council spoke up. "We had reports of you stealing away the young Changeling. What did you do with her?"

"I took her somewhere safe," Luna said shortly, shooting the mare a glare as she crossed the room. "And I will not disclose the location."

Jury Review frowned. "You should know, we can easily find out."

"Actually, no you can't," Grace spoke up getting everyone's attention. She frowned. "Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the head of ODIN, the Organized Defensive Intelligence Network. Anything I don't want you to know, you don't get to know."

The stallion grit his teeth, but fell silent. Luna sat alongside her sister and leaned close. "Has anything changed?"

"Not particularly," Celestia murmured. "They know they cannot attempt to do anything to us because public opinion would go against them. They most likely will be attempting to find a way to undermine us."

"Are you sure I can't deal with them?" Grace asked.

"No Grace. Hold your ire for now."

"…Very well."

Luna smirked. "Do not look too upset, Saving Grace. You will have your time."

"We are getting nowhere," Jury Review said, exasperated.

Celestia gave him a slight smirk. "I told you that an hour ago."

One of the other stallions stood. "I think we should simply get to the crux of the matter. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, we of the Council believe that having two individuals with absolute power over our nation is dangerous. Therefore—"

"You want us to cede power to this council, correct?" Luna said, obviously bored of the entire affair. The council members stared at her in mute shock for just a moment before all of them frowned.

"…Yes."

"Out of the question," Celestia said immediately. Even Luna had a scowl on her face. To the confused faces of the council members, Celestia gave them a hard look. "I have lived for quite a long time, if you'll remember. There have been many different kinds of government my sister and I had tried using before. Not to insult those who we worked alongside, but none could ever get the experience necessary to run a country that my sister and I have. But no matter what, somepony always attempts to change that."

"But we managed well while you were gone."

"For a couple of years," Luna pointed out. "And that was only over one city. The lives of several thousand ponies require our constant attention and wisdom. Can the seven of you claim to be equal to the task?"

There was silence. Jury Review spoke up after a moment of thought. "And what if we cannot trust you to act in the best interest of all? That your own selfishness or emotions will cloud your judgement?"

Luna scowled. "You speak of my love for Tyr?"

"…Partly. How can we be sure that this human is no threat to us?"

"Give him time," Celestia said. She gave them a knowing smile. "I believe he will show you his true intentions before long."

"…Very well. I suppose as a show of 'wisdom' we will give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, that's good enough I suppose." Celestia stood and lifted one hoof to cover her mouth. "Oh my. I must be tired. Shall we adjourn for now?"

"My sister makes a point," Luna said. "Grace and I have duties to attend to."

Jury Review scowled. "…Very well. We will adjourn."

Finally, they were allowed to leave. Celestia, Luna and Grace headed into the private hall where the royal chambers resided. The Solar Diarch gave her sister and knight a slight nod as she entered her own room, leaving them to continue on. They paused outside of a slightly smaller door marked with a crescent moon. "Are you going to check in on them?" Grace asked. Luna didn't reply, instead letting her magic take hold of the door and crack it open a slight bit. She peeked in to the most adorable sight she had seen all day. Aleron and Aurora had separate beds, but more often than not the two ended up sleeping together. Which was the case now—the slightly bigger Aurora (because she was an Alicorn and matured slightly faster), curled up around her brother, a small smile on her face. Aleron's expression was more neutral, but from the gentle breaths of both children, they were quite peaceful. And from what she knew, Aleron never complained about his sister sneaking into his bed. Luna smiled at the sight and closed the door back.

"They are sleeping peacefully," She murmured. She smiled softly. "…Those two… I used to think of them as my only link to my beloved after we left, but now… I only see them as two beautiful children that I love."

As they continued on to Luna's tower, Grace nodded slightly. "I think I understand. I mean… I don't have children of my own, obviously…"

"Have you ever considered it?"

The healer was caught off guard by the question. "Have a child? I… Well, I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind…"

"But…?"

Grace blushed. "To be perfectly honest… I still wish Vanna was here."

Luna frowned just slightly. Vanna, a dragonkin, had been Grace's boyfriend for all of a couple of weeks. They had only confirmed their relationship in time for the final human attempt on Celestia and Luna's lives. According to Tyr, Vanna had at least survived the aftermath of that siege, but not even the human man knew what had happened to him afterwards. "…So you have no interest in anypony else?"

"Not really. I mean, I've been asked out by a couple of the doctors at the hospital, but… none are my type. I've tried going on dates, but…"

"But?"

"To be frank—and pardon the pun—none of them had the same fire in them that Vanna did. He was always so gentle, never being rude or condescending or anything like that. Yet when I watched him work in his forge… it was like seeing a whole new person. The light in his eyes and the smile on his face while he worked…"

Luna watched Grace's face as she spoke, not replying. Grace seemed to be more animated than she usually was, especially now that she was talking about Vanna. "…You loved him, didn't you?" She asked without warning.

Grace froze on the spot. "I… oh. Considering how I've been talking about him, I guess… Yeah. I guess I did love him."

"So Cadance wasn't wrong on that front," Luna teased.

"Oh, stop!"

"So what will you do?"

"I dunno… Maybe I should stop trying to find someone 'like him' and just find someone right for me."

"Well, perhaps you should send Cadance a message? I'm sure she'd love to help you."

Grace smiled slightly. "Good point. Once either Muni or Hugi return, I'll be sure to send her a message."

"I could always send it for you," Luna offered. "Don't forget, my sister was the one who taught young Spike his message sending ability."

"Ah, that is true. Speaking of that skill… perhaps you could teach me?"

"Teach you?"

"Yes. A skill like that would be useful if I needed to send you or Princess Celestia a message."

"True… perhaps we can do that this night."

They reached the tower, quickly ascending to the top most level. A telescope was placed in the window, and a luxurious couch was set against one wall. One of Luna's bat-winged guards stood at attention at the door. "Welcome, Princess," He said gruffly.

She nodded. Her guards normally took over castle patrols in the later hours, allowing Celestia's guards to rest. Not all of them wore the specially enchanted armor that changed their wings to appear as a bat's. Those were reserved for the elites. "You may leave us."

The guard nodded. Luna and Grace went over to the open window, where there was also a desk and a stack of papers. As Luna moved to pick one up, she realized something. The guard at the door had not moved. When she glanced back at him, the guard simply grinned. "Oh, was that an order? I usually don't get those from you, so I'm not used to it."

Before Luna could rebuke the overly familiar guard, Grace chuckled softly. "…Blank Slate," She said.

Before the eyes of the two mares, the guard's form rippled with a dark green glow, and then they were facing a gray colored unicorn stallion with a short, cropped black mane. He was wearing a long black cloak that covered his entire body. His pale violet eyes were full of mirth. "Hello Princess. I believe this is the first time we've met?"

Luna frowned. "I believe that to be true. Grace?"

Grace smiled. "This is Blank Slate, one of my operatives. Although… Blank, I wasn't expecting you back for a while. Did something happen?"

The gray unicorn sighed. "Well, the network is up and running in Yakyakistan, just like you wanted. But we were a bit lacking in ponypower, so that's why I'm here."

Luna blinked. "You managed to sneak into Yakyakistan? Ponies haven't been welcome there in ages! How did you manage that?"

"Trade secret," Blank Slate said, chuckling. "But to be honest, I don't think they even know we're there."

Grace frowned. "I suppose I can get you more ponies. How many?"

"I think half a dozen would do it."

"I guess I can spare that many. Make the selections yourself; I trust your judgement."

Blank nodded and turned to the door. Just before he exited, he glanced back. "Ah, by the by, your human friend is staying the night with the Element of Generosity."

"Wait, how do you know that?" Luna asked, obviously confused. She glanced over at Grace. "…You're having Tyr followed?"

"Only long enough to remove his original tail," Grace clarified. "Once I knew they were having Tyr followed, I had my own ponies remove the tail. From now on, unless you want to have us keep tabs on him…?"

"No, leave my beloved be. On top of that, I believe he would be well aware of any tails you might put on him." Luna smirked. "Unless your operatives wish to try hunting a wolf, then by all means…"

Blank Slate chuckled nervously. "I think I'll take your advice on that one, Princess. Never been a big fan of wolves."

Grace chuckled. "I wasn't either, but they grow on you. Now get out of here, you've got work to do, right?"

"Right. See ya, Captain." He left then, a faint sound like magic coming from the staircase. Luna directed her attention towards Grace.

"So… a unicorn skilled at disguises?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

Grace smirked. "Only Chrysalis could do better than him."

"Well, thank you for helping my Beloved."

"Of course. But… what about the Council?"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "What about them? I do not need them to tell me who I can and cannot love."

"That's not what I meant," Grace pointed out. "Think about this—since Tyr is your husband, how do you think the common pony will see his having children by other mares?"

"That's…!" Luna trailed off. True, to anyone not directly involved, it would seem like Tyr was cheating on her. "But… we could always explain…"

"Information travels fast, Luna. And I should know, being essentially the Spymaster." Grace smirked. "Negative information like that could be spread in a single night, before you even had a chance to stop it."

"And you couldn't either?"

"If I was prepared for it, yes. But I don't have the ponypower necessary at the moment for that. Plus, public opinion is currently against humans in general. The sole exception would probably be a hard sell."

Luna sighed. "So I am trapped in between a rock and a hard place, so to speak?"

"Essentially. But no worries—as long as you play this game with the Council, I doubt they'll attempt to blackmail you into submission."

"…Thank you, Grace. I do not know what I would do in this situation without you."

The redhead smirked. "He's my friend too, Princess. Now, let's get to work."

Luna chuckled. Grace was the closest she had to a friend in Equestria short of her own sister. Despite that, the red head was quite work oriented. And a very fast learner, as Luna discovered as they began. Grace grasped the concept of flame-sending quite easily. However, the Princess of Dreams found herself looking out the window in the direction of Ponyville, thoughts turned to a specific man who was spending the night away from her. She could only imagine what he was doing right at this moment…

-x-

"Tonight was awesome!" Jubilee cried, bouncing about. She, her sister, her mothers, and Tyr were just leaving the Castle of Friendship as the welcome home party began to wind down. Twilight had promised to speak with Tyr some other time about how he got into Equestria. But since it was late, she let him go. As they walked down the road back to town, Tyr glanced back at the castle. His eyes could pick out a small figure in one of the upstairs windows, watching him. It was Cori. He gave her a small wave and was rewarded by a bright smile and energetic wave back.

"Who are you waving at, darling?" Rarity asked. Unlike Pinkie and her mini-me Jubilee who were excitedly bouncing about ahead, the elegant white mare was walking beside him. Ancè was a little bit in front of them, watching her sister and mother act silly.

Tyr smiled at her. "I was waving at Cori."

"That little filly… really is your daughter, darling?"

"Yeah, she is. So that makes her Jubilee and Ancè's half-sister."

Rarity glanced over to look at her daughter. In almost all regards, the young Exuberance was just a younger version of herself. And yet whenever she looked into her daughter's eyes she saw Tyr. "…Darling, a question."

"Yes Rarity?"

"That whole herding business…" She trailed off, growing quieter as she spoke. Tyr missed the last part of her question, and a frown formed on his face.

"What was that?"

"I was wondering when you would take care of that business with Twilight," Rarity said quickly, glossing over her previous statement. Tyr's frown persisted for a moment longer, before he looked up at the moon. His expression turned thoughtful.

"Well… Since Bright Soul is still out of it, we'll have to do it tomorrow."

"Ah, I see. I suppose I should get my things ready tonight then…"

"Wait, what?" Tyr glanced over at her, surprise on his face. Rarity looked back over at him with an innocent look.

"Oh, darling, you didn't know? Twilight asked all of us to come along. Strength in numbers and all that."

"I see her reasoning, but you girls aren't fighters…"

Rarity laughed softly. "I think Applejack and Rainbow Dash would be upset that you said that."

Tyr chuckled. "I suppose they would. But what about you and Fluttershy? OR even Pinkie for that matter. I'd hate for any of you to get hurt."

The white unicorn had to take a moment. Tyr looked quite worried for her wellbeing. She had to compose herself before she could reply. "Dear, it will be quite alright. My friends and I have gotten through worse, you know."

"I know… but still." He sighed. Then, with a slight shrug, his smile came back to his face. "I guess I'll just have to work hard and keep you safe, won't I?"

The sincerity was too plain, and Rarity had to avert her eyes. Oh, by the Princesses, was she _embarrassed_? "T-Thank you darling," She managed to say. Lucky for her, it wasn't that long of a walk home, and they reached Carousel Boutique in short order. Pinkie and Jubilee rushed inside as usual, Ancè following with a shake of her head. Tyr stepped aside to let Rarity go in first, earning another small smile for his gentlemanly action.

Tyr looked around for a moment as he entered. The inside of the Boutique was quite spacious, although it was hard to tell that through all the dresses and outfits that were on display. "Well, seems like you've got plenty of work," Tyr murmured.

"Of course, darling!" Rarity laughed. "Why, there's no pony from here to Canterlot that hasn't heard of my designs!"

"I can imagine…"

"Sorry for all the clutter, darling, but follow me."

Tyr glanced over to see Rarity beckoning him over to a side door, opposite the one that led to Ancè's work room. He went after her, finding that she was leading him into a small living room type space. There was a pretty big couch against one wall. "Putting me on the couch?"

"I'd love to give you a room, but I just remembered the spare room is currently… storage." Rarity laughed lightly. "…Sorry dear."

"It's alright." Tyr moved over to the couch and sat down on it. It was soft, and the pillows were full enough to be comfortable. He smiled at his slightly flustered host. "I've slept in worse conditions, Rarity. This is fine."

"Are you sure? If there's anything I can get for you…"

"I'm fine, Rarity. Really. Thank you."

"…I doubt anything I can do at this point is enough to thank you for all you've done for me," Rarity said solemnly. Tyr looked over at her, surprised to see the somewhat sad look on his hosts face. "You gave me two wonderful daughters to love and cherish, along with a mare I'm overjoyed to see every day."

Tyr stared at her. She was quite serious about this. "Well, Rarity… you're welcome. Ancè and Jubilee are wonderful girls. To be honest, I… I really don't think I can claim responsibility for them…"

"Nonsense! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have those two girls."

The man frowned and glanced down at his feet. "…On the subject of those two girls…"

"Yes?"

"I mean, I know Jubilee was calling me 'dad' all night, and Ancè was actually trying her best to call me 'father'…"

"…You want to know if you can truly be their father."

"Pretty much."

Rarity let out a small sigh. "…Do you mind if I sit with you, Darling?"

"Not at all." Tyr moved over on the couch to allow Rarity space to sit. The white unicorn took the offered spot, but kept her eyes averted from the man.

"My two gemstones… have never really had a father figure," Rarity began quietly. "I don't know if Jubilee has ever really considered that fact, but Ancè had once before brought it up with me. I think it was Twilight's daughter that sparked it, but one day she asked why she didn't have a dad."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I didn't know what to tell her. So… I simply decided to do what Applejack would do."

"…Tell the truth?"

"Precisely, darling. I told her everything, explained everything, and answered any question she had. I don't know if it satisfied her or not, but she never brought it up again. And then you walked into my shop today…"

"Ancè didn't seem too surprised to see me, honestly."

"I did tell her a lot about you."

"Your 'knight in shining armor', huh?"

Rarity laughed nervously. "Hopefully you don't take offense to that, dear."

"No, it's alright," Tyr waved a hand dismissively. "Although… I mean, I guess it's strange to hear them calling me dad."

"They are your children, darling… Technically, at least."

"So would you want me around in that regard? I mean… to be their father."

Rarity fell silent, focused on whatever she was looking at on the floor. Obviously, what she wanted to say was hard for her. Attempting to hide his own nervousness, Tyr simply waited, not wanting to pressure her. Finally, after a few long minutes, Rarity spoke. "I don't want to make it seem like I'm pressuring you with responsibility, but those girls would benefit from having a father figure. That, and…" She trailed off.

"Hm? What is it?"

"…I… I would actually feel better having another pony to watch out for them. Er, person, darling."

Tyr gave a soft laugh. "It's alright, Rarity. I gotta get used to the terminology myself, anyway."

"So…?"

"I'll do my best, Rarity. I mean, given that I more than likely will be living in Canterlot…"

"Oh? Oh! I'm so sorry darling; I don't want to pull you away from your real family…"

"Don't say that," Tyr said shortly. Rarity blinked at the sudden sternness in his voice. "Even if I'm not married to you or Pinkie, Jubilee and Ancè are still biologically my children. So that makes them family."

"I—I see. If that's how you feel about it, darling…" She blushed and looked away, hoping the curl of her mane would hide it.

Tyr smiled softly. "I guess I'm that kind of guy that wants to take responsibility for this sort of thing."

Rarity smiled back. "And I am a mare that appreciates that sort of thing. Thank you, darling."

"Of course."

The white unicorn sighed and got off the couch. "Well, I ought to get some rest. Equestria knows what I'd do without my beauty sleep…"

"I doubt it would affect your beauty much," Tyr pointed out. Rarity blushed again, but this time didn't attempt to hide it. Instead, she simply got up onto her forelegs on the couch so she could place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I would tell you to stop with all the flattery, but I do quite like it." She smiled, and left the room. Tyr watched her go, starting a little bit when Fenrir suddenly appeared in his lap.

"Quite the womanizer are you, Alpha?" The wolf spirit asked with a grin. Tyr simply smirked and started scratching at her ears.

"I'm only being myself," He replied.

"Most of your kind would find it odd you are attracted to… ponies," Fenrir pointed out while grooming her tail. "Don't you?"

"You know my eyes are different," Tyr said softly. "I see them for what is inside, not outside. And perhaps… Maybe my own preferences have changed because of me getting here?"

Fenrir was silent for a moment. "Nothing in you has changed, Alpha. You are as you always have been. Unfortunately for me, that means I have an Alpha who is insufferably kind."

Tyr smiled. "You know that it doesn't bother you."

"Of course it doesn't. You mix the kindness of a human with the deadliness of a hunting wolf. Just be wary, Alpha. I have a bad feeling about this… investigation you will be conducting."

"Well, I think it will be alright. With you looking out for me, I think we should be fine."

"Very well. Get some sleep, Alpha. You will need it."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Tyr removed the pieces of his armor and set them atop his folded up cloak in the corner. He laid down on the couch, setting a pillow at one end for his head. Equestrian couches didn't have arm rests, so he just let his legs hang over the edge. Fenrir, as she had done for many a night, curled up on his chest, head against his heart. With a little smile, he gently stroked her back with one hand. In just a few moments, the both of them were asleep, Rarity's couch making for a much better bed than expected. Off handedly, just before he slipped into unconsciousness, Tyr momentarily entertained the thought of Luna visiting him in his dreams. Lucky for him, his Princess was waiting for just that invitation…


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings for the week, dear readers. So I am well aware that I did say I would be putting out a chapter per week, but it seems I caught quite the writing fury during chapter 6 and 7. So much so that these two chapters were originally one long one.**

 **So 13,000+ words or so. NBD, you know?**

 **Anyways, I did split the chapters up at first, but as I did so, I realized something. writing something that long in one chunk and then trying to split it? I couldn't in good faith actually leave it until next week to post. It would kinda just burn a hole in there.**

 **So, tl:dr version, double post. Ya know. Let there be much rejoicing.** **Onto the comments for the week.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Oh, I do love a good drama. Plus the anguished cries of my readers.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I kinda see the invitation as Tyr just falling asleep. And as for DS2, I never personally played it, but I've kept up with most of the lore and watched an entire walkthrough.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: That is a feasible idea. On the topic of yakyakistan, it actually does exist in Equus, far to the north of the Crystal Empire. Go figure. On the topic of Equestrian brands, there is already the idea of Tyr going to Los Pegasus and stay in the Maredalay Bay Hotel. I want to do the Bellagio, but I couldn't think of how to make a pony pun. Do with that as you wish.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Glad I brightened you day. Although I keep thinking it in Kindred's voice. As for Cori, being a natural empath helps, along with having a naturally kind father. There are things going on with Pinkie and Rarity, Aleron and Aurora for most adorable kids ever, and my girlfriend is already trying to get me into sticking Vanna back into the story early. He may/may not in the future, but I'll get there!**

 **Well, that was a bit and a half. Onto the chapter(s)! Normal farewell will be tacked onto the second chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Wolf and the Ponies

Tyr awoke early, as was his penchant to do. He didn't get up immediately, instead taking a moment to scan his surroundings. Obviously detecting no threats, he gently rubbed at one of Fenrir's ears to wake her. "Fen. Time to get up."

"You get up," Fenrir snapped sleepily. She batted his hand away. Tyr simply chuckled and lifted her up off his chest. She protested a bit, before settling into the crook of his arm as he got up off the couch. He picked up a pillow and stuck it under his other arm before leaving the room. After a moment of getting turned around a bit, he found his way into the kitchen. Although Tyr didn't see Rarity as the kind of mare to go about making breakfast each morning, he knew better than to underestimate the white unicorn.

"Seems no one is up," He murmured softly to himself. He glanced around, no sign of anyone wandering downstairs. He set the pillow on one of the nearby counters and set Fenrir on top of it. As she snuggled into the pillow, Tyr looked around the kitchen. From the clock on the wall, it was ten minutes to seven, much earlier than he thought. Rarity and Pinkie probably wouldn't be up for a little while. So he decided to have a little surprise waiting for them when they came downstairs.

It was about a half hour later that the owner of the Boutique finally worked her way downstairs. The smell of food was confusing, as Pinkie had been asleep when she had woken up. Was it perhaps Ancè or Jubilee trying to make breakfast? Well, whoever it was, it smelled good, so she hadn't been in much of a rush to come down and see. So when she finally rounded the corner into the kitchen she had to catch herself. "…Tyr?"

The man was working diligently, neatly chopping up apples into slices. Beside him, Fenrir was perched on a small box, mixing something in a bowl. Tyr glanced back as Rarity came in. "Oh, morning Rarity. Sleep well?"

"Why yes, I did, but… Darling, what are you doing?"

"Making breakfast, of a sort."

"This is done," Fenrir said, pulling the spoon she was using out of the bowl. Tyr took hold of it in his magic before pouring it into a waffle iron. Rarity came over to watch what he was doing.

"Waffles, darling?" She asked, quite surprised.

"Lucky for me, all your utensils and whatnot are just slightly smaller than things in the human world," Tyr pointed out with a smirk. Rarity's eyes were drawn to the assortment of fruits and vegetables that were already prepared and laid out. Tyr had been working hard.

"Tyr, you didn't need to do all this…"

"I wanted to," Tyr replied. "Think nothing of it."

Rarity sighed, momentarily considering the irony of the Element of Generosity being catered to in this manner. Instead of complaining, she took a seat at the table and watched as Tyr and Fenrir made breakfast for her household. In order to stay at least somewhat busy, she went back into her workroom, retrieved her sketchbook, and began drawing designs. That's where the rest of her family found her a few minutes later. Ancè stared at the man making breakfast in shock. "…What's going on?" She asked.

"Tyr's making breakfast?" Pinkie asked, surprised.

" _Made_ breakfast," Tyr clarified, turning around. A tray of waffles, eggs, and a rainbow of fruits and vegetables was in his hand. "Anyone hungry?"

"I am!" Jubilee declared, bouncing to the table.

"Me too!" Pinkie agreed, joining her. Ancè didn't say anything, simply shooting a curious look at Tyr as she sat as well.

"Eat up," Tyr said brightly, constructs appearing to serve the four female ponies. He watched with a small smile as they began to eat.

Jubilee's face brightened almost immediately. "This is really good!"

"Are there… blueberries in this?" Ancè asked, chewing a bite of her waffle. Tyr gave her a short nod.

"Spot on, Ancè."

"This is absolutely delicious, darling!" Rarity exclaimed. "I had forgotten how well you could cook!"

Tyr smiled. "Thanks." Fenrir tugged at his sleeve, getting his attention. The wolf spirit had prepared a plate of food for him as well. He gently ruffled her hair affectionately.

Jubilee paused in between bites of food to look over at Tyr and Fenrir. "Is she your pet, dad?"

"I am not a pet!" Fenrir complained.

"Fenrir is more of my partner," Tyr pointed out, patting his belligerent Chaos Spirit's head. "We work together."

"How?"

"Wolves always hunt in packs," Fenrir told the filly.

Rarity swallowed. "Speaking of wolves, we have to deal with that Timberwolf problem, don't we?"

Tyr nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, we do. Did Twilight tell you anything about what was going on?"

"Well—"

The front door opened, and in walked the Princess of Friendship herself. "Hello, everypony!" She said. She glanced over and spotted Tyr. "Oh, hey Tyr."

"Hi Twilight!" Pinkie called out. "Did you come by for breakfast?"

"I think I made enough for another person," Tyr said thoughtfully, but the violet Alicorn shook her head.

"Pony," Twilight corrected. "And no, I just came by to tell you all about the expedition."

Rarity made a face. "When you say 'expedition', it makes it sound like we'll be gone for a while…"

"No more than a couple days at most," Twilight said honestly. "Chrysalis told me she didn't get very far before Princess Luna brought Cori to her."

Tyr nodded. Chrysalis had gone into the Everfree in order to do a little preliminary scouting. [You didn't see what was agitating the Timberwolves?]

[No, Master. There does seem to be an area in the forest they are avoiding, nonetheless] The thoughts of his Changeling came back smoothly, as if she was waiting for him. No doubt she was.

"I'm guessing you just clarified with Chrys," Twilight said, watching him. When he raised an interested eyebrow, Twilight shrugged. "I asked Chrys to explain the whole mental link thing."

"Ah, I see."

"So I guess we should pack for an extended trip," Rarity said. She gave a fairly theatrical sigh. "Oh, I am not looking forward to this…"

"Oh, don't be so gloomy, Rare-bear!" Pinkie said. "I'm sure it'll be fun!"

"We're meeting outside the castle," Twilight informed them. "It's the easiest place to gather before we go to the Everfree."

Rarity frowned. "What will we be doing about the little ones, Twilight? Surely we're not bringing them with us?"

Twilight shook her head. "Of course not. We'll be leaving them here. Chrys offered to babysit."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at that. "Chrys offered? You mean my Changeling, right?"

[Is it that strange for me to offer my assistance?]

[…Twilight asked you to, didn't she?]

[…Yes.]

Tyr smirked and shook his head. "I see. Well, I suppose that's fair enough. Cori would probably panic without her there."

"Speaking of Cori…" Twilight motioned him over. He moved closer to the violet mare, leaning over slightly. "She's… been quite… Fluttershy like. I know my little Star isn't much for idle conversation, but Spike tried talking to her and she wilted faster than Fluttershy does when confronted with full grown dragons!"

[Twilight speaks the truth] Tyr felt Chrysalis give her input. [I have not had the opportunity to speak to her about it, but perhaps having you speak to her would be good]

Tyr thought for a moment. "I suppose I can do that."

"Then you should go do that before we go," Rarity said, coming over. Tyr was a bit surprised to see her come over. She smiled at him, trying to assure him it was alright.

"…Alright then," Tyr said. He turned back to Twilight. "We can go now."

The violet Alicorn nodded. "Alright. I'll teleport us back."

"Bye dad!" Jubilee waved as Tyr went over beside the Princess of Friendship. Fenrir quickly joined him, taking her spot on his shoulder. He gave her a small wave back, and then he was gone. Only a few light purple sparks in the air showed that he had been there at all. Rarity let out a soft sigh. Pinkie, sensing something was wrong, went over to her marefriend.

"…Are you okay, Rare-bear?" She asked softly. Rarity let out a gentle sigh.

"I… I do not know," Rarity said. "I just… I just feel strange."

"Why?"

"Because that felt so natural."

-x-

Evening Star had been watching. Unlike her mother, who was more focused on reading books, the young daughter of the Princess of Friendship much rather preferred watching others as they went about their activities. Not to say she didn't love reading; it was her second favorite thing to do. The first was observation. Pony-watching, she called it, and she was good at it. Most times, the ponies she watched didn't realize she was watching. But sometimes, she did in fact get a little involved and didn't notice she was staring. Which was one of these moments. The object of her interest was a particular Changeling who was trying to read. Unfortunately for Cori, she had never learned how to read properly—Chrys had just not had enough time to teach her. On top of that, she was trying to stay focused despite the pair of eyes that were boring into her. From the Changeling filly's perspective, Evening Star was trying to look right into her soul. Inside the castle, Chrys and Cori had been allowed to stay undisguised. But that allowed Evening Star to observe her subject more closely. That very fact was making Cori very nervous, and it didn't help when the other filly finally spoke. "You're not very Changeling like."

Cori jumped, knocking her book off the table and onto the floor. "W-What?"

"That. That's what I mean." Evening Star got up from her seat and went over to Cori, stopping at the other side of the table. "All the books I read said that Changelings were fearsome emotion eaters that would do anything to satisfy themselves."

"Um… I don't think I'm scary…"

"You're not. And that's the problem. You don't fit anything I've read."

Cori didn't know what to say to that. Evening Star didn't seem upset or confused, but she was staring at her so intently that she couldn't find any kind of response. She drew back, making herself as small as possible. Trying to read had been hard enough without suddenly being interrogated by this filly. Lucky for her, she had someone to save her. "Star."

Both of them looked over to see Twilight and Tyr entering the room. "Mom, you're home early!" Evening Star exclaimed, turning away from Cori. The little Changeling let out a small sigh of relief, smiling at the sudden appearance of her father and his friend.

"It didn't take too long to go around to everyone's houses," Twilight said with a smile. "Teleportation, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Evening Star frowned. "You still have to teach me that spell, mom."

Twilight chuckled. "Come on then, I'll show you the basics before I leave." She glanced over at Tyr and gave him a knowing wink before leaving the room with her daughter. That left the man alone with his Changeling daughter. She had picked her book back up and was attempting to read it again. She looked like she was having a hard time, so Tyr went over and stood behind her. It looked like a pretty easy book to his eyes.

"Having trouble?" He asked softly.

Cori sighed. "…I never learned how to read. Mommy was usually busy or too tired to teach me."

"Well that's an issue," Tyr murmured thoughtfully. He knelt down beside her. "How much do you know?"

"Just… basics. I know letters, but…"

"Here." Tyr grabbed a piece of paper and a quill. "How about this. Can you write your name?"

"Um… I can try…" She took hold of the quill with a light green magical aura and put it to paper. With slow, deliberate motions, she managed to write her name, albeit in a childish looking scrawl. She looked a bit ashamed as she set the quill down. "…It looks terrible…"

"It can only get better," Tyr said with a gentle pat on her back. Cori looked up at him with a grateful smile.

"You really think I can get better?"

"Practice makes perfect. And speaking of which… me and the girls are going to be gone for a little while."

"Huh? Why?"

"There's a problem for the town that they need my help with. I won't be gone long."

Cori blinked. "B-But… you can't help me if you're gone…"

"Hey, why don't you ask Evening Star to help? She seems a lot like Twilight—really likes to read. I don't think she'll hesitate to help."

"But she seems really scary…"

"I don't think she'll say no. But if you can't ask her, why not ask Ancè? I'm sure she'd help you. She is your half-sister after all."

Cori blinked. "She's my half-sister? Like Aurora?"

Tyr nodded. "Yeah. Her and Jubilee. I'd explain but I don't have a lot of time…"

"No, I think I understand." Cori smiled at him. "Mom explained it to me. That I had a large family now that you were back. So… I can ask them for help and they'll help me?"

"Yes, that's true. Just try to make friends."

"Oh… okay."

Twilight's voice came from outside. "Tyr! The girls are here and we're waiting on you!"

"Yeah, come on, slowpoke!" Rainbow called out. "We're wasting daylight out here!"

Tyr rolled his eyes. He straightened up, Cori's mismatched eyes watching him. He gave her a warm smile. "Remember what I told you. Don't avoid making friends, okay? Chrys will be here, but don't depend on your mother for everything. Friends help you get through the toughest of times."

She nodded vigorously. "Yes sir!"

"Oh, and Evening Star knows you're a Changeling, but the other kids don't."

"So… should I hide it from them?"

"…I suppose that's up to you," Tyr said, leaning down to nuzzle her affectionately. "Be good, jitterbug."

"Jitterbug?"

"You're pretty jumpy sometimes, Cori," He teased, ruffling her mane before leaving. She made to follow, only pausing at the door to put on her disguise. When she came out of the library, she screeched to a halt. The six Elements of Harmony were there, along with the three royal Knights. Bright Soul seemed quite irritable, no doubt still miffed about being knocked unconscious the other night. Ace and Flash were attempting to not laugh at her about it, the blue maned orange stallion looking away with an innocent expression while his friend simply snickered into his hoof. But it wasn't them that had stopped the filly in her tracks. It was the six foals that were standing off in a little group. The six children of the Elements of Harmony. Tyr, in the middle of helping Rarity adjust her saddlebags, shot a glance in her direction. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and suddenly Cori felt something prick at her consciousness. [Jitterbug?]

[Sir?] Cori blinked slightly. Tyr could communicate using his thoughts with her? So it would be like he was never away from her…

[I do not approve of you calling my daughter such a silly nickname] Chrys's thoughts intruded into the semi-conversation. Cori glanced over and saw her mother off to one side, watching the group. She was disguised as well, just in case. She was giving Tyr a pointed glare.

[Oh, be quiet, _Kissy_ ] Tyr countered with a knowing smirk. Chrys blushed furiously. [Anyways, I want you to make friends, Cori. Don't hide]

[But…! What if they don't like me?] She was worried, and her parents both smiled knowingly and thought the same thing at the same time.

[Just be yourself]

"Alright!" Twilight called out, getting everypony's attention. "Let's get going! We need to stop this Timberwolf problem before it threatens the town!"

"Y'all sure this is a good idea?" Applejack asked. "I know Timberwolves. We need magic ta bust 'em up proper like, otherwise they just get right back up."

"No worries on that front," Twilight assured her. "I believe Tyr, Bright Soul, and myself should be able to handle putting them down. Everyone else is just to keep them from overwhelming us."

"Lucky for us, Tyr is a one man army anyway," Ace said with a grin.

"I doubt we need to rely on him too much," Bright Soul said, glancing at the man in question. "I believe we should not have too much trouble between all of us."

"Well," Rainbow shrugged. "As long as we're all together, nothing can stop us!"

"I still don't like this," Fluttershy said, only to have Applejack but a comforting hoof o her back.

"We'll be fine as long as we stick together," the farm pony told her. The shy Pegasus managed to smile back at her wife.

"O-okay…"

"Now kids," Flash turned to the small group of kids, catching Vibrant trying to get Golden Grove to fly with him. "You all listen to Crystal, alright?"

Chrys smiled. "Don't worry, Flash. I'll take good care of the little ones."

"We'll hold you to that," Rainbow said. She frowned. "I better not come back and find out you did something to them…"

"Threatening me? Oh, Rainbow, I thought we were past that…"

"Oh shut up!" the blue Pegasus actually blushed a little. "I trust you, but it's just… you know, a mom thing."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Let's go before she starts nuzzling him and all."

"Hey, I love my son, alright?"

Vibrant was blushing at this point too. "Mom, quit it! You're embarrassing me…"

Bramley chuckled. "Eeyup."

"Shut up, Bramley!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Alright, be good kids!"

The children went over and embraced their parents one last time before letting them go. Cori sheepishly went over to Tyr, who was being hugged by Jubilee and Ancè. They let him go as she approached. "Um… be careful, sir," the young Changeling managed to say. Tyr simply patted her head. That seemed enough to make the little Changeling smile.

"Thanks Cori. See you soon."

With the goodbyes out of the way, Tyr and the group of ponies headed off, headed in the direction of the foreboding Everfree Forest. The kids watched them go until they were out of sight. "Let's head on inside, everyone," Chrys called.

The kids obliged, following the disguised Changeling back into the castle. Just as they went inside, Ancè felt a small tap on her side. She glanced around to find a nervous Cori behind her. She vaguely remembered meeting the filly, but didn't understand why she was trying to get her attention. "…Did you need something, Cordelia?"

"Um…" Cori blushed heavily. It had taken most of her courage to just go over to Ancè, let alone touch her. She let out a deep sigh. "Um… Exuberance, right?"

"Ancè," Ancè pointed out. Hearing ponies say her whole name was embarrassing. "Just call me Ancè."

"Oh! Um… then you can call me Cori."

"Alright then, Cori. So did you need something?"

"I um… I really… I… um…"

Ancè could see the girl was floundering in whatever she wanted to say, so she let out a sigh. "…Cori. If it's important, tell me. Otherwise, I'm going to go with the others." She turned to go, only for a tug on her tail to stop her. She glanced back in a huff, ready to berate the other filly for messing up her tail after she had put so much work into it this morning, but only found a depressed looking Cori standing there.

"Your… your mom is the Element of Generosity, right?"

"…Yes, and?"

"I was wondering if… if you would…" Cori's eyes were tearing up, and a single tear escaped her silver eye. "…Could you… help me learn to read?"

-x-

"This is more like it," Fenrir murmured, climbing up onto Tyr's shoulder. The small party was well into the Everfree forest, and the wolf spirit was feeling right at home. Tyr couldn't help but agree. The wolf in him was paranoid about all the dark angles as well as the best ambush spots. As they traversed the forest, Tyr quietly watched as Fenrir's small form darted through the trees, ears twitching occasionally. Tyr easily kept pace, befitting the leader of the pack. However, the pack he was leading was a bit… well, not suited for a hunt like the silver fox girl wanted.

The ponies behind him were tired. They had been walking for the better part of the day, and from the looks of it, only Tyr and the Royal Knights could keep going at this pace. Tyr made eye contact with Ace, who read his look quickly and nodded. "…Right. Everypony, stop and let's rest up for a moment!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity complained, sitting down on a large root. The rest of the group let out a collective sigh and sat down on the ground as well. The white unicorn held up one of her hooves. "Oh, look at this! My hooves are absolutely filthy!"

"They'll get a lot worse before we're done," Bright Soul said shortly. She lit up her horn to light up the somewhat dark area. "Ugh. This place is overgrown."

"It is a forest," Applejack pointed out. Bright Soul shot her a dark glance, but didn't say anything.

"We shouldn't stop in a place like this," Tyr pointed out. "It's quite a bit cramped here…"

"Maybe we should find a clearing?" Fluttershy murmured, looking around. She was afraid, but she hadn't let go of Applejack since they had left.

"Dash and I can fly up and see if there's any nearby," Ace offered.

"I suppose I will help as well," Fenrir said, hopping off of Tyr's shoulder to the ground. She shifted into her wolf form before she landed and took off into the forest. Ace and Dash took off as well to scout from the sky.

"I dunno about y'all, but I'm starving," Applejack said, reaching into her saddlebag. She pulled out a small box and opened it. There was a bunch of apple fritters inside.

"Oooh!" Pinkie cried, bouncing over. "Apple family apple fritters!"

"I got plenty for all of y'all, so don't be shy."

"We shouldn't just splurge," Twilight warned as the others crowed around except for Bright Soul and Tyr.

"Oh, come now Twilight," Rarity said, biting into her own pastry. "You can't expect us to travel on empty stomachs."

"I wasn't saying that…"

Pinkie bounced over to Tyr with a fritter balanced on her nose. "Hey, Tyr! You want one?" The man smiled and took it from her.

"Sure, Pinkie. Thanks." He bit into it, finding it warm and quite tasty. Well, it is an apple product. Can't be too surprised that it was well done. "…This is really good."

"Darn tooting!" Applejack said proudly. "That's a family recipe for ya!"

"Jeez. With food like this, I doubt you could get tired of eating apples."

Applejack glanced over at the other members of their group, the other two Royal Knights. "Y'all want one?"

"I'll take one," Flash said, before having one stuck in his mouth via violet tinged magic. He gave Twilight a deadpan expression before eating. Bright Soul shook her head.

"I'm fine," She said, pulling out a small container of grapes and carrots. She smirked. "I brought my own."

"Well that's alright," Applejack said with a shrug. "I guess."

There was mostly silence then, the only person making any noise being Pinkie, who was singing quietly to herself. The Everfree was a strange place, Tyr thought as he leaned back against a tree. A forest that the ponies of Equestria had no control over. Not so unheard of in his world, but almost anathema in this one. The forest itself was kinda creepy, and there were a lot of vines and spiked brambles around. Although… He noticed something near him—a small pink flower. He smiled lightly, picking it with one deft motion. As he held it, it bloomed even more. "…Hey, Rarity. Come here a moment."

The white unicorn blinked a couple times before coming over to him. "Is something the matter, darling?"

"No, I just wanted to see something." Tyr reached out and slipped the pink rose into her mane. "Ah. That does look good."

"Dear! Oh my. That… that actually does look rather charming."

"That's an Ever Bloom," Twilight said, coming over. "I read about them in a book. They bloom quite rarely, and they stay that way even if they're cut."

"How fitting," Tyr said with a smirk. "A rare flower for a rare mare."

Rarity blushed, her gathered friends giggling at the flattery. Bright Soul scowled, but kept her mouth shut. Tyr watched her quietly for a moment before suddenly a chill ran down his spine. Twilight noticed, a confused look on her face. "Is something the matter, Tyr?"

The man stood up, glancing around the area. The trees were dense here, making the shadows even deeper. He stuck one finger in his mouth and made it wet before sticking it up into the air. "…The wind is… Twilight, which way is north?"

Twilight's horn lit up for a short moment. She pointed in the direction Ace, Rainbow, and Fenrir had gone off in. "That's North."

"So that means…" Tyr's demeanor suddenly shifted, his thoughtful face being replaced by a panicked one. "Oh crap. That means…!"

Suddenly, a snarl caused them all to jump. There were eyes in the shadows now, bright green and menacing. The ponies began to back up into a circle defensively. "T-Timberwolves…" Applejack muttered, glancing around nervously and pulling Fluttershy to her side. "They snuck up on us?"

"They came from down wind," Tyr said, frost sword materializing in his hand. He scowled. He should have been watching behind them…!

"W-What do we do?" Pinkie asked. She was surprised and confused, standing closer to Rarity protectively. "Do we run?"

"We can't," Bright Soul said with a slight snarl. "They're all around us."

Tyr glanced around—The Timberwolves were indeed all around them. He did some mental math; There were nine of them, and over two dozen Timberwolves. Not to mention now that they were close, he could smell even more. He could use his constructs to even the playing field, but they'd be overwhelmed in such close confines. "Everyone, get close. I can protect us better that way."

"To be honest, I doubt that will change much," Bright Soul said, spear in hoof. The Timberwolves advanced, giving Tyr his first look at them. To his surprise, they were almost completely made up of pieces of wood. A rank stench of maple wafted off of them, and creaking wood sounded from every move they made. But even though they were made of wood, the sharp thorns they had for teeth still looked threatening. "I can take a few myself, but keeping them put down is another story."

"Wait, I can come up with a plan—" Twilight began, wings flaring, but Tyr held up a hand. "What? Tyr, is something wrong?"

"Now I know these cubs are not threatening my Alpha," A regal voice declared. All eyes turned to see Fenrir returning, but instead of her miniature self or her wolf form, she had returned in her full size. The Queen of all wolves had hair that fell down past her ankles, mostly braided into long cords tipped with iron rings. Clothes that looks more at home in a winter wasteland showed off her toned body, and there was an easy feral grace in her footsteps as she rejoined the group. Her pack of wolves followed at her heels, snarls and a few angry barks coming from the pack. There was a wild grin on her face that showed off her prominent canines. Even the ponies in the group quaked in their hooves at the arrival of the wolf queen. All except one proud knight.

"I don't think Timberwolves are your expertise!" Bright Soul said, jabbing her spear at a Timberwolf. The creature only backed up a step, continuing to push towards her and growl. But suddenly, the creature stopped, its eyes falling on Fenrir.

"I think they should _know their place._ " Fenrir growled, eyes bright. She stepped into the group of ponies, striding towards the largest of the Timberwolves. Her fangs showed in her grin as she paused before the creature. To the shock of them all, the creature backed off, wooden ears falling flat against its head. "Ah, you realize now where you stand, little cub."

"You've got to be kidding me," Twilight murmured. "She speaks, and Timberwolves listen? This is about as ridiculous as Pinkie's powers."

"Cubs always cower at the sight of dominance," Fenrir said knowingly. At the sound of her voice, the Timberwolves sheepishly retreated back into the shadows. Her job done, she reverted back to her smaller form and hopped back to Tyr's shoulder. "Humph. I was hoping they'd put up more of a fight."

"I think they're not used to something like you," Tyr said with a chuckle. Fenrir shrugged.

"Seems a crisis has been averted," Rarity murmured, adjusting her mane. "Thank goodness we didn't need to get dirty."

"Luckily Fenrir came back in time to help," Fluttershy said.

"How did you get back to us so quickly?" Applejack asked. "I would a thought y'all were further away?"

"I do not need to restrain myself to conventional travel," Fenrir pointed out. "But I sensed the Timberwolves the moment they had begun approaching and came back post haste."

"What about Ace and Dash?" Pinkie asked. "They didn't come back when you did…"

"Perhaps they're further ahead," Flash pointed out. "Those two probably just went too far ahead or something."

"Go figure," Tyr said with a smirk. He glanced over to find Bright Soul staring at him. "…What is it?"

"I thought… never mind." The hazel pony shook her head quickly. "Forget it."

"We need to get out of here," Flash said. "Sure, Fenrir drove the Timberwolves away, but they're not gone." He glanced behind him, pointedly looking at the still glowing eyes all around them.

"Well, normally the beta male challenges the Alpha for dominance," Fenrir pointed out. Tyr gave her a slight frown as she shrugged. "I doubt it would be much of an issue for you, Alpha. You'd have to just fight one of them. Probably the biggest."

"Not looking forward to that. Come on everyone, let's just go!"

There were a chorus of agreements, and the group began to move again. There was a renewed sense of urgency now, as the Timberwolves were still keeping pace with them. As they continued forging their way through the overgrowth, Flash made his way up beside Tyr. The man didn't speak at first, a memory of their previous time together surfacing. But Flash seemed quite focused on the task at hand. "Hey, Tyr. A moment, will ya?"

Tyr frowned, glancing over at the orange stallion. "Is something the matter?"

"Keep this quiet," The stallion murmured. It seemed like he wanted to keep it from the others. "You see this earring I've got?"

Tyr glanced over at Flash's ear, noticing the sun shaped earring he wore there. "Huh. I didn't notice that before."

"It's a special communication device Shining Armor had the Crystal Empire crystal engineers make for us. We can use them to communicate over long distances."

"Sounds convenient."

"But here's the thing. I've been trying to contact Ace and Rainbow Dash—They have them too, obviously—and I've gotten no response."

No response? That was worth worrying over. Plus, it was Dash that was missing. Even that fact alone would send the girls into a panic. "…Should we worry?"

"As much as I'd like to say they simply went off and are making out somewhere, I know those two. With something like this Timberwolf thing going on, they wouldn't shirk their duties."

"Element of Loyalty and all that," Tyr murmured. Ace and Dash being missing for this long was something to worry about. But he couldn't bring that up with Twilight or the others. Rarity and Fluttershy were already on edge about the Timberwolves, and Twilight and Applejack were doing their best to stay focused despite the threat looming around them. "So what do you think we should do?"

"If we're lucky, Ace and Rainbow simply just show up in a little while. If we're not…"

"Whatcha talking about?" Pinkie asked. She had suddenly popped up on Tyr's other side, startling the two males. "Is it something fun?"

"Not particularly," Tyr pointed out quickly. He wasn't afraid of Pinkie freaking out about Rainbow and Ace being missing, but her in her surprise she would no doubt spill the beans. He gave her a weak smile. "Flash just hates tight spaces."

The orange Pegasus shot him a confused look, before realizing where the human man was going. "Ah, right. Yeah, you know how it is with us fliers—always gotta stretch our wings."

"Oh, oh!" Pinkie bounced up and down. "Then you and Twilight should go fly! She probably wants to stretch her wings too!"

"Getting nervous with your hooves on the ground too long partner?" Applejack teased with a small smile. Flash shrugged.

"I guess it's just with so much over me." Flash looked up at the treetops. "This forest is stifling. On top of that…"

He paused, not really needing to explain. The Timberwolves were the main reason for the tense atmosphere around the small party. Even Pinkie slowed her bouncing a bit when she remembered the wooden monsters were still watching them. Tyr coughed lightly. "Hey, Twilight. We have any idea where we need to be going?"

The Alicorn blinked several times before she realized he was speaking to her. Seems she had been caught up in her own thoughts. "Oh, ah… we need to keep going this way."

She gestured straight ahead. "Hopefully something comes of this entire endeavor," Rarity muttered irritably, attempting to protect the Ever Bloom in her mane from an errant vine. With a small huff of indignation, she extracted a somewhat large hat from her saddlebags and put it atop her head. "Ah. That's _much_ better."

"Rarity, you should probably watch where you're going…"

"Oh, I'm quite alright darling. What's the worst that could happen, I trip on a root? …Actually, I don't want that to happen." The white unicorn began watching her hooves even more closely, navigating around each root or vine with care.

"Are we any closer to where we need to go?" Fluttershy asked nervously. She was watching the eyes of the Timberwolves in abject terror. Applejack pulled her closer, smiling to comfort the shy mare. "…Thanks Jackie."

"No problem, sugar. I'm here for ya."

Twilight's horn lit up and a map came floating out of her saddlebag. "Hm… We should be coming up to a clearing and then a ridgeline, but all I'm seeing are trees still…"

"Maybe the map is old?" Pinkie pointed out, still bouncing along without a care in the world.

"This is the most recent map I could get my hooves on. It has to be accurate."

"But when's the last time someone came to the forest?" Flash asked. He frowned. "Plus, I don't remember the last time we had a cartographer Pegasus do a fly over."

"I reckon most probably wouldn't," Applejack said thoughtfully. She glanced up at the sky. It was beginning to grow dark, showing just how long they had been moving through the forest. Despite the fact that the forest itself was normally dark anyway. "Y'all reckon we should set up for the night?"

"Possibly," Twilight said. She looked around. "I would have liked a clearer spot, but I can set up defensive wards here."

"Well, as long as we don't have to worry about Timberwolves attacking us in our sleep…" Rarity murmured, looking around. Using her magic, she cleared a small space and began setting up an elaborate tent. Tyr simply shook his head and moved over to a nearby gnarled tree. It was relatively normal, and he tested the strength of a branch. Heavy enough to hold him. "What are you doing, darling?"

He glanced back at his fashionista friend. "Sorry. Something I've gotten used to over the years." With that, he jumped up to the first branch, using it to get him a few feet above ground. Fenrir hopped out of his cloak to climb even higher up.

"I see… well, with you watching over us, I feel a bit safer."

Tyr gave her a small smile before settling into a seated position on his branch. The ponies below him set up tents while Twilight set up warning and defense spells along the perimeter. It seemed like the Timberwolves had broken off their quiet pursuit of the ponies. Although… He glanced down, spotting Bright Soul setting up her tent. She gave him one slight glance before ducking inside. "Hm."

"Seems she still does not completely trust you," Fenrir said, looking down from her higher perch.

"Fair enough. Were we that trusting of those we met along the way?"

"True. Perhaps she will warm up to you in time."

"Hopefully. I'd rather not have her glaring daggers at my back forever."

Fenrir scoffed, but didn't say anything. Instead she got back up onto her high branch. Tyr reached into his cloak and pulled out his amulet. It was a mix of colors, although primarily white and blue. With a soft sigh, he settled back, letting his eyes close and sleep overtake him.

-V-

He was jarred awake by screaming. "What in the hell?" He muttered, making sure not to jump up. He leaned over to find his friends running about in a panic and the tents were on fire.

Wait.

"Where did this fire come from!?" He leapt from his spot to the ground. As he landed, a swarm of bright gold bug like creatures came flying past. They smashed into the side of a tent, causing it to burst into flame on contact. Pinkie came running out of the tent, screaming at the top of her lungs. All the tents were aflame, with Twilight and Rarity doing their best to put out the flames. But for every fire they stopped, the strange bugs set another one. Fluttershy and Flash were using their wings to try and blow out the flames. However, all that it managed to do was fan the flames even brighter.

"They're Pyreflies!" Fluttershy cried out in fear. "They're a species of insects that set things on fire through contact!"

"You don't say!" Flash growled, batting away a group of Pyreflies. A small flame caught on his wing, and he quickly smacked it against a tree to put it out. "These things are a nuisance!"

"Where did they even come from?" Twilight asked. "They didn't even trigger my wards!"

"Nothing we do seems ta get em to want ta leave," Applejack said, using a blanket to try and drive the bugs away. She only managed to get it set on fire before having to throw it aside.

"Oh! All my outfits, my hats…!" Rarity slumped to her knees. "All of it _ruined_!"

"Don't tell me ya plan to pull out that fainting couch a yours!"

"I would, but it's on fire!"

Tyr frowned. "Fluttershy, Flash, stop flapping your wings! It's not helping!"

Flash scowled right back at him. "So what are we supposed to do then?"

"Panic?" Fluttershy offered weakly. As if to punctuate her statement, Pinkie came running past them, screaming loudly.

"RUN!" The pink blur didn't stop as she tore through their makeshift camp. The others paused and watched her run past in mute shock.

"…Wow." Tyr murmured. He had never seen Pinkie that panicked before. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his ear. "Ow! Fen, what is it?"

"I think I know why the pink one was running," the wolf spirit said, pointing back in the way Pinkie had come. Tyr looked, and his jaw dropped. An almost literal sea of Pyreflies was bearing down on them.

"…Oh hell. EVERYBODY RUN!"

Rarity's face fell. "But…! I can still save my things!"

"Not the time, Rarity, let's go!" Flash snapped, rushing past her. Twilight, Bright Soul and Fluttershy followed, Applejack bringing up the rear. Rarity stood there depressed for just a moment longer before following after her friends. Tyr grit his teeth and ran as well. The night had become almost as bright as day, with the pyrefly sea rolling behind them. No one spoke, all their energy being directed at running away. So focused on escaping, no one realized Pinkie had stopped running until half of them had run into her. That's when they noticed the ridgeline that led to a somewhat deep chasm.

"Equestria preserve us," Bright Soul murmured, right before they plummeted straight down.

Flash frowned. "Wait a sec—Twilight, Fluttershy! We can fly!"

"Oh, right!" Twilight and Fluttershy opened their wings, catching themselves an slowing their descent. They all shared a sigh of relief.

"THAT DOESN'T HELP US!" Bright Soul screamed at them. She and the others were still falling, getting further and further away .

Flash frowned. "Oh crap."

"Girls!" Twilight cried, propelling herself after them. But the distance was too great now, and the panic on her face showed it. Tyr gritted his teeth and used his magic to pull the other mares to him, positioning himself in time to take the brunt of the impact himself. He blacked out the moment they hit the ground.

"Seems we're making a habit of waking up in terrible situations," Fenrir murmured softly, sensing her Alpha stirring. The man blinked several times as his consciousness began returning to him, and attempted to sit up. A sharp pain in his back stopped him.

"Aw, hell," He grunted, lying back down. Whatever he was lying on, it was cold and felt like stone. He looked around, seeing some sort of goo on the ground along with what looked like spider webs on the walls. "…What the hell is this place?"

"Some sort of den, if I am not mistaken." Fenrir looked completely unscathed. She glanced over at him. "If you're wondering, I used my magic to at least lessen the damage you'd take from that fall. Otherwise, your spine would be in two pieces."

"I appreciate it," Tyr grunted, sitting up. The pain in his back was still there, but it wasn't as bad. He noticed something pink off to his side. "Pinkie!"

He got up and moved over to his energetic friend's side. He touched her shoulder and gently shook her. She didn't respond. "Alpha…" Fenrir pointed softly.

There was blood dripping from a wound on Pinkie's head. She must have hit her head when they fell. She was still breathing, so that was something. "Well, she's still alive. Fen, can you carry her?"

"If that is what you want." Fenrir shifted into her wolf form, allowing Tyr to place the unconscious mare on her back.

"Darling?" A soft voice called out. Tyr turned and spotted Rarity and Applejack. The latter was covered in cuts and scratches, but was still looking no worse for wear. Rarity's coat was scuffed up, and her mane was messed up. Although she did smile quite brightly as Tyr walked over to them. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright, darling! When you didn't move at first we feared the worst."

"Y'all seem ta have a knack for surviving crazy stuff," Applejack said with a weak smile of her own.

"You alright?" Tyr asked, kneeling beside them.

"I'm fine, but…" Applejack shot a glance at Rarity, who let out a small sigh.

"I do believe my leg is broken," Rarity murmured softly, looking down at the limbs in question. One of her rear legs was curled up next to her body, and Tyr could see that moving it hurt her. "I don't think I can move with any sort of haste."

"I'll carry you if we need to move," Tyr told her. He glanced around, missing the light blush that came up on Rarity's face. "Where's Bright Soul?"

"She went off a minute or two ago before you got up," Applejack told him. "Said she wanted to see where Twilight, Flash and Fluttershy got off to."

"Good idea. They can fly, so they should be fine…"

"A question, Alpha," Fenrir spoke up suddenly. "Do you remember that I said this place looks like a den of some sort?"

"A den? You mean like something lives here?" Applejack frowned.

Tyr glanced from Applejack to Fenrir. "Yeah, I remember. What's up?"

Fenrir swallowed hard. "I think I know what lives here."

She gestured upwards, and everyone looked up. What they saw made their blood run cold. A massive formation of overlapping spider webs were above them, and to their horror they could see six wrapped bundles stuck to the center of one. Tyr could see a patch of rainbow color through the strands of one cocoon. "…This is not good," the man murmured. They now knew what had happened to Rainbow and Ace.

Applejack was silent for a long minute. "Is… is that them up there?"

"…I'd risk a guess," Fenrir responded evenly. Before they could converse further, a voice caught them off guard. It was smooth and sultry, and sounded almost inviting.

"Oh? I thought I had brought all my guests to the 'table' already…" Tyr turned and found himself face to face with a giant spider with the upper half that looked roughly like a human woman's. An arachne. And they were right in her lair.

"She's…!" Rarity began, but the arachne simply smiled, her multiple eyes blinking in concert.

"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't leave you alone like this." The fanged maw of the arachne opened in a wicked grin. "Now… would you kindly come to dinner?"

* * *

 **Spiiiiders.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A short interlude, and now here we are.**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Hunter in the Blizzard

"Back, BACK!" Tyr cried, pushing the mares behind him into a small alcove. The arachne leapt towards him, mouth open wide and revealing rows of sharp fangs. He ducked aside, letting the creature skitter across the stone floor as it tried to get it's bearings. He gritted his teeth as he summoned his frost blade.

"Tyr's gonna fight that thing?" Applejack asked in shock. "I ain't never seen something like that!"

"It seems creatures like that have emerged in this forest," Fenrir said thoughtfully, letting Pinkie slide off her back to the floor beside Rarity.

"What is it?" Rarity asked, terrified. Tyr was dueling the arachne with relative ease, keeping it busy while Fenrir stood guard over them. The man was doing well for himself, letting the arachne lunge at him to no effect. a few of his own attacks scored against the creature's exoskeleton, dragging furious screeches.

"It's an arachne," Fenrir said thoughtfully. "A Halfling creature with more of a basis as a spider than anything else. I had not expected something like this to be here…"

"You've dealt with things like this?"

Fenrir gave them a toothy, wolfish grin. "What do you think we were doing for three years?"

The arachne screeched in rage as another attack missed the evasive man. Tyr brandished his weapon, murmuring something under his breath as he pulled a vial from his cloak. With a sharp motion, he smashed the vial against his sword, igniting it with fire. The arachne screeched with renewed vigor, charging at him in reckless fashion. The man easily ducked the first strike, blinding the beast with a quick swipe of the burning blade. The arachne recoiled away from the flames, giving Tyr the opportunity to duck under it's flailing limps. Without hesitating, he buried his blade in the creature's chest. A shocked look passed over the arachne's features just a moment before Tyr ripped his blade out to the side and bisected the creature. The two halves fell to the ground with a dull thump. Tyr snapped his weapon aside, flicking black blood off of it. The blade glowed and the flames went away as well. "Hm. Been a while since I've fought a beast."

"You did excellently," Fenrir said. She glanced at the slain arachne. "…Odd. I remember them being larger than this."

Tyr glanced back. "Hey Rarity, you think you can cut them down?"

Rarity nodded, letting her horn light up. In a matter of minutes, all their friends had been freed from their cocoons, Tyr assisting to get them down safely. Fortunately, their friends were still very much alive and conscious. "That's much better!" Ace said, spitting the last of the webbing out of his mouth. "Stupid thing had a web set up where we couldn't see it and we flew right into it."

"Same thing happened when we flew down here," Twilight said. "After you… crashed, we got hit with webbing and were stuck. I think that thing was planning to eat us."

"Oh, I wish you hadn't had to kill it," Fluttershy murmured.

Rainbow stared at her pink haired friend for a long time. "…Shy, you're my friend. But if something like that wants to eat us, I doubt we can just talk it out and be friends."

"Arachne are notorious for killing first and talking later," Fenrir said, letting Applejack put Pinkie back on her back. "Believe me, we've been in situations like this."

"Well, lucky for us you knew how to deal with it," Twilight said thoughtfully. She looked up at all the webs above them. "We can probably teleport back up to the ridgeline from here."

"You think this arachne is what caused the Timberwolves to freak out?" Flash asked.

"Maybe…"

"No, I doubt it," Ace said looking around. "This thing was way down here. I don't think the Timberwolves would even bother with something at the bottom of a chasm."

"So the Pyreflies then?" Rainbow asked.

"Likely. But let's get out of here and make sure."

"I second that motion," Bright Soul said, picking web out of her mane. "This place is… sticky."

Tyr walked over to where Rarity was and gently lifted her into his arms. "Ah! Darling, you don't have to do this…!"

"It's alright," He told her. "I don't mind at all. Plus, it's easier than having Twilight or Bright Soul try to levitate you."

"I—I suppose so…"

"Everypony get close to me," Twilight said. The group gathered around her, Pinkie on Fenrir's back and Rarity in Tyr's arms. A violet glow enveloped them all, and then they found themselves back on the ridge. Twilight staggered to her knees.

"Twilight!" Flash exclaimed in shock. "Are you alright?"

"I… I think that arachne bit me…"

"It's a slow acting debilitating poison," Tyr said, frowning. "Kinda like a sedative. It should wear off in time."

Flash suddenly swayed to the side. "Oh crap. Now that you mention it…"

Tyr glanced around, seeing everyone that had been cocooned beginning to look sleepy. Only himself, Fenrir, Applejack and Rarity looked fine. "On top of not getting much sleep… Everyone, just rest. Fenrir and I can watch over you."

"No, Tyr we can't—"

The darkness about them suddenly grew deeper. "What the hell?" Ace murmured, looking around. "What's going on? What now?"

"It got darker all of a sudden…" Rainbow murmured, just before a low growl came from the direction of the forest. "What the buck?"

And to Tyr's horror, somehow he knew that growl was directed at _him_.

"Ace, catch!" He yelled, tossing Rarity as smoothly as he could. If he was right, he wasn't about to put his friend in danger. The seamstress yelped in surprise only for Ace to catch her with ease. Both of them turned to the human man to ask what he was doing, but a shadow hurled itself out of the darkness and slammed into him. The force of the tackle sent him flying back into the chasm.

"TYR!" Rarity screamed.

The shadow creature was multi-armed and each of its appendages was tipped with a deadly blade. These blades came arcing in to his throat, but Tyr managed to defend against the attack. The creature screeched at him. "Screw you too!" The man yelled back, kicking the creature away from him. He spun in midair, letting his magic flow to life with one sweep of his arm. He appeared a second later on the chasm floor, this time not needing Fenrir to soften his landing. There wasn't much time to celebrate, as the shadow creature was on top of him again. It was extremely determined to kill him, almost raving mad in its desire to end him. But it wasn't like this was anything new—Tyr had had so many different things try to kill him over the past few years that something like this was no shock. But what was this thing anyway? It fought like a madman or creature possessed, not paying attention to whatever wounds Tyr inflicted in order to keep attacking.

[Alpha!] Fenrir smashed into the creature from above, pinning it to the ground for a split second. Even trapped under the heavy wolf, the creature seemed to melt into the ground to get free. It attacked again, this time scoring a strike along Tyr's arm. Almost immediately, he felt his entire left arm go limp and numb.

"A paralyzing poison?" He hissed, jumping back. The shadow creature seemed to sense his weakness and leapt at him, only for the man to swiftly slice it across the torso. It fell to the ground hissing in pain.

[Alpha, are you alright?]

Tyr felt the familiar tingle of his magic as he used it to forcibly make use of his arm again. Sadly enough, this wasn't the first time he had had to do this. But for some reason, even doing that much felt like a monumental task. That's when it hit him: This creature was made specifically to kill him. The creature screeched again and leapt back at him.

It was fast, agile, and built for close combat. On top of that, whatever those blades was coated in was numbing both his muscles and his ability to use magic effectively. If he didn't kill this thing now, it would wear him down until he was dead. Even Fenrir couldn't hold the creature down long enough for any sort of damage to be done. It was a war of attrition that he couldn't win. Both he and the shadow creature knew it.

He grunted as he was thrown against the rock wall, feeling his earlier back injury flare up again. He was barely standing at this point, the only thing keeping him going was the magic coursing through his body on overtime. He had managed to injure the shadow creature several times during their fight, but from the motions of the thing it didn't seem to bother it. Even Fenrir was slowing, her own connection to Tyr lessening her strength. The shadow screeched again. It seemed to know that the end of the fight was coming. It felt that it would win. [Seems it wants to end this] Fenrir thought quietly. [We've been backed into a corner it seems…]

"So I guess I got to bite back now, huh?" He murmured. The shadow lunged forward, blades aimed to slice Tyr into pieces. The man grabbed something out of his cloak—a small vial. He fell back, letting the shadow keep coming, its mouth open in a victorious scream. Tyr grinned and howled back, punching his fist right into the back of the creature's mouth. With the last of his magical reserves, he summoned a shield construct to batter the thing away.

The creature fought to stand, but the vial had shattered upon hitting the back of the shadow's throat. It's beady red eyes focused on the man it had been sent to kill, confusion somewhat apparent on its features. Tyr pulled himself up to a seated position against the rock wall, a grin on his tired face. "Illumination potion. Normally like a light grenade, but in this case I think it'll serve just as well as a snack for you."

The potion was beginning to do its work, and small rays of bright white light erupted from the shadow's body. It was shaking as it was incinerated from the inside out. It tried to get to him, but it was too late. With a small noise like a depressed sigh, the shadow exploded into light and was gone. [Well played, Master] Fenrir thought, coming over to him.

"I think I took too long," Tyr murmured. The blades of that thing had really ripped into him, and whatever poison it had was seeping into his veins. He was slowly becoming unable to maintain his consciousness.

[…I would agree. The poison that creature used is forcing your body to shut down. Without a skilled healer, you will not survive]

"You don't seem too put off by that."

"Wolves are pragmatic and used to death," Fenrir said, shifting into her miniature form. Despite what she said, she did look sad. "…Although I would prefer you lived."

"Unless you manage to get Grace here or something I don't think that will happen."

"And I do not have anything to purge you of poisons. This poison cannot be cured by any means we have currently…"

"So I'm screwed is what you're saying."

Fenrir blushed and looked away. "...Essentially."

Tyr sighed and looked up at the top of the chasm. He couldn't see any of his friends, but he hoped they were alright. Rarity had screamed his name, and he had even seen the looks of fear on the faces of the others. He didn't know if they were watching from the ridgeline, but given the distance the probably could not see him. A soft sigh escaped his lips. He had managed to come to this world, to his friends and family despite all odds. He had spent three years searching for them. And then he finds them, spends less than a week with them, and now he was dying alone in a chasm, without any hope. He wanted to see Rarity and Pinkie again, Twilight and all the others, Chrysalis… Although the one he really wanted to see most was—

"Giving up already?"

His thought interrupted, de looked up, finding a hooded figure standing over him. The face of the figure was obscured, but the voice seemed oddly familiar. "Who… who are you?"

"I think the better question is who are _you_? A Digital Mage? A dark swordsman from another world? A cold sniper? Husband to the Princess of Dreams? Just who exactly are you, Tyr Hymir?"

Tyr blinked in confusion. "What… what the hell do you mean?"

The figure leaned down to eye level, revealing a pair of glowing violet eyes despite the darkness that obscured everything else. Eight pointed stars were in the irises, colored black akin to pure darkness. "I think perhaps it's time we learned the true past of this wayward wolf."

"I know my past," Tyr spat back, angry at the assumption this person was making. "And I know who I am. I know my family."

" Oh? Then why do you have magic? Why did you manage to make it to this world? Can you answer those questions?"

"I…" Tyr's defiance melted away through a mixture of confusion and weakness. He was an anomaly even to himself—nothing that he could do made sense. His magic had come even before his pact with Fenrir. And his progression with his magic had almost felt natural, like he was relearning how to use it instead of using it for the first time. "So you know what—or who—I am?"

"I can do you one better," The figure told him. "I can show you."

"…What?" The violet eyes fixed themselves to the silver ones, and Tyr could not look away. They glowed brightly, and suddenly he felt himself falling into himself, his mind flying away while his body stayed fixed in one place. As he began to drift, he heard the figure speak again.

"Enjoy the flashback, friend."

It was a place Tyr had never seen before. A world that didn't seem familiar but felt familiar all at the same time. The ground was a gentle gold-green and before him stood a small community, a collection of simple homes arrayed around a square. It was a sleepy town that was nestled into the valley between two tall hills. Even as he looked, he could see simply clothed individuals walking around, going about their daily business. The figure he had last spoken to had vanished, so he decided to go down into the town. But before he could, a gentle and sweet voice called out.

"Lysander."

He turned, freezing in place as a beautiful woman walked towards him. Her skin was a light chocolate brown, and her dark reddish gold hair fell past her shoulders in curls, all the way past her waist. There was an easy smile on her lips, and her silver eyes were bright with happiness. Tyr opened his mouth to speak, only to realize she wasn't looking at him but through him. He turned to see the person she was talking to. It was a well-armed man with short, cropped black hair and hard onyx eyes. He was approaching the woman, and as he got closer his rough look softened immediately. "Aleksandra, what are you doing out here?"

The woman's smile grew as she embraced the man. She was much shorter than him, so she buried her face in his chest. To his credit, Lysander didn't seem to put off. When they finally pulled apart, she pushed herself up to kiss him gently. "I was bored staying inside. It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"I suppose so, but you know you shouldn't be wandering alone."

Aleksandra frowned. "What, you think I'll fall into the Dream when you're not with me?"

"I has happened before…"

"That Dream was hardly worrisome."

Lysander sighed. "But you heard about what happened to Penelope. She fell into the Dream when her guardian wasn't nearby."

"Yes, but the worst that happened to her was she was passed out in the middle of town for an hour." Aleksandra pouted. "You don't trust me?"

"I never said that, dear. I just worry is all."

Aleksandra smirked. "Knowing you, you'll be just as paranoid when our baby is born."

Lysander didn't respond immediately, his right hand going to rest on her stomach. "…Is it wrong for a father to be worried?"

"…No, honey. I know you—you worry because you care."

"Of course. And yes, today is a beautiful day." Lysander smiled. "You have a knack for simply seeing the good in the world."

She gently pressed one finger against his nose with a small 'boop' noise. She giggled. "Someone has to balance Mr. Worry-Wart out here."

"Oh stop. You know that the only reason you can be so carefree is because I worry so much."

She turned in his arms so that she could lean back against him. She took in a deep breath, and it seemed like she was taking in energy from the land around her. "I suppose so."

"Plus…" He gently rested his hands on her stomach. "Someone has to worry about the baby."

Aleksandra pouted. "You know I'll be a good mother!"

"I'm counting on it," The man told her, kissing at her neck. The silver eyed woman smiled softly, leaning back into the embrace. Tyr only had a moment to consider the whole scene for a moment before he fell through the earth and everything swirled into a cacophony of colors. His mind wasn't able to process how he was hearing _color_ of all things…

Before long, he was released from the transition, left looking at a starry sky through a glass window. Instead of the happy scene he had witnessed before, the air about him had a morose feel to it, and his skin prickled with goosebumps. He spotted the man—Lysander—standing alone in what looked like a waiting room. Tyr narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Lysander Aquillo?"

A doctor entered the room, although it was more Tyr _knew_ it was a doctor. In all honesty, he looked more like a priest of some type than anything else. The man wore a long robe like garment that went all the way to the floor and was adorned with runic symbols. Lysander looked up, an unreadable expression on his face. "…Yes? What is the news?"

The doctor sighed. "It seems that your Dreamer, Aleksandra, has gone into the Long Dark."

Lysander's eyes widened. "She… but that cannot be! Aleksa was never a Sleeper! And her visions as a Dreamer were never that strong…"

"I'm sorry, but… This seems to have changed. Her magical reserves have deepened, and she almost froze the entire analyzation room."

"…She was always talented with ice magic, but… doing it unconsciously…" Lysander fell silent. After a long moment of awkward silence, he spoke again. "…And the baby?"

"We cannot be sure. This is the first time a Sleeper has ever carried a child."

"What?"

The doctor nodded. "You know the magical ability of Sleepers. Normally, they would purge their very bodies of everything not of themselves, but…"

"What is it?"

"It seems more like your wife is… feeding your child with her magic. Like she's pointedly giving them the same magical signature in order to protect them."

Lysander let out a rueful chuckle. He moved over to the window, hand resting on the glass. This close, Tyr could see the numerous scars along the man's arms, no doubt a testament to all the battles he had fought. The grim look gave way to a softer one. "Aleksa was always one for trying to save others. No doubt she would do the same for our child."

"But… there is an issue."

"What?" Lysander turned sharply, eyes narrowed. That obviously had not been what he wanted to hear.

The doctor coughed and glanced away. "Considering that your child would have been born with your magic, your wife's actions are… troubling."

"What do you mean?"

"You know the history. Any child born to a Sleeper as an Awakened would be born in Flux. The dangers of such a being is… well, it's something to be feared."

"But my wife is only using her magic to sustain the child, correct? Then why would they be born in Flux?"

"It's not that your child is being sustained by your wife, it is more like your child will have a mixture of both your magic and the latent power of a Sleeper." The doctor frowned. "The child is being _given_ magic."

Lysander's eyes snapped open wide. "Such a combination would be…"

"Extremely powerful. Hence the fear that the child will be born in Flux. Therefore, we thought it prudent to inform the Council of the Wakeful."

"…When did you contact them?"

"Before I came in to speak to you."

Lysander didn't say a word, instead rushing out of the room. As he left, Tyr felt his mind grow hazy again as he transitioned away to another vision… another memory. He was sure that's what these were—he felt as if he knew these events, like he remembered them. But none of these things had happened to him, had they? Was he reliving some sort of past life sort of thing? He shook it off as everything came back into focus. But this scene was… odd. There were a number of warriors dead along a long hallway, all of them clad in hyper advanced armor. At the end of the hall was Lysander, a bloody blade in his hands. He was seated in the doorway of a room, numerous wounds across his body. There was no doubt he was dead. Tyr turned as he heard boot steps behind him. He had fought those warriors to a standstill at the cost of his own life. More of the armored warriors were approaching, this time followed by a pair of women in loose robes. They had hoods covering their faces. "It seems he gave his life for her," One of the women said, eyes falling on the slain Lysander.

"Love is a strange thing, sister," The other said, moving forward. "But ultimately, it has left him dead."

"He sacrificed so much for this child and their mother. And yet the outcome is still the same."

The second woman made a short motion with her head, spurring the armored men to charge down the hall. "Well, we should be done with this. Whenever a child is born in Flux, they tend to warp the norm around them…" She trailed off, suddenly shivering. The first woman turned to her.

"Are you alright?"

"I thought… I thought I felt a cold chill run down my spine…"

"Odd. These buildings are normally…" A noise made her trail off, and both women visibly tensed up. Even Tyr felt his nerves stand on end.

It was the sound of a baby crying.

Suddenly, a wave of frost exploded from the room at the end of the hall, scattering the armored warriors and freezing them solid. Only a quickly formed magical barrier stopped the two women from being frozen as well. The first woman took a single step back. The entire hallway was coated with a layer of frost, glittering like gemstones. "W-What? How…?"

A deathly chill rolled down the hall as the very temperature in the air lowered several degrees. And then Aleksandra emerged from the room, clad in only a white nightgown. Her eyes were aglow with pure blue light and the very walls froze over as she walked forward. The second robed woman stared in horror. "N-No! No Sleeper has every awakened from the Long Dark! She can't be—!"

Aleksandra's mouth opened and her voice spilled out, ripping down the hallway like the roar of a blizzard. There were no words, only sounds and fury. The icy wind flowed down the hallway, and even Tyr in his incorporeal state could feel the chill. The woman walked down the hall, her magic freezing everything in front of her. Nothing survived, except for Tyr. She was terrifying—not like Nightmare Moon had been, but the aura around this woman was destructive even without her using her magic. It was more like the very power of nature had walked into the hall and unleashed its power.

There was nothing alive in the hall anymore, and the wail of the blizzard slowed and ceased. The woman stood quietly for a long minute before turning and going back into the room. She reemerged a moment later with a small bundle in her arms. Instead of the pained look she had shown before, now there was a small smile on her face as she looked down into her arms. There was only love there. She glanced back at the fallen warrior, kneeling beside his cold body. "…Lysander. My love. Thank you for sacrificing yourself for our son. I wish… I wish you could have seen him…" She clenched her hands slightly, closing her eyes to keep the tears back. "…He… looks like you…"

The memory swirled away again, leaving Tyr drifting back into a sea of color. He didn't have to wait long, for the next one came almost immediately. It was white—all white. The middle of a blizzard greeted him as he emerged into a snow covered town. It took him a minute, but he recognized this place.

It was the town he and his parents had lived in.

Before him was the house they had lived in before his parent's accident. As he approached, he spotted a young girl seated in the window, a depressed look on her face. She adjusted the glasses set on the bridge of her nose and let out a small sigh. Obviously, she wanted to go play in the snow but the blizzard was denying her that privilege. But suddenly, the sad girl perked up, glasses almost falling off her face. Her mouth opened as she called to someone further in the house. A moment later, a tall, dark skinned woman with soft brown hair appeared at the window. Her eyes snapped open wide and she rushed off to the front door. Tyr frowned, only for the soft crunching of snow behind him to catch his attention. It was Aleksandra, a small bundle in her arms. She was walking through the snow towards the house, seemingly oblivious to the temperature around her. In fact, it seemed more like the blizzard was pointedly not touching her. She walked the last few steps to the door of the house just as it opened. "What are you doing!?" The woman demanded, fear in her eyes.

Aleksandra smiled softly. When she opened her mouth to speak, it was as if the storm around her was speaking as well. But there was no howl, only a curious whisper. "Could I… Could I trouble you for a favor?"

"W-What?" The woman swallowed, her daughter behind her. The young girl was watching with undisguised confusion at what she was witnessing. "What do you…?"

"I'm sorry about this," Aleksandra murmured, eyes glowing with magical energy again. The eyes of the two females before her went blank. "But I cannot let you remember this event. To you, this little boy will seem as if your own son. He will be a brother to your daughter, and he will know you as his mother. You will raise him, and love him. And you will never remember me." Her gentle smile was colored with pain. "But these memories will lay dormant within him, for all Dreamers are bound."

She turned, and it was as if she was speaking directly to Tyr himself. He couldn't move from his spot, for her eyes seemed to fix him in place. "My son. If you are witnessing this memory, then you have regained what I took from you, and found the truth behind your origins. I… I am sorry I could not see you grow up to become strong like your father. Or as kind. Or be there to teach you about your Elemental powers. But you will never feel lacking. For every blizzard you feel or cold you endure, I will be there to watch over you. For we are connected through the howl of the storm, the crunch of the snow, and the icy chill of death."

She handed the bundle to the dazed woman, her smile tinged with regret but never fading away. "Take care of him," She told the woman, almost reluctant to release the child to her. "Please. He will be an extraordinary child, and I hope that you nurture him and love him."

"Yes," The dazed woman murmured, holding the child close. The baby had pure silver eyes that peered up at her, and she unconsciously smiled. Aleksandra looked as though the very action caused her pain. But she let out a gentle sigh.

"You will find your own true love in time, my dearest. One you are willing to sacrifice all for. And I… I hope you can forgive your mother for being so… cold." She chuckled. "Look at me, such a fool. I can't even do something serious like this without making terrible jokes. I hope you don't fault your poor mother for this."

Tyr wanted to speak, but no words would come to him. His eyes were tearing up. His mother had given him up in order to protect him. And the blizzards he had always felt comfortable in simply reminded him of his mother—his real mother. He felt conflicted. The family he had grown up with, the sisters he had come to love were not his real family. His childhood was built on a lie. But he remembered being told by his grandfather that family wasn't just those who were related by blood. Anyone who was that close to you to risk your life for was family. And his family was waiting for him to survive. His mother took a step back as the two women at the door recovered from their daze, and looked down at the baby. "Oh, Nanna, look. Your little brother is awake."

Nanna pouted. "He probably wants to play outside too."

"Yeah… he does love the snow."

Aleksandra smiled softly as her body vanished into the storm. "And I love you… Tyr."

The memory swam then, as the face of his mother whirled away, only her silver eyes left amidst the oncoming blizzard. He was crying and he knew it, but there was no point in trying to hide it. His childhood… was almost completely a lie. The sisters he thought he knew so well were just a family he had been living with. Even his grandfather wasn't related to him by blood. He didn't realize he was out of the mental journey until something soft rubbed at his face. His eyes opened slowly in time to see a woman standing in front of him, a small smile on her face. "…Who…?"

"You remember me," The platinum haired woman said with a smile, her hazel eyes flickering red for a moment. Tyr searched his jumbled memories for a moment before recognizing the woman before him.

"Isabel." He murmured breathlessly, still feeling weak. The numbness in his body was gone at least so he was thankful for that. However… "What are you doing here?"

"Daddy's orders," She said with a smile. "He said 'a friend of mine needs help' or something like that."

"But… how…?"

"Best not to ask."

"Well, thank your father when you see him again—oof!" Tyr felt the air rush out of his chest as something white impacted his chest. The sound of sobbing reached his ears just as he noticed the purple mane below his chin. "R-Rarity?"

"Don't you ever do that again!" She snapped, moving her head up to look at him. Her makeup was running from the tears she had shed, but she didn't care. There was anger and pain in both her voice and expression. He swallowed heavily, unable to respond. Rarity sniffled. "I… I thought for a moment we had lost you…again…"

Tyr looked up to find himself back in the chasm, all his friends gathered around him. Relief was on all of their faces, even the somewhat begrudging look he got from Bright Soul. Probably the only reason that none of them were rushing to hug him was because Rarity was currently attacking him. He gently rested his hand on her back. "…I'm sorry, Rarity."

"Are you?" She pushed off of him, shocking them all with her sudden frustration. "You promised me that now that you were here, you wouldn't go disappearing on me! And not a day later you almost die! Now that is quite unfair!"

Applejack took a step forward. "Rare, I don't think he's _trying_ ta get himself killed…"

His country friend was trying to speak reason, but the white unicorn wasn't done. She poked his chest with one delicately kept hoof, just hard enough to make it hurt. "You told me you wanted to be a father to Ancè. A father to Jubilee. And you can't do that if you die, now can you?"

"Rarity…" Ace began, taking a shot at it.

"And who do you think would be the one to explain to Luna that you threw your life away for me!?"

Twilight tried her hoof at it next. "Well, of course he can't, but he was trying to protect you…"

"Trying to protect us is why we lost him in the first place!" Rarity countered. "I don't want—"

Tyr wrapped his arms around the distraught mare, cutting off her tirade. With that outlet closed, there was only one other way to let her distress out. She cried. The other ponies watched in silence as the Element of Generosity let out her frustration and worry. Tyr simply let her cry until she was done, rubbing her back gently. When the mare's sobbing finally ebbed a bit, he spoke. "I'm sorry, Rarity."

"I'm just happy Isabel showed up when she did. She said you only had a few more minutes before the poison killed you." She pounded her hoof against his chest weakly. "Don't worry me like that ever again, darling."

"I'll do my best."

"Speaking of saving your life," Isabel spoke up then to catch their attention. "I need to make doubly sure the poison is neutralized in his system."

"You already bit him once," Rainbow pointed out. "What do you have to do now?"

"…Bit me?" Tyr glanced over at the hazel eyed woman.

"My family are all vampires, remember?" She smiled. "My blood has the added ability to create an antidote for any poison that would enter my bloodstream. Therefore, by drinking my blood…"

"You cured me."

"It was pretty gross, to be honest," Ace pointed out.

Isabel pouted. "I'm told my blood has a pleasantly sweet flavor to it, thank you very much," She said as informatively as she could. Ace simply stared at her in mild amusement.

"…Why would you know that…?"

"Anyway, I need to check. Tyr, may I have your arm?"

"Sure," Tyr murmured, willing to let the woman do as she pleased. Wasn't the first time Isabel had ever asked him for blood. She took hold on his arm and lifted it up to her mouth. With a small smirk, she bit into his wrist. He winced as she drank his blood for a moment before letting him go. There was a happy smile on the pale woman's face.

"Thank you very much," She said appreciatively. Tyr didn't know how to reply to that, so he simply nodded. "Well, it seems to be working properly."

"He's not gonna turn into a vampire, is he?" Applejack asked, a little worried. Fluttershy seemed to draw back as she considered the possibility as well. Isabel simply shook her head.

"No, I would need a much longer process in order to do something like that. Plus, I've never turned anyone before." She glanced at Tyr. "Unless you'd want to be my first…"

"I think I'm satisfied with staying human," Tyr told her with a slight chuckle. His face darkened suddenly, making Rarity flinch slightly. "…Or, whatever I am."

Isabel was silent for a moment before giving him an understanding nod. "I know how you feel. Actually… Do you have an empty vial?"

"I believe so…" Tyr rooted around in his cloak for a moment before extracting a clear, empty vial. Isabel took if from him and pressed a nail into the back of her wrist. To the surprise of them all, she poured an amount of her blood into the vial.

"My blood can serve as an antidote for any venom that exists. And it can also break curses. Consider it a gift." She smiled and pressed the vial into his hand. "I know some of you might find drinking blood to be… disgusting, but trust me."

Ace chuckled. "Well, you've saved us a number of times now, so I won't fault ya."

"Glad you were here, sugar," Applejack said.

Tyr nodded as well. "Thanks again, Isabel."

The woman stood up and bowed ever so slightly. "Until next time, friends." She turned sharply on the spot before vanishing into white light.

"You all have some interesting friends," Bright Soul said, coming forward. She glanced over at Tyr. "…I suppose it's a good thing you didn't die."

Tyr let Rarity go, deciding to take the hazel pony's comment as a positive one. He stood up. "Well, Jehu's family saves me again, I see…"

"Seems we owe them quite a lot," Twilight said, moving forward. She looked over Tyr with her violet eyes. "…Well, you seem a lot better now."

"And whatever that thing was, you dealt with it spectacularly," Bright Soul said.

Tyr felt something on his shoulder, and was happy to feel the warmth of Fenrir's fur as she nuzzled up to him. "I am happy you are still among the living, Alpha."

"How's everyone else?" Tyr asked, looking around.

"We're… alright, I guess," Flash murmured. "Although we did have to move down here. Timberwolves started creeping on us while we were up there."

"So we're stuck down here at the moment," Fluttershy pointed out.

Rarity nudged Tyr's arm to get his attention. "Darling, a question if I may?"

"Yes?" Tyr looked down at her, pleasantly surprised to see Rarity's makeup back to normal and her usual demeanor in place. Having her upset and brought to tears like that had struck a nerve and left him somewhat nervous, however. He was planning to tread lightly around her for a bit.

"Um… about what you said earlier, dear. About not knowing for sure what you are?"

Tyr frowned. "You… you caught that?"

"Of course I did." The others had overheard, and were watching the little exchange. Nopony else seemed to have caught what Tyr had said, and Rarity's accusation had caused them all to stop. The others were not reacting, watching the little exchange with interest. Rarity frowned. "I was essentially lying on your chest."

"Right…"

"Y'all don't know what you are?" Applejack asked, confused. "I thought y'all were human."

Tyr let out a heavy sigh. "Well, seeing as we're stuck here in this chasm for the time being, I suppose I should tell you all what I saw."

Twilight blinked. "What you… what you saw?"

The man nodded, sitting down on the cold ground. The others gathered around him, Fenrir bringing over Pinkie, who was still unconscious. Rarity pointedly sat directly to his side. The man looked around the group for a long moment before nodded to himself. "I had a vision right as I passed out. Or… after. According to what I witnessed, I wasn't dreaming—I was remembering."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Remembering?"

Bright Soul blinked. "As in… your memories?"

"Yeah. And it was in those memories I saw my parents. My real parents."

-x-

* * *

 **This was Tyr's 'revelation' chapter. Why can he do what he does? How is it possible? I'm sure someone out there was wondering, and now I've answered that question somewhat. And for further reference, Tyr's parent's names are pronounced: LIH-san-der and Al-ek-SAHN-drah. Just fyi.  
**

 **Well, there's my doozy of an update. Knocking out 13,000 words in a week is kinda a trip, especially since it threw off my sleep schedule. But there it is.**

 **As usual, please Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter. Don't hesitate to leave a comment, for the Library Accepts all.**

 **Oh, and don't worry; The Winter Is Coming jokes... are coming.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello dear readers. Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 22! :D**

 **But in other news, this week was a heavy writing week. I really wanted to finish the part with Tyr and the others... so I did. *shrug***

 **This chapter however... was a bit neglected when it came to substance. But I finished both chapters, and that in and of itself (on top of being my birthday) compelled me to finish the chapter. But the next chapter is focused on Tyr's past, and the legacy passed down from his mother (roll credits!)**

 **Kevin Lapse: I do my best.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Tbh, Kindred's VA is one of my favorites. And yes, I kinda have. Tyr's mother was a Dreamer who became a Sleeper (didn't wake up), while his father was indeed a magical warrior, but there's more to that. And yes, things are happening with Pinkie and Rarity. And it most likely can only get... better?**

 **Chaddmychal: Sorry! But if my progress so far keeps up, i 'may' get two chapters done by next week.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Spiders (especially arachne) are terrifying. Tyr and Fenrir did a LOT of hunting. Wolves do that, ya know. And maybe the sniper will come back, Jehu does keep it around the Library... yet again, you guessed right on the chapter plot! And Tyr is 'technically' half human: His dad was human... ish.**

 **But anyways, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Learning to Read

"You're really bad at this, aren't you?" Ancè murmured. She and Cori sat in the library of the Castle of Friendship at one of the large desks, a book opened in front of them. The changeling filly winced at the comment, lowering her head in shame.

"S-Sorry Ancè…" She said quietly. She hadn't wanted to waste the generosity of the white unicorn filly, but so far Cori could barely read even the simplest of texts. She recognized a few of the words, but a lot of them were still too difficult. Ancè had sat through Cori's struggles patiently, but the Changeling knew the filly would be at the end of her patience about now.

"Sorry? You read at a foal's level," the unicorn continued. "Have you never read before?"

"I… I can read some store signs…"

"Just the ones you had to go to, I would assume?"

"…Yes."

"Oh dear. It's essentially like starting from scratch."

Cori blushed again, shrinking down into her seat. She was the one who asked for help, and now she had frustrated the pony that was helping her. "I'm really sorry…"

"Why do you keep apologizing? You can't help it that you can't read."

"But I asked you to help me, but I can't do this at all…" She let out a sigh. "I ruined the first chance I had at making a friend…"

Ancè blinked. "Wait, say that again?"

"Huh? I just thought that since I wasted your time you wouldn't want to be my friend, and my mom and dad wanted me to make friends…"

"Hold on one moment. You believed I wouldn't be your friend if you couldn't read?"

"Um… yes?"

"Cori. I would be a horrible pony if I simply denied you my friendship simply because you could not read on the same level as I."

"R-Really?"

Ancè nodded. "Yes. In fact, if you got rid of that silly notion, I would be quite willing to be your friend."

Cori's face brightened up immediately. "Really!?"

"Yes, I would."

"Oh, thank you, Ancè! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

The other filly chuckled. "I think I can guess."

Suddenly, a pink face appeared on the other side of the desk. "Ooh, you guys are friends now?"

"Jubilee," Ancè said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"The others were wondering where you were, so I came to see what you were up to. You're teaching Cori to read?"

Cori blushed heavily. "P-Please don't tell the others!"

"Huh? But why?"

"It's… embarrassing…"

Ancè glanced over at her sister, who still looked confused. "Bibi, Cori is not confident in her ability to read as well as myself or Evie. So do not tell the others unless she says it is alright, understand?"

"I guess so." The pink earth pony laid her head on the desk.

"Promise me, Bibi."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye!" As Cori watched, Jubilee hopped up onto her back legs, crossed one hoof over her heart, and then mimed putting her hoof into her eye. The Changeling looked extremely confused.

"Um… what?" Cori glanced between the two of them. "What was that?"

"A Pinkie Promise!" Jubilee said gleefully. "Our mom taught us that, because Pinkie Promises are _forever!_ "

"Mom was pretty adamant about that," Exuberance pointed out.

"I think I get it…"

"Hey! I found the girls!" Suddenly, a white flash darted into the room and above them. The three fillies looked up to see Vibrant overhead, hovering with a frown on his face. "What have you guys been doing up here?"

"Nothing too serious," Ancè said smoothly, closing the book on the desk and standing. She looked up at the pure white Pegasus. "Is there something you need, Vibrant?"

"Uh, yeah. We were gonna play some hoof ball. You in?"

"Ooh! Totally!" Jubilee bounced up and down. "I love hoof ball!"

"I suppose I'll play too," Ancè said, moving towards the door. She glanced back at Cori, who hadn't moved. "…Are you not going to join us, Cori?"

"Um…" The Changeling lowered her head a bit. "I um… don't know how to play."

"You don't?" Vibrant asked incredulously. He flew over to be a bit closer to her. "How could you not know how to play hoof ball?"

"Um… I never learned?"

"Huh." Vibrant landed beside her, and for a moment the Changeling thought the colt was going to be upset. But instead, he simply grinned. "No worries then, we can just teach ya! Come on!"

He darted out of the room, Jubilee bouncing after him. Ancè rolled her eyes and went to the door. She paused, glancing back at Cori. "Are you joining us, Cori?"

"Um… okay." Cori got up and trotted over to the door, joining Ancè as they left the room. The other children were already outside, with Vibrant and Bramley kicking around a ball. Evening Star and Golden Grove were sitting off to the side while Jubilee bounced around singing a random song. "How many of us are playing?"

"I'm not," Evening Star said.

"I…I'll play," Golden Grove said softly, getting up. Evening Star gave her a little smile as she did.

"Hm," Vibrant put a hoof to his chin. "That makes it three on three. Hm. Too bad we don't have any more players…"

"We could always go ask Pumpkin and Pound if they wanna play!" Jubilee said.

"They are technically our cousins," Ancè pointed out.

"Actually," Bramley spoke up. "Applebloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo should be getting out a school right about now. Maybe we could see if they want ta play."

"Oh, we could ask some of the other fillies and colts too!" Jubilee was getting excited. "It could be like one huge game of hoof ball!"

Vibrant grinned, a knowing smirk in his eyes as he began to formulate a plan. "Alright colts and fillies, I think we've got a game to set up. Evie, get your notepad."

-v-

Chrys stirred from her semi nap to hear a small knocking at the door. She frowned ever so slightly as she sat up. "Now who in the world is that…?"

She got up and went up to the door, almost bumping into Spike. Spike had grown over the past few years, standing almost as tall as your average pony with a slimmer and sleek body instead of his former 'pudgy' look. The young purple dragon glanced up at her. "Oh, hey Chrys. Is someone at the door?"

"That's what I got up to see," The changeling replied. With a small hesitation to remember her disguise, she used her magic to open the door. To her surprise, she found the mayor of Ponyville standing there, a light brown mare with a gray mane. She had a strange look on her face. "…May I help you?"

"I was expecting Twilight to be here," Mayor Mare said slowly, glancing around. Her eyes fell on Chrys. "I don't believe we've met."

"We haven't," Chrys answered smoothly. She gave a weak smile. "My name is Crystal Chain, a friend of Twilight's from the Crystal Empire. My daughter and I are visiting."

"Oh, I see…"

"Did you need something, Mayor Mare?" Spike asked, making his presence known. The mayor frowned.

"Well, it's more so that I was just making sure you knew what was going on outside."

"What's going on outside…?" They moved past the mayor, going out onto the front porch. The sight that greeted them was awe inspiring. A wide number of fillies and colts were romping about on the castle's front lawn, playing what looked to be a massive game of hoof ball. Seated above the boisterous game was Evening Star, keeping score on a large pad that she held up with her magic. From the way it looked, it seemed every young pony in the entirety of Ponyville had come out to play. To even Chrys's surprise, she spotted Cori playing as well, a wide smile on her daughter's face as she chased after the much faster Vibrant.

"Whoa!" Spike muttered, looking around. "When did all of this happen?"

"When indeed," Chrys murmured, coming outside. She had only been asleep for about half an hour, so how had they managed to organize all of this?

"Halftime!" Evening Star's voice called out. The two teams ceased their movements to a cheer from the gathered crowd. Vibrant and another Pegasus colt, one that was a very light brown color with a dark chocolate brown mane, made their way over to the filly in the high chair. Upon seeing the scoreboard, the white Pegasus grinned.

"Told ya we had more points, Pound!"

The other Pegasus turned his light blue eyes on his companion, a flat look on his face. "You only got two on us. We can get that easy."

"Only if you get past Bramley!" Jubilee called out, giggling. "He's the best goalkeeper ever!"

"Eeyup!" Bramley agreed from his spot in front of the 'goal'. Instead of a normal goal, the kids were using a pair of overturned carts.

"Well, this looks pretty fun!" A voice called out. Spike perked up at the sound of the voice.

"Sweetie!" He called out. Chrys sensed the sudden surge of love from the young dragon, and glanced in the direction he was looking. Sure enough, a quartet of young mares was trotting over, one of them Chrys quickly recognizing as Scootaloo. She and her companions came over quickly the pale white one closing the last few feet at a gallop to embrace the young dragon. Spike grinned and ran his claws through the mare's pink and gray mane. "It's good to see you."

"I missed you," Sweetie Bell said, kissing his scaly forehead. "But recording took a lot longer than I thought."

"Nah, it's okay. You're doing what you love, right?"

Scootaloo snickered, getting the other two mares to stare at her. The yellow earth pony with a long red mane rolled her eyes. "Come on Scoots. Really?" She asked her friend in a slight country drawl.

"Hey Bloom, she said it, not me. Right Babs?" She glanced back at the last of their little group, a brown mare with a two tone reddish-pink mane. She chuckled.

"I guess you're right, Scoots." Her accent was heavy, but Chrys couldn't place it. "But you know how Sweetie an Spike are."

"He is my dragon-friend," Sweetie Bell countered, letting Spike go. She glanced back and spotted Chrys. A look of confusion crossed her face. "Um… Spike, who's this?"

"You remember me, little one," Chrys said, allowing a light flash of green shoot through her eyes. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders' jaws all fell open.

"Chrysa—" Sweetie began, but Spike covered her mouth.

"Shh! Sweetie, she's disguised for a reason!" He hissed. He shot a look over at Mayor Mare, but she was looking somewhere else.

"Oh. Oh! Sorry."

Babs frowned. "Uh… did I miss something here?"

"Oh, sorry Babs!" Applebloom said, grinning slightly. "This is… uh…"

"Crystal," Chrys replied smoothly, smiling. "I'm a friend of Twilight's."

"Yeah! She's the one who helped me get my Cutie Mark!" As if to punctuate her statement, Applebloom showed off her flank. An apple emblem sat there, over a hammer shape.

"Oh really?" Babs glanced over at Chrys with a smile. "You guys gotta be real close then!"

Chrys nodded. "I do consider these three my friends."

The three mares beamed, with Babs glancing between them. "No kidding," She said after a moment.

"So what are you girls doing here?" Spike asked. "Last I heard, you all were super busy."

"Babs was coming to town so we had to see her," Applebloom said, sidling up to her cousin. "And besides, it's one of the few times Sweetie isn't busy!"

"Busy doing what, if I may ask?" Chrys asked.

"Sweetie Bell's a recording artist now," Scootaloo said. "She's been working with DJ-Pon3 to make a CD!"

"Oh really?" She glanced at Sweetie Bell, who was blushing lightly. "That's quite impressive."

"Thanks," Sweetie Bell said. "I probably wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for Tyr… Oh! That reminds me, we came out here to see him. Is he here?"

"Yeah, the girls were telling me all about this human guy they knew," Babs said. "Said I should meet him."

Chrys frowned slightly. "Unfortunately girls, my ma… er, Tyr is not here. He left this morning with Twilight and her friends."

The faces of the girls fell. "Aw, darn," Applebloom muttered. "I was looking forward ta seeing him."

"And I know Sweetie was," Scoots pointed out. Spike glanced at his girlfriend, something akin to jealousy shooting through him as he saw Sweetie's look of disappointment. Chrys noticed, but kept her mouth closed.

"Hey, big sis!" A Vibrant called out, coming over. Jubilee bounced alongside him, her usual grin on her face. Scootaloo grinned and pulled her little brother into a hug.

"Hey Vi! You playing fair?"

"Of course I am!"

"Plus, he picked Bramley first, so he's got the best goalkeeper," Jubilee pointed out.

"Hey, Pound picked Pumpkin first, so you can't blame me."

"Tongue twister!" Jubilee called out.

Scootaloo glanced over at the still resting colts and fillies. "You were taking a break, right?"

"It's halftime," Evening Star said.

"Hey, do you girls want to play?" Jubilee asked excitedly.

"Well" Applebloom said thoughtfully, "It looks like y'all already got your teams set up."

Vibrant bopped Jubilee in the nose. "Come on, Jubilee. We can't add players now."

The pink haired girl frowned and rubbed her nose. "I was just trying to be considerate, Vi."

"It's fine, really," Babs said, smiling and waving a hoof. "You guys can keep playing. We'll just watch."

"Halftime's almost over, y'all!" Bramley called out. A light brown unicorn mare on the opposing end called yelled too.

"Come on Pound, let's go!"

"You heard the lady," Vi said, trotting back to the field. Jubilee bounced after him.

"We can watch from over here," Spike said, gesturing to an empty spot on the front lawn. "I'll go inside and grab a blanket!"

He rushed inside, leaving the mares with a few amused looks. "He always acts all funny when you get around, Sweetie," Babs said with a chuckle.

"Love is a funny thing," Chrys murmured, looking over as the game started up again. Sweetie Bell blushed furiously.

"Spike doesn't… I mean we… We haven't…" She didn't know what to say, and simply floundered over all her words.

"You know better to deny your feelings with me around," Chrys pointed out with a chuckle. Babs looked confused, but the other girls giggled. Before she could ask any questions, Chrys simply smiled. "We can talk about that later. Look, they're beginning again."

-v-

"I'm surprised the score is so close," Applebloom murmured. It was getting late in the evening, and the score was tied. Vibrant's team had lost their lead earlier on, while Pound's team had put up a solid defense with Pumpkin Cake—his sister—covering the goal expertly. But on the other end of the pitch, Bramley had become almost a literal wall, blocking every shot that came his way. It was a heavy stalemate, and all of the players were getting exhausted. Vibrant, Jubilee, and Pound looked to be the only ones with any energy left. Going by the clock Evening Star was using, they had just a minute left.

"Alright, we got this!" Vibrant called out, and he was answered with a ragged cheer from his team. He glanced back, quickly surveying his team. "…Goldie, Cori, you two stay back."

Cori blinked. He didn't want them up with the others? Why… "Okay," Golden Grove said quietly, causing the changeling filly to glance over at her. The brown Pegasus looked like she was about to fall over. She must not have that much physical endurance. Cori glanced back at Vibrant, who was watching the approaching opponents with a determined look on his face. He was putting Golden Grove where she wouldn't have to move much, and was making sure someone was near her by leaving Cori back. And he had seen all that with just one glance.

"Heads up!"

Vibrant forced himself into Pound's path, stopping him from simply running up the middle of the field with the ball. But the slightly larger Pegasus hoofed the ball across to another of his teammates, a lime green earth pony. Ancè intercepted that player, smirking as she managed to steal it. "Aha! Vibrant, here!"

She passed it to the white Pegasus who rushed past the defenders into enemy territory. Caught off guard, the rest of Pound's team turned to rush after him. But the colt was clear—the only pony between him and scoring was Pound's sister Pumpkin. The orange maned filly stood strong in front of him, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Take the shot, Vibrant!" Jubilee cried.

With a powerful kick, Vibrant sent the ball shooting off towards the goal. The ball was going so fast that it seemed like it was a definite goal. Pumpkin's eyes snapped open wide for just a split second, before she leapt into the way of the ball and brought one foreleg down like an axe. To the shock of everyone near the goal, she smacked the ball away. Vibrant stared in pure shock. "No way!"

The ball shot back down the pitch, curious eyes following it as it went. It passed by like a bullet before suddenly redirecting back towards Pumpkin's goal. She stumbled back to catch it, only to trip over her own hooves and fall onto her butt. The ball bounced harmlessly past her into the goal. "Oh. Darn."

The cheer that went up from the gathered crowd was almost deafening. Vibrant was standing there in shock himself, before Jubilee and Ancè rushed up to him. "We did it!" the two fillies cheered. The rest of Vibrant's team came over as well, even Bramley.

"I can't believe we did it," Vibrant mumbled, momentarily losing all hint of his bravado. He shook his head, letting his grin from earlier return. He was prepared to say something else when he spotted Cori and Golden Grove going towards the castle. "Hey, Cori, Goldie, what's up?"

"She's tired," Cori said, smiling slightly. She put one hoof over the young pegasus's back. "I was just helping her inside."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Cori asserted, spotting Bramley make to come over. "I can handle getting her to a couch, right?"

Bramley frowned, rubbing at his chin. "I… I reckon so…"

Ancè had a slight frown on her face. Cori thought for a moment the white unicorn was going to say something to her, but instead she turned to the two colts. "Come on, trust her. She won't hurt Goldie."

"Alright…"

Vibrant shrugged. "Okay then."

While the other colts and fillies cheered and congratulated one another, Cori led Golden Grove into the castle and to one of the side rooms. Instead of going to a couch, she led the Pegasus filly to a bathroom. "Okay. We're inside. How is it?"

"It doesn't hurt as much as it did earlier," Golden Grove mumbled, revealing her bloody nose. Cori winced a little. The ball, when Pumpkin had deflected it, had shot right down the field and hit Goldie in the nose. It had happened so fast that only Cori—who was right next to her—had heard the cry of pain as the ball struck the shy Pegasus in the nose. Goldie had kept away from the others as it began to bleed, with only Cori noticing. She had sensed a desire from the Pegasus filly that she didn't want the others to fawn over her or anything, and had taken her inside immediately. Now that they were away from all the others, Cori began doing what she could to stop the flow of blood. She gathered up a bunch of tissues and did her best to keep any of the blood from getting onto her coat.

"I…I'm sorry Goldie, I don't know what to do…" Cori said sadly. Despite her nose bleeding profusely, the brown Pegasus managed to give her a gentle smile.

"It's okay. You managed to get me inside without my brother or Vibrant noticing…"

"I noticed." A soft voice pointed out. The two fillies turned to see Chrys enter the bathroom.

"M-mom!" Cori exclaimed.

Chrys gave her daughter a small smile as she moved over to Goldie. "You need to pinch your nose shut, and stay still. The bleeding should stop after a while."

Goldie nodded and did as she was told. "Thank you, Miss Crystal."

"It is no issue. Watching my little one make friends is enough for me."

"Mom…!" Cori complained, only to feel something gentle rest on her back. She glanced over and found one of Goldie's wings resting on her back. "G-Goldie?"

"I'm glad Cori is my friend," The brown filly said through the tissue over her nose. "She doesn't smother me like my brother does."

Cori blinked. "Smother?"

Goldie nodded. "I know Bramley means well, but he treats me like I'm made of glass sometimes. I know my body isn't as strong as the others, but that doesn't mean I'm a baby."

Chrys smirked and turned to leave. "I wholeheartedly understand. Cori? Take good care of your friend."

She left leaving the two fillies in the bathroom, one worrying over a little blood, and the other laughing at her friend. She found the four mares she had been sitting with waiting on her. Well, at least three were waiting. Sweetie and Spike were busy cuddling and talking about something quietly. She glanced over at the others. "It's getting late, little ones."

Scootaloo glanced up at the sky. "Hm. You're right. We should probably head home."

"Good point." Applebloom glanced over at Babs. "Y'all staying with us tonight, cousin?"

Babs shrugged. "If you guys got a spot for me to sleep, that's alright with me."

"Yeah, cause Sweetie might be staying with Spike tonight," Scootaloo teased. The joke caught the attention of the dragon and the mare, and they both broke apart, blushing.

"I think its best I go home," Sweetie said quickly, getting up onto her hooves. Spike stood as well, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "We can… go somewhere tomorrow?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah, perfect!"

Scootaloo and the other two got up then, and after bidding their farewells, left. Spike retreated into the castle while the kids outside got busy cleaning up. Instead of watching to make sure they did everything correctly, she motioned for Evening Star to come over to her. "Yes, Miss Crystal?"

"Let all of your friends know to come inside once you're done."

"Okay." She smiled. "Thanks for not getting upset we did this."

"Getting upset? Why would I have been upset?"

"We did do this without permission…"

"It's alright, Evening Star. You didn't cause any sort of trouble, and I'm sure everyone enjoyed themselves. You all did well."

"…Thank you." She smiled brightly before galloping off to be with her friends. Chrys turned to go back inside when suddenly a sense of danger shot through her mind. She froze on the spot, a chill rolling down her spine. Tyr was in mortal danger, and she could feel it. Unfortunately, she was way too far away to help him, and she couldn't teleport to his side. She was forced to stay in this terrible spot and simply grind her teeth in frustration.

[Mommy]

Chrys's ears perked up as she heard her daughter's thoughts. Immediately worry filled her—not for her master, but for her child. [Yes, little one? Are you alright?]

[I'm fine, but Papa…]

[…Master will be alright. He is much stronger than I give him credit for.]

[But…]

[Do not worry, little one. We will see him home soon enough.]

There was a little relief in the thoughts of her daughter as she went about other business. Chrys went into the house, mentally deciding on what to make the seven children for dinner. From what she could tell, her Master was out of harm's way. But his thoughts were clouded and hidden from her, and that worried her. She let out a heavy sigh. All she could do was wait, and hope.

-v-

"Oh man today was awesome!" Vibrant said happily, as he and his friends sat around the Castle of Friendship's large dining table. Chrys had prepared a great meal for them, and as the evening hours slipped away they were having fun in each other's company. Vibrant was the most vocal of them all at the moment. "I still can't believe we won!"

The sentiment was shared by all the others, as only Golden Grove and Cori knew what had happened with that last shot. "Pound Cake didn't look too happy about it," Jubilee said thoughtfully.

"Well, it came down to the wire like that, who could blame the colt?" Vibrant shrugged.

Golden Grove gently ate a small slice of apple. Lucky for her and Cori, she had managed to get her nosebleed under control before dinner. However Chrys had warned her to not do anything that might aggravate it. "I think it's just great we all had fun," She said.

"That's Goldie for ya," Bramley said with a knowing nod.

"I agree with Goldie," Cori said, smiling. The brown Pegasus gave her a smile right back. That got a few raised eyebrows, especially from their pure white Pegasus friend.

"When did you two get all buddy-buddy?" Vibrant asked, frowning slightly. Cori and Goldie both blushed, but it was Ancè that spoke up for them.

"You put them next to one another, did you now?" the white unicorn asked, glancing over at him. "So it stands to reason they would have plenty of time to talk, with how aggressive you play."

"Hey, if I wasn't up in Pound's face, he would have been trying to score goals on us instead!"

"I think Bramley could a handled it," Jubilee said. The tall colt nodded his agreement.

"Well, we won. And speaking of Pound…" Vibrant's eyes fell on Cori, who blinked in confusion.

"What? Did I do something?" Cori asked worriedly.

"Other than catch the eye of Pound Cake? I dunno."

Ancè gasped lightly. "Pound Cake was watching her? I didn't even notice."

"He was trying to be sly about it, but I saw him. He was sneaking little glances over at her when he thought no one was looking."

"Cori's got an admirer!" Jubilee squealed. "Somepony likes you, somepony likes you!"

Cori blushed heavily. "I… I didn't even notice…"

"You were busy showing off for him," Vibrant teased, getting an even deeper blush from the filly. Cori was thankful that her disguise had a gray coat; otherwise it would be even easier to see how much of a blush she had.

Luckily for her, Ancè was again able to cover for her. "And you weren't trying to show off for Pumpkin?" The comment managed to get the white Pegasus to blush himself.

"Hey, come on! I wasn't showing off for her!"

Jubilee took up her sister's cause. "Vi's got a crush~!"

"I do not!"

While Vibrant tried to get Jubilee to stop chanting, the others laughed. To Cori's relief, no one else brought up 'who likes who' or anything like that. To be honest, she had sensed someone's interest in her, but no whose. Now that she knew… she shivered a bit. Suddenly, she felt Goldie's wing gently stroke her side. She looked up at the brown Pegasus, a small smile on her face. "It's okay, Cori. If Pound Cake really does like you, he'll say something to you."

"Yeah… you're right." Cori nodded. The filly's voice was soothing, but carried a tinge of something else. Probably sympathy.

"No worries Cori," Ancè said. "If he does decide you're worth going after, you can just come to me and I'll have you looking marvelous."

"…Thanks Ancè." Cori smiled. "I really appreciate that."

There was a soft tapping against the door frame which got all of their attention. It was Chrys. "It is getting late, little ones. You should all be getting to bed soon."

A general sigh of discontent rolled through the room. Evening Star got up. "Come on, everypony. The sooner we go to sleep, the sooner we'll be up tomorrow."

Vibrant let out a yawn. "I suppose Evie's right."

"Oh? Is the 'always ready' Vibrant Spark tired for once?"

"Hey! I told you not to call me by my full name!"

"Come on y'all," Bramley said, before Vibrant and Evening Star could start anything. "Let's just head on off ta bed. We've had a long day, right?"

"Bramley's right," Goldie said, adding her light southern accent alongside her brother's heavier one. "We've been up and at em all day. I'm tired myself."

"Well, I'm up for sleep!" Jubilee said brightly. Ancè simply rolled her eyes and made to leave with the others. Her sister went as well, along with the two colts. Evening Star lingered for a moment before going up as well. That left Goldie and Cori in the room alone.

"Are you going to sleep as well, Cori?" the brown Pegasus asked softly.

Cori thought for a moment. "Ah… in a minute. Don't let me keep you up."

"Okay… don't be up too late, okay?"

"Right. Goodnight, Goldie."

"Goodnight, Cori."

The golden maned Pegasus left then, going up to Evening Star's room. She had slept over here once before, when her mother was away on a Friendship mission ordered by the magic map that resided in the castle's main hall. Evening Star had let her stay in her room, since there was an extra bed in there anyway. When she entered, she saw the violet unicorn filly seated on the edge of her bed, tying her mane up before she went to sleep. "Oh, Goldie. Did Cori go off to sleep?"

"She said she would in a minute, so I figured she had something to do…" the Pegasus trotted over to the other bed and climbed into it. It still bothered the unicorn that the Pegasus filly didn't have to do anything to her mane and it still looked perfect in the morning no matter what. But that didn't bother her enough to ruin their friendship.

"Hm. Well, goodnight, Goldie."

"Goodnight, Evie."

Barely had the shy Pegasus rolled over and snuggled under her covers than she had fallen asleep. Evening Star let out a small chuckle as she retrieved her glasses and pulled out one of the books she had been reading. One chapter before bed, as usual, and that would help her sleep. It didn't take her long. Not even an hour later and she put the book down satisfied with her progress for the night. She glanced over to find Goldie still sleeping peacefully. However, she couldn't go to sleep herself just yet. "I need some water," She murmured to herself, sliding out of bed. She quietly made her way out of the room and out into the hallway. The castle was still, and the only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of Evening Star's hoofsteps along the crystal floor. She peeked in on Ancè and Jubilee, finding the two sisters asleep in the same bed. Ancè had done up her mane and tail into elegant braids while Jubilee was as haphazard as ever. However somehow Ancè had managed to keep Jubilee from tossing and turning while sleeping and Jubilee was gently nestled against her side. The violet unicorn simply smiled and went on to the kitchen. She got a glass and was filling it with water when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye—a light. It was coming from the library.

Keeping her glass of water held in her magical aura, she made her way to the library. She was surprised to find Cori seated at a desk, a lamp illuminating the book she was trying to read. She must not have heard Evening Star enter, for she was still hunched over the book, mouthing out syllables. The violet unicorn got close enough to see what she was reading. "…That's a pretty difficult book you've got there."

"Ah!" Cori jumped out of her seat, almost falling to the floor. Evening Star's magical aura caught hold of her, making sure she didn't hit the floor. "…Thank you."

"Of course." She let the changeling go and moved over to the desk. "You were reading?"

"I was… I mean…" Cori blushed.

"You were attempting to, I should say."

"…Yes."

"You know, if you needed help, you could have asked me."

"But… I thought you didn't like me?"

"Didn't like you… oh. What I said earlier."

Cori nodded. "You said that I wasn't like any Changeling you had ever read about. So I thought you didn't like me…"

Evening Star sighed and sat down, motioning to Cori to sit as well. "I notice now that I was a bit insensitive with my interrogation."

"In… interro…?"

"It means questioning," Evening Star supplied. "I was focused at the time, so I realize now what I said was harsh. But I didn't mean anything by it."

"You didn't?"

"To be honest, I like that you and your mom aren't like the Changelings I read about. I wouldn't have felt safe with you around my friends otherwise. Especially Goldie."

"Goldie doesn't like being smothered," Cori countered, catching the other filly off guard.

"…oh."

"Sorry. I…"

"Ancè and Goldie are your friends, right?" Evening Star smiled. "It's natural to feel protective of your friends."

"I see…" Cori thought for a moment.

Evening Star got up and went over to one of the bookshelves. She retrieved a book with a drawing of two Alicorns circling one another on the cover. She brought it over and set it in front of the Changeling filly. "If you want to read something, try this. It's called the Tale of the Two Sisters."

"Oh?"

"It's a pretty easy book to read. And if you do need any help, don't hesitate to ask me." She made to go to the door as Cori moved over to the book. "Oh, and don't stay up too late."

"Ah, of course! Thank you, Evening Star."

The violet unicorn paused in the doorway. "Hey Cori?"

"Yes?" The Changeling looked away from her book for a moment.

"All my friends call me Evie."

Cori stared in confusion as the violet unicorn rounded the corner, only to get it right as she left sight. "Ah…! Goodnight Evie!"

The filly chuckled as she took her glass of water back to her room. Halfway there, she ran into Chrys. "Ah… Miss Crystal. Sorry, I wasn't watching."

"It's quite alright, Evening Star. I was simply wondering if my daughter was alright."

"She's… studying," The filly replied with a small smile. "She won't be much longer."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for helping her."

"Helping…?"

Chrys simply smiled and went back to her room. "Goodnight, Evening Star."

"Goodnight…" Evie managed to mumble as she left. Well that was confusing. She chalked it up to Changelings just being one of the many things she didn't understand.

-x-


	10. Chapter 10

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 9: Awakening Jötunheim

The chasm was silent for a long time after Tyr finished retelling the tale of his oddly lucid dream. No one really wanted to say anything—the fact that their closest friend just learned that his childhood was essentially a lie weighed heavily in the air. Even Pinkie, who had woken up partway through the story, had stayed eerily silent while Tyr spoke. The haunted and confused look Tyr had probably terrified her into silence. When he was finished, no one said a word. Twilight had opened her mouth several times in order to say something, _anything_ to get this thick air from hanging over their heads. But even she couldn't find anything to say. Instead of being a human, Tyr was apparently descended from a veritable force of nature and a veteran warrior. The family he had grown up with was more of an adopted family than anything else. His real family was dead and gone. But after several minutes of silence, the force of happiness known as Pinkie Pie finally found something to say.

"I don't think I really got everything," She started, going slowly and scratching her head. "But… Tyr's family is gone. I mean, his real family, right?"

"Real great observation there, Pinks," Rainbow said bitterly.

"But!" Pinkie continued, almost in spite of Rainbows comment. "Tyr has a family now, right?"

"A very large one at that," Rarity agreed, picking up on what Pinkie was trying to say. "Not only Luna and your loving children, but all of us now as well. _We_ are your family now darling."

Tyr glanced around the circle at all of his gathered friends. They were all nodding in agreement, all except for Bright Soul. He didn't really mind—he had known the mare for all of four days really. But Pinkie and Rarity had a point. The ponies here were his family, the ones he had fought and bled for. So what if he wasn't what he thought he was? All that mattered was the future from this point. "…Thanks Rarity. All of you. That really means a lot."

"Of course!" Pinkie giggled, flinging her forelegs around his neck and hugging him. "I can't let one of my bestest friends be sad! I would be a terrible Element of Laughter otherwise, right?"

"Good point, I reckon," Applejack said. She grinned. "Now up and at em, partner! Y'all ain't got time ta be all depressed."

"We gotta make sure you get home to Princess Luna," Flash pointed out, smiling as well.

Ace nodded. "Yeah, cause I don't wanna be banished to the moon."

Tyr smirked as Pinkie let him go so he could stand. He looked back up to the top of the ridge. "So… what should we do now?"

"OOH!" Pinkie suddenly started bouncing up and down quickly. When everyone looked at her, she pointed one hoof down to the end of the chasm. "Look! Something shiny!"

"By the princesses," Ace muttered. At the end of the chasm, partly obscured by webbing, was a large plate of some kind of metal. "What in Tartarus is that thing?"

The group made their way over, those with magic quickly using it to clear the way. What they uncovered left them all confused. The plate of metal was part of a large, curved structure that was partly embedded in the chasm wall. It was much larger than even Tyr, and there was an off color section with a split down the center in the design of a door. An inscription was marked into the metal in an ancient runic script. "What is that writing there?" Bright Soul asked, moving closer.

"Looks like somepony was scratching mouth-writing here," Rainbow muttered.

"It's ancient Norse," Tyr pointed out smoothly.

Twilight sated at him in confusion. "How did you know that?"

"My name is from Norse mythology, so why wouldn't I learn just a little?" The man let his hands run along the markings. "On top of that… Apparently most of my knowledge has come from countless members of my family, each a generation prior."

Rainbow frowned. "That… doesn't make sense."

"Consider this, Rainbow," Tyr said, glancing behind him. He figured explaining what he now felt would help clarify things for not only his friends, but himself as well. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess your dad taught you how to fly, right?"

The rainbow haired Pegasus frowned in thought for a bit. "Well, yeah. I mean he taught me the basics, but every Pegasus has a flight instinct."

"Now I want you to consider this. What if instead of being taught how to fly, you simply _knew_ from birth?"

Twilight frowned. "You're talking about instinct." She said. A surprised look crossed her face as Tyr shook his head.

"Not instinct, Twilight. Think about it this way—It's more like instead of simply knowing how to fly, you knew everything; like why a pegasus's wings work the way they do, all the influences on their bodies when they do, or what makes them able to fly faster. And this is at birth. No training needed."

"You mean like they were born with the skill?" Ace frowned. "You mean like… a collective consciousness or something like that?"

"Hereditary Memory," Tyr said matter-of-factly. "If one was born with the memories of each of their parents and on back, they would be born with the collective skillset of everyone in their family. Thus they would be able to do anything their ancestors could on the first try."

"That sounds hard to believe, sugarcube," Applejack said with a frown. "You're trying ta tell us you've got the memories of all the people in your family?"

"As in my parents, their parents, and so on and so forth," Tyr said with a wave of his hand. "Yes. My father's swordsmanship and his skill with constructs… I didn't learn how to use them quickly; it was simply letting my muscles _remember_."

Bright Soul pushed forward. "This is a tough act to sell, Tyr. Do you have any proof of this claim?"

"Yeah," Flash agreed. "This is some heavy stuff man."

Tyr sighed. He glanced around the group. "…What magic have you all seen me do?"

Twilight thought for a moment. "Teleportation, construct creation and control, basic levitation…"

"And how many of those did I master in a short time?"

Ace frowned. "He did learn how to use those constructs quickly enough to fight Princess Cadance hoof-to-hoof." Bright Soul glanced over at him in shock at that comment.

"And I explained to you all what my mother's form of magic was, right?"

Rarity nodded. "You said your mother Aleksandra—beautiful name by the way—used ice magic."

Tyr nodded. "Watch." He held out his hands, and everypony around him watched in quiet awe as cold air formed around his arms, the very skin turning lightly blue with lack of heat. Ice formed on his fingertips as the air about the group went several degrees down. They could even see the swirl of cold air around him as he did it.

"By the sun," Flash murmured in shock.

Twilight was even more confused. "No! This… this isn't possible!"

"The blood flow in his arms is still going strong," Fluttershy murmured, moving close to touch Tyr's arm. "And his skin… is warm to the touch. Well, a little cold, but still warm…"

"That's not possible! You should be losing feeling, or your limbs shouldn't be working…!" She trailed off, Tyr moving close to her and touching her face. Her mouth dropped open in horror as she felt his skin. It was indeed still warm, at least a little colder as if he had just let go of a cold cup. The cold air around his arm moved around to envelop her, and she could feel it a little bit. "…What are you, Tyr?"

"Apparently, the child of a living blizzard." Tyr gave her a weak smile. Stopping his manipulation of the temperature, he moved back to the metal wall, hand going back to the markings. Twilight recovered from her confusion and moved back to join him.

"What… what does it say?"

"Yeah, you said you could read it," Rainbow flew over to look over his shoulder.

Tyr glanced at her. "Uh huh. Give me a minute…"

"Well, it's not like another of those arachne things is going try show up to try and eat us," Ace muttered. Tyr couldn't decide if his friend was disappointed or happy.

"I've got it. 'This world of ice and snow is home to a frozen sky/The action that will come at the end of times that try'. It's a riddle."

"It doesn't make any sense," Bright Soul muttered. "A world of frozen sky?"

"It's a reference," Fenrir murmured, popping up on Tyr's shoulder.

"Well, Tyr. You're the one with the memories. You should know the answer, right?"

Tyr was silent, feeling the eyes of his friends behind him. "…Of course. Only my mother would have known the answer, unless someone just knew Norse mythology."

"So what is it?" Applejack asked.

"…Jötunheim Awakens."

The metal in front of them suddenly hissed and slid apart, showing an entrance large enough for Tyr to walk in without issue. Lights lit up over the surface of the construction, illuminating the chasm floor with a light glow. "It's a doorway," Rarity said softly, surprise on her face.

"And big enough for me to go in comfortably," Tyr murmured, looking around the edge. The door had essentially vanished after sliding away, leading to a dark gray interior that was just as sleek as the outside. He glanced back, finding his friends watching him quietly. Even Pinkie was abnormally silent. "…Guys?"

Ace rubbed the back of his head. "I dunno… I was thinking you might want to do this one alone."

Flash nodded his agreement. "I mean… this is your history here man."

"His history or not, I am going with him," Rarity asserted, moving to join Tyr. The man winced slightly as she was still moving with a limp. The white unicorn huffed. "I think it's a terrible idea to let him go in alone!"

Pinkie moved over to join her marefriend. "I'm going too. I don't want Tyr to get sad again and I'm not around to cheer him up."

Tyr smiled and gently patted the pink pony's head. "Thank you Pinkie."

"Uh huh!" He was rewarded with a bright smile. Tyr turned to enter the doorway, only to hear Twilight speak up.

"Um… Tyr!"

"Yes?" He glanced back around to look at the violet Alicorn. "What is it?"

She glanced at the ground. "I'd like to… come along, if that's okay."

Flash chuckled. "Of course. You want to see this new technology for yourself, huh?"

"You know me!" She blushed. "I mean, if Tyr doesn't want me to…"

"It's fine," Tyr said, smiling. "I'd rather like it if you came along. You've got a scientific mind that can understand everything. Plus I know you'd grill me with questions afterwards anyway."

That got a grin from his studious friend. "Thanks Tyr."

Bright Soul came forward as well. "I'm coming too, if only to see the inside of this thing myself."

"Very well," Tyr replied with a shrug. "Anyone else?"

"I…I think I'll stay out here," Fluttershy murmured. Applejack gently rubbed her back.

"I think the rest a us will stay out here," The country mare said with an apologetic smile.

Tyr nodded. With the four mares following him, he entered the tomb-like structure. The first thing he noticed was that it was cold. Noticeably so. He noticed Twilight and the others with him shivering slightly. There wasn't much he could do at the moment, but suddenly Fenrir hopped off his shoulder and transformed into her wolf form. [Gather close, little ponies] She thought spoke.

"Goodness!" Twilight murmured, moving close to the wolf. "You're really warm, Fenrir!"

[My fur is much thicker than yours] The wolf thought back.

The others moved close to the wolf as they walked the silent halls, the tomb like feeling getting stronger and stronger as they went. Tyr had one hand along the wall, dealing with the sensation of memories he was reliving but never experienced in the first place. His mother had been here—left this place for him to find. He was so caught up in the sensation that he almost missed Bright Soul speaking. "By the Night, Rarity, are you going to be alright?"

He glanced back at his friends, seeing them all looking at the white unicorn. "I-I'm fine darling," Rarity was saying, but Tyr knew better. She was obviously favoring three of her legs while still trying to walk on her broken one. He left out a soft sigh.

"Rarity," He called softly. "I can carry you."

"It's no problem, my dear. I can—"

"Rarity," Pinkie said softly, catching the seamstress off guard. "Let Tyr help you."

"…Oh, fine." She sat down in a huff, holding up her forelegs for Tyr to pick her up. He couldn't help but chuckle at the disappointed look on her face.

"Don't worry Rarity. We can go see Grace in Canterlot once this is all over and she should be able to set that for you." He gave her a smile. "Unless you were simply embarrassed."

"As much as it has always been my dream for a prince to sweep me off my hooves, I simply do not like burdening you so, Tyr."

"It's fine…" Tyr trailed off as he turned to continue walking, only to come face to face with rows upon rows of what looked to be mechanical dolls.

"Dear Night," Bright Soul murmured. She moved close to one, gently lifting a hoof to touch one. It came away clean. "They're not even dusty. This place must have been here for who knows how long, and yet it is clean as if someone was just here dusting it…"

"What are they?" Twilight asked, moving away from Fenrir to examine the machines as well. Their bodies were roughly human, but made of the same grayish metal for their bodies and special mechanisms for their joints. Each had a silver cylinder for a head.

"...They're called Inferus," Tyr said after a moment, stopping before one of the mechanical dolls. Rarity leaned out from his arms slightly to get a closer look. "Mechanical automatons used for a variety of purposes. They're supposed to do whatever the Observer needs them to."

"Observer?" Twilight glanced back to look at Tyr. The fact that their friend just knew this information still bothered her, but she was still forced to defer to his knowledge. "What is that?"

"The name of what I am," Tyr said, frowning. "Or at least what I'm descended from. The name of my race came from what they were prone to do—observe."

"So you come from a race of observers?" Bright Soul asked with a frown on her face. She obviously didn't understand what Tyr meant.

"Not completely. Observers were made up of many different kinds of creatures. However, there were two halves: Dreamers and Awakened. They worked in pairs to observe and record the events of each plane of existence."

"They were dimension travelers?" Twilight asked incredulously.

Tyr nodded. He looked around at the structure around them. "This… Sanctuary was sort of a transportation and information storage unit."

"So these Observers were watching us? All of us?" A soft voice asked. They all turned to see Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash coming in behind them. It was the yellow Pegasus that had spoken.

"Girls, why are you in here?" Twilight asked, going over them.

"Flash pointed out that there may be some kind of defense system in here," Rainbow said, flying up to one of the top rows of Inferus. "…These things are creepy."

"And he figured that we might need the Rainbow Magic just in case," Applejack finished for her distracted friend. "And that needs us all together."

"I'd rather be outside though," Fluttershy pointed out. Applejack simply smiled and shook her head.

"Hey, Tyr what's this thing?" Everyone looked over to see Pinkie standing in front of what looked to be a console in front of another door. Tyr moved over to look, setting Rarity down beside Pinkie. It was indeed a console of some sort, and it was obviously made for human hands. The buttons were all clear, however, and Tyr couldn't figure what to do. "It's got no letters on it!"

The rest of the mares crowded around, while the man frowned. "This looks complicated," Twilight murmured. "I've never seen anything like this…"

Rainbow poked a few buttons and suddenly the console lit up. "Whoa!" She backed up, taking to the air in shock. "What the hay?"

"It turned on!" Pinkie pointed out. "Look, it's letters!"

Indeed, the console now resembled a keyboard with each button corresponding to a letter. A translucent screen flared to life above it. "Whoa… this is high tech…!"

Applejack blinked. "I don't think I've seen anything this fancy since Flim and Flam came through with that cider machine of theirs…"

Tyr chuckled. "That sounds like a story you'll have to tell me sometime, cowgirl." The floating screen flared and suddenly nine small dashes appeared on it.

"What does it want now?" Bright Soul asked. "…A password?"

"Y'all gotta give it another password?"

"It's redundant security," Twilight said. "To make completely sure that whoever gets in is who's supposed to."

"Sounds like a lot of extra work," Rainbow muttered. "Look, it doesn't even have a riddle like the first one!"

"This must be one specifically for Tyr then," Rarity said. "Something only Aleksandra's child would know."

Tyr was already moving his fingers, the comment from Rarity bringing the memory right to the forefront. In no time he had typed in the nine letter word. All the ponies moved closer to see what he had typed. Pinkie scrunched up her nose. "…Snowflake?"

"The nickname my father gave my mother," Tyr said softly. He clenched his fists on the console. "…The one she never had the chance to pass on to me." It was too much, this weight on his heart. Knowing how happy his parents were when his mother knew she was pregnant, their expectations on what the baby would look like… it hurt. It was one thing to know your parents and lose them. But Tyr never had his parents and now knew them almost intimately.

"Tyr."

His eyes snapped open as he realized he was kneeling on the floor, several pairs of hooves wrapped around him. His friends, his new adoptive family, were beside him again. "Stop crying so much, you big softy," Rainbow admonished softly from above him, chin rested on his head.

"Sorry girls," He murmured, a smile coming back to his face. "But I mean, I got you all here to keep me sane, right?"

"Right!" Pinkie agreed, rubbing her face against his cheek. "I'm gonna make you smile all the time!"

"I don't doubt it."

"Ahem." Bright Soul cleared her throat, catching their attention. "If you all are done showing your affection for the human, may I remind you we don't have all day?"

"Y'all are about as hard as Pinkie's sister Maud," Applejack muttered as she and the other girls let Tyr go. The man stood up and chuckled.

"Fine, Bright. All I have to do is input this…" He tapped a single key and the screen in front of him went from silver to green. An automated female voice suddenly resounded through the room.

"MANUAL PASSWORD INPUT ACCEPTED. PLEASE PRESENT DNA VERIFICATION."

A small needle like object stuck out from the console. Twilight frowned. "…Very redundant security."

Tyr smirked and tapped his pointer finger against the needle, drawing blood. The needle, given what it wanted retreated into the console. The voice spoke again. "DNA VERIFICATION ACCEPTED. WELCOME, TYR WINTER."

The doors before them began to open slowly. Twilight glanced over at Tyr. "…Winter is your real last name?"

The man simply nodded as he moved around the console. The door in front of them led to a much larger space with what looked like a much larger version of the console they had just seen in the center. There were a number of doors behind it, no doubt leading to more rooms. One of the Inferus sat behind the large circular console, head hanging low. "Now _that_ is creepy," Rainbow said quietly, not wanting her voice to echo in the emptiness.

The silence was indeed eerie. Only Tyr's boot steps and the soft clopping noise of the hooves behind him were audible. The moved to the central console. "This place is about as quiet as a cemetery," Applejack muttered.

"I hope that's not what this is…!" Fluttershy squeaked, moving closer to Applejack.

Pinkie helped Rarity over to the console where the unicorn sat down heavily. "Ugh. Well, at least it's cleaner in here than outside…"

"This place is impossibly big," Bright Soul muttered, moving over to one of the far doors. "It must be embedded in the chasm wall…"

"What's this thing?" Pinkie bounced around to the Inferus sitting at the console.

"Pinkie, he already told us what those robot things are," Rainbow said, flying over. "An inferno, right?"

"Inferus," Tyr corrected, and suddenly the automaton shot up straight.

"Horse-feathers!" Rainbow shot away as the material of the Inferus began to ripple and flow as they all watched with mixed interest and horror. "What the buck!?"

"Dear Celestia…" Twilight murmured in shock. "What is it doing?"

In a few moments, the metal of the Inferus had shifted into what looked like a human body, a girl more precisely. She was fair skinned and had light red hair that easily framed her face. A pair of bright green eyes focused on Tyr. Her mouth opened and a smooth, almost melodic yet monotone voice rolled out. "Vocal identification confirmed: Tyr Winter. Query: Would you like to activate Jötunheim."

"It talks," Twilight said, almost in awe. "It changed its form, and it _talks_ …"

"Don't check out on us yet, Twi," Applejack muttered, holding the trembling Fluttershy close. "One a us has ta understand all this…"

"All my memories haven't sorted themselves, so I'm a bit confused as well," Tyr muttered, moving closer. "…What are you?"

The shifted Inferus turned to look at him. A shiver ran through his spine at the lifeless eyes. "Query: Does your question regard this unit."

"Um… yes."

"Informative. This unit's designation is Central."

Bright Soul frowned. "Is it… is it pointing out what sort of emotion it means to have?"

"I reckon so," Applejack said. "Kinda freaky, if you ask me."

"Agreed," Rainbow said. She glanced over at Tyr. "Can you make it stop?"

"I'm sorta learning this as I go too," Tyr muttered in response. "Uh… Central. Do you have emotions?"

The construct known as Central tilted her head slightly. If it wasn't for the lack of emotion on the automaton's face, she would probably look more adorable. "Query: Do you inquire if I have human/pony emotions, and are able to feel. If that is the case, I do not. I do however possess subroutines that allow me to emulate emotion. Query: Would you like for me to utilize these subroutines."

Tyr coughed. "Uh… yes. Unless there is something preventing you from doing it…"

"Response: Negative. The reason for my current state is because of power concerns."

"Power concerns?"

"Response: Positive. The main systems were deactivated in order to conserve power. If the Activator had not arrived, the reserve power would have not lasted for more than another thousand years."

"…That doesn't sound like a huge concern," Bright Soul muttered.

Tyr gave her a flat look before turning back to Central. "Alright Central… reactivate the main power source."

"As you wish, Activator." The console lit up then, and Central's head snapped back. Her eyes lit up with a bright light as the entire room began to glow. Tyr and the mares around him began to back up in shock.

"What did you do, Tyr!?" Bright Soul demanded.

Fluttershy clung to Applejack in dear. "Oh dear Celestia, its gonna eat us!"

Pinkie let out a long gasp. "Whaaaat!? This thing eats ponies!?"

"Everypony calm down!" Twilight yelled, trying to take control of the situation. "Look!"

"Oh my," Rarity murmured, watching the room itself begin to warp and twist. The very metal began to change into chairs and tables and other things, until they were looking at a room that resembled more of a futuristic living room with a large screen on one wall that reminded Tyr of a TV. Most of the furniture was curved, but upon further inspection they were as soft as any cushion. Even the floor was covered in a soft silver colored carpet. It looked… like a home. "This is… amazing."

"All of this from metal?" Rainbow asked, landing on a cushion. To her surprise, it was soft. "…This really is some freaky alien stuff we're looking at here…"

"I think I'm just going to give up at this point," Bright Soul said, sitting down.

Pinkie giggled, bouncing on a pillow. "Oh come on, Bright! This is fun!"

Tyr looked around the room in a slight daze. This seemed more familiar now. This was where his mother and father spent their time whenever they went to other worlds. This was… their home. He glanced over to where Central had been, finding her still in one spot. But now instead of the weird console, she was standing behind what looked like a circular bar, complete with a back shelf of glasses. The automaton herself was dressed up like a barmaid. To his surprise, she smiled. "More to your liking, Activator?" She asked cheerily.

"Whoa, she actually sounds like she's happy," Twilight said in shock.

"Of course!" Central said with a bright grin. "I was so happy earlier, but without my emotion protocols I couldn't really express it that well. I'm really happy you've come, Activator."

Tyr smiled. "I feel pretty welcome now. Thank you Central."

"What… how?" Twilight directed the question at the automaton. "How did all this happen?"

"The Jötunheim, like any other Sanctuary, was built from psi-steel. It's a special metal that can form anything we can think of."

"Oh! Can it make cake?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"Well, not exactly." A section of the floor below Pinkie opened up, and a platter holding a chocolate cake rose up from it. The happy pink pony dived right in. "Although I do have systems dedicated to the fabrication of sustenance."

"This is ridiculous." Bright Soul said, scowling. "What are we doing?"

"Interacting with an Artificial Intelligence," Twilight said, moving over to the bar. A chair near her morphed into a more suitable seat for her. "And quite the considerate one at that."

"I aim to please," Central said with a little curtsy. "But I have to correct you, Twilight Sparkle. I am not an A.I."

"You… you aren't? Then what are you?"

"I am… or once was a living being." Central smiled and retrieved a crystal glass from behind her, setting it in front of Twilight and pouring her a drink. "I was a Dreamer once, until I fell into the Long Dark."

"Tyr said that's when Dreamers don't wake up from their dreams," Pinkie said solemnly.

Central nodded. "I was interred in the Jötunheim's central nervous unit after my Long Dark lasted a century."

That got a few gasps from those gathered in the room. "Your… your body is here?" Twilight asked.

"I apologize. I appear to have misled you. My mind and consciousness were transferred into the C.N.U. after my body became too weak to sustain. This way, I can continue to do what I love—provide assistance and collect data."

Twilight blinked several times. "…That is amazing… wait. How did you know my name?"

"I've been collecting data on this world ever since the Jötunheim arrived here." She gestured to the screen, and everyone looked over. The screen lit up with an image of the six Elements of Harmony facing down a shadowy mare with a mane more akin to smoke. Tyr recognized the coat and silver moon Cutie Mark as Nightmare Moon. The six Elements of Harmony reacted as well.

"That's when we faced Nightmare Moon the first time!" Rarity exclaimed. "But… but how…?"

"Information gathering is my specialty!" Central said proudly. Her smile lessened a bit as she looked over at Tyr. "Your mother Aleksandra… she loved what she did. More than that she loved your father, and I know she would have loved you just as much. She always had a lot of love to spare."

Tyr fell silent for a long time. "So… My mother truly is gone?"

"I recognized the cessation of her vital signs some thirty-six years ago," Central said matter-of-factly. "She left the Jötunheim here while she searched for a world for you. I've been alone for at least two thousand years."

"Oh dear Celestia…" Fluttershy murmured.

Central gave a strange smile. It looked almost… pained. "Although I am not able to feel it, I am well versed in the concept of being 'alone', Activator."

"Sorry, Central," Tyr said softly.

"It's alright. I was well prepared to wait until my energy reserves went dry. Your mother's dedication to you was… inspiring."

"Why don't I remember more of her?"

Central thought for a moment, eyes flashing as she accessed information. "Your mother searched for a world so that you would not grow up around others besides herself. She spent the last years of her life making sure you could grow up safely."

"…All I remember is her giving me away…"

"You were conscious then. Therefore her last memories would not have been given to you." Central bit her lip. Obviously, she didn't want to ask the next question, but she was obligated to. "Would you… want to know what happened?"

Tyr thought for a long minute. The last image of his mother, smiling as she gave him a life she could not provide herself. "…No, Central. I'm fine. Knowing my mother loved me is enough."

"…I understand, Activator."

"So!" Rainbow spoke up suddenly, probably trying to redirect the conversation. "Um, Central right?"

The red haired girl glanced over. "Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

"How much do you know about us anyway? You said you've been watching us, right?"

"More specifically, I've been keeping track of all the events happening in the area known as Equestria. I have much of your land's history in my databanks."

"So… what do you know about all of us?"

"Oh! I see your line of questioning. Hm… starting with you would be alright, correct?"

"Go for it!" Rainbow landed on a cushion beside Fluttershy. She grinned. "This could be fun."

"Rainbow Dash: Element of Loyalty. Currently married to Ace Guard, captain of Celestia's guards. Has a minor case of stage fright."

"H-Hey!" Rainbow blushed. "No I don't!"

"You most certainly do," Fluttershy admonished. "You were shaking in your hooves at the Young Fliers competition."

"Oh horse feathers…"

Central giggled softly before continuing. "Fluttershy: Element of Kindness. Friend to all animals and living things. Still embarrassed to kiss her wife in public."

Applejack laughed while Fluttershy blushed furiously. "Y'all don't know how much it bothers the mare when I do it to her."

With her input, the red haired woman moved on. "Applejack: Element of Honesty. Married to Fluttershy. Keeps a picture of her sister as a baby under her hat."

"How did you—!" Applejack shut her mouth quickly and pulled her hat down over her face. "…Shoulda seen that coming."

Fluttershy nuzzled her affectionately. "Yes, you should have."

Central turned to Pinkie. "Pinkamena Diane Pie: Element of Laughter."

"That's me!" Pinkie said with a grin.

"You're the one who named Rarity's daughter Exuberance, while Rarity named your daughter Jubilee."

"Really?" Tyr glanced over at the two mares. "I figured it was the other way around."

"Nope!" Pinkie grinned. She laid her head on Rarity's back. "I wanted a name that would fit a daughter belonging to my beautiful Rare-bear!"

"And I wanted a name befitting a bright child belonging to Pinkie-winkle," Rarity said, placing a light kiss on the pink pony's head.

"Well, Rarity has fake eyelashes," Central pointed out.

"Don't bring up my shame!" Rarity said, sobbing theatrically. Pinkie giggled and gently patted her head.

"Oh Rare-bear…" She said with a sigh.

"Twilight keeps a special pad of paper with the words 'Dear Princess Celestia' written at the top," Central continued.

Twilight blushed. "It's just in case!" She complained.

"What about Bright Soul?" Rainbow asked, drawing attention to the silent knight. The hazel pony perked up at the sound of her name.

"W-What? What about me?" She demanded.

"Ah, Bright Soul," Central said thoughtfully. "The pony who replaced my Activator as Princess Luna's Lunar Knight. Has a sister who had been kidnapped in the human world. Resents humans because of her treatment."

"Wait." Tyr blinked several times. "You have a sister?"

"Shining Light," Bright Soul said softly. "She was kidnapped and taken away from me. She was going to be sold as a slave. She said that the royal knights rescued her and all the others, along with a man with fierce silver eyes."

Fenrir perked up at that, popping out of Tyr's cloak. "So you recognized my Alpha on sight? And yet you still attacked him?"

"I did not recognize him," Bright Soul responded evenly. "My sister did not give me an accurate description. But now that I know…" She let out a heavy sigh. "…I apologize for my continued hostility."

"It's alright," Tyr said. "You're just doing your job, right?"

"Right…"

"Oh, Activator," Central called for the man's attention. "If I could have a moment?"

"Yeah, what is it, Central?"

"Oh, you can call me Cindy," the red haired automaton said. "Your mother said it was more casual than Central."

"Makes sense."

"And on the note of your mother…" Cindy's face fell a bit. "As the last blood relative of Aleksandra, ownership of this Sanctuary falls to you. In order to use all the functions of the Jötunheim, I need you to accept Operator Privileges."

"Just to sate my own curiosity," Twilight spoke up. "You can only pass those privileges to a blood relative?"

"Without explicit orders from my current Operator, yes. That is the default process. And…" Cindy turned back to Tyr. "Your mother wanted you to consider it one last gift from her."

Tyr's eyes widened slightly, but a small smile crossed his face. He held up one hand and clenched it. "Seems like she's still watching over me, huh?"

"Indeed. So shall we?"

"What do I need to do?"

"Hold out your arm." Tyr did so, and Cindy went over to him, a smile growing on her face as she took hold on his arm. "Now, this will hurt a bit." Tyr winced as Cindy pressed a nail into the underside of his wrist, that nail elongating into a blade that cut just under his skin. He watched as a rectangular chip slipped into the open space, settling just under the skin. The blade retracted then, and Cindy smiled.

"Is that it?" Tyr asked.

Cindy was silent until a faint snowflake sigil appeared in silver on Tyr's skin. "There. The transfer is complete. The Sanctuary will recognize you and your bloodline upon entry and you now have access to all functions of the Jötunheim."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. If you wish it, I can provide it. Even the synthesis of food and drink. Although it won't be as good as the original, it will be pretty close."

"How about… silver hair?"

Cindy blinked as her hair changed from red to silver. She glanced up and frowned. "H-Hey! Don't do that!"

Tyr chuckled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You can change back."

"Ha ha," While Tyr and his friends laughed, Cindy pouted as her hair rippled back to red. "Very funny, Operator."

Bright Soul cleared her throat and stood up, getting everyone's attention. "Before Tyr starts playing with his new toy, we still have an issue to deal with outside."

"Oh, and Ace and Flash are still outside!" Twilight said worriedly.

"Actually, we're not," Ace called out as he and his orange friend came walking in. A pair of blank Inferus followed them in. "These… things asked us to come in."

Twilight flew to Flash and hugged him. "Sorry about leaving you two…"

Flash smiled softly. "It's fine, Twi. So… this is what the inside looks like, huh?"

"Didn't at first," Tyr admitted. "But Bright has a point. We still haven't figured out what's aggravating the Timberwolves."

"I believe I can help, Operator," Cindy said. She held up a hand, and a holographic representation of the Everfree appeared over the central table in the room.

"What the hay…?" Ace moved over to the table. He whistled. "Okay, freaky alien stuff. Not even gonna ask for an explanation. Just gonna go with it."

"We are here," Cindy said, pointing to the map. A silver diamond appeared near the center of the map, floating above a representation of the chasm. "The Timberwolves moved across the chasm after this large heat signature appeared here." A large red circle appeared on one side of the chasm where she indicated.

"What is that?" Fluttershy asked, moving closer. The rest of the ponies joined them at the map-table.

"It is what you would call a Pyrefly hive."

Flash blinked. "…A hive? Of those little fire starters?"

Cindy nodded. "Indeed. They seem to have moved in not too long ago due to something driving them from their native lands. They formed a hive here, and the fear of being burned ousted the Timberwolves."

"So if we get rid of the Pyreflies, the Timberwolves won't attack Ponyville!" Rainbow came to the conclusion with a pound of her hoof into another. "Let's go bust it up!"

"We can't just break their home like that!" Fluttershy said immediately. "They're innocent creatures too!"

"Those innocent creatures are gonna have our town overrun with Timberwolves, Shy!"

"But we can't!"

"If I may interject," Cindy said, holding up a hand. Everypony looked over at the automaton. "Pyreflies are actually not sentient. They're alive, yes, but they do nothing but set fire to whatever they touch. Even if you were to wipe out the entire hive, they would simply move on to another place."

Fluttershy gasped. "You shouldn't talk about killing things so easily!"

Cindy winced. "Apologies, but my observations are made using logic. I can't particularly react emotionally."

The pink maned Pegasus looked to Tyr. "I cannot condone harming the Pyreflies only for our own benefit," She said softly, yet firmly. Even Tyr was a bit taken aback by the fierceness in her eyes.

Applejack frowned. "Shy, come on now…"

"Ah!" Cindy brightened, lines of text quickly running across her eyes as she searched through information. "Here we go. Pyrefly hives are built up from the bodies of dead Pyreflies."

The color drained from Fluttershy's face. "D-Dead?"

"Yes. Since Pyreflies die when the heat they carry decays, they tend to gather their weak into one place to create in essence a dying bonfire. Through their death, they provide a place for the other Pyreflies to gather and sustain themselves."

"That's actually amazing…"

"So refuting what Fluttershy said earlier," Cindy said, turning to the yellow Pegasus. "The Pyrefly hive is not a home as much as it is a beacon."

"So how do we deal with this beacon?" Ace asked. "Do we have Twilight blast it or something?"

"I believe that would be unwise. From what I've seen of Twilight Sparkle's magic, any offensive spell she could use that would be strong enough to break apart the hive would cause a very large heat dispersion."

Twilight frowned. "Well, yeah. Why would it matter?"

"Pyreflies are attracted to heat. Therefore, they would immediately flock to you. And I doubt my information is outdated, but last I checked ponies are flammable."

The violet Alicorn winced. "…I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do well on fire."

"So what do we do then?" Rainbow frowned. "I don't wanna try bashing the thing myself if even Twilight can't do it."

"Well, like I said, Pyreflies die when their heat levels decay. They also try their hardest to flee from extreme cold."

"And who do we know that can use ice magic?" Flash said pointedly. All eyes went to Tyr. The man surveyed the room and let out a long sigh.

"Figures. Can't a guy simply go home and spend leisure time with his family?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing," Ace said, resting his head on Rainbow's shoulder. "Got home just the other day, and now I've almost died twice."

"You know death excites you," the rainbow haired mare told him, nuzzling him gently.

"I never said I wasn't excited. I just thought a dad was supposed to be more excited about his son getting into flight school or something like that…"

"We get this done and we go home," Flash said. He glanced over at Tyr. "All of us."

"Let's go then," Rarity said, struggling to her hooves.

"You're staying here," Tyr said firmly.

"What? Why?"

"Because of your leg, silly," Pinkie said, gesturing. She licked what was left of the chocolate cake off her face, her tongue almost becoming impossibly long. "You can't go anywhere on that!"

"I will not be a burden…!"

Tyr glanced over at Cindy, who was waiting for him to speak with a lovely smile. "Is there a medical bay or anything?"

"Yes!" Cindy replied eagerly. She gestured to one of the doors and it opened. A pair of white Inferus exited and went over to the unicorn, lifting her up in a stretcher.

"Oh! W-Where am I going?" Rarity asked.

"Don't worry, the medical Inferus will set and get your leg healing. If it helps, I can put a face on them if you like."

"Let's go," Flash said as the Inferus carried Rarity away with Pinkie following. "You, me, Ace and Twilight can make some good time if we go now."

"Hey, I'm coming too!" Rainbow said, flying over. "You think you can just take Ace and run off?"

"I mean, technically I'm the Captain of the Guard," Ace pointed out.

Flash gave him a flat look. "And yet you give me all the strategy related jobs. And fine Rainbow, you can come too. But we can't have a big group because the Pyreflies would attack us again."

"So what about the rest of us?" Applejack asked.

"You're free to stay here," Cindy said. "I will do whatever I can to make it as comfortable as possible for you."

"I'm fine with that," Fluttershy said. "To be honest… I don't think I'd be able to stay true to the plan if I went along…"

"That works out fine," Tyr said. He glanced over at Flash and nodded. "Let's go."

"Ah, Operator!" Cindy called.

"Yes?"

He turned to the machine girl as she approached him with a silver bracelet like object. "Take this with you. This will allow me to contact you and vice-versa at any moment." She slipped it onto his wrist where it closed down around his arm. Once it was done, it almost felt like it wasn't there. "Press the spot where it covers the I.D. chip ad that will alert me that you need me. Turn that spot over to the ground and it will cut off active communication."

"Alright, this seems pretty useful. Thanks Cindy."

She curtsied elegantly. "It is my pleasure to serve."

"Let's go, everypony," Flash said, moving back to the entrance. He glanced back over his shoulder. "…And Tyr."

"It doesn't offend me," Tyr told him with a chuckle. "Let's get moving."

The four ponies and the man left then, with only the three mares left behind. Fluttershy looked nervous, while Applejack tried to calm her down. Bright Soul was busy examining the screen that was currently displaying the Elements of Harmony and a swarm of colorful insects. Cindy looked around at them, a warm smile on her face. "So… is anyone hungry?"

-v-

"Alien tech," Ace muttered. "Is ridiculous."

"I was aware that this sort of technology does not exist in this world," the small hologram of Cindy in Tyr's hand said. "But is it that off putting?"

"There's a tiny woman in my friend's hand. That's what's freaky about this."

"As long as she's directing us in the right way, I'm fine," Flash said with a chuckle. "How much further?"

Cindy's hologram looked thoughtful for a moment. "…Straight ahead. You should see the hive soon."

"So that means do your thing, Tyr," Rainbow said. The man simply nodded, and let his body feel… cold. That was the best way he could explain it as his magic took on a different hue from his usual silver. It was pure white like the snow in a blizzard and wrapped around the group like a snowy blanket. The ponies behind him shivered, signaling that it was working.

"Well, let's get this done," Twilight said, rubbing her legs. "No offense Tyr, but I prefer it to be warm."

"No, I understand," The man said as they started moving again. "I know you all don't like it, but just bear with me."

"Ugh, now I know why they always warned us to not fly in cold weather," Rainbow muttered, landing beside Ace. "My wings feel like they weigh like seven tons!"

"Well, keep them moving," Ace said, fluttering his own wings a little. "We'll need to fly once we're done, so don't let them get weak."

"Right…"

"Whoa… hey everypony, look at that!" Twilight whispered. They all looked up and almost had to cover their eyes. A massive glowing object that looked like a large stone was situated in the middle of a clearing, with massive swarms of Pyreflies flying around it. Even within the aura of cold, the four ponies and their Observer friend could feel the heat.

"So that's the hive," Ace murmured, frowning. "That looks… crazy."

Tyr pressed his wrist communicator, summoning the small hologram of Cindy. "Did you need something, Operator?" She asked cheerily.

"So all I need to do is freeze this and they'll go back to their native land?"

"My calculations are 99% accurate."

"Alright then…" Tyr frowned. "Let's see how this works."

As the aura of cold grew went further, Tyr and the ponies began to see the swarm of Pyreflies part before the living blizzard. Tyr focused it then, swirling the chill about the hive itself. The Pyreflies began swarming to it, trying to maintain its heat, but as the cold became stronger they began to disperse from it. The unnatural red glow began to fade to black. "It's working!" Rainbow cried.

"Keep it up, Tyr!" Twilight said, but the man didn't need any incentive. He intensified the localized blizzard, snow beginning to even collect on the ground. The Pyreflies were in a frenzy, trying to gather despite the cold driving them away. Finally realizing the futility of the situation, the flaming bugs took off into the sky. The Pyrefly hive went dark. "You did it!"

Tyr let the cold fall, normal temperature flowing back in. "There we go," He said with a long breath.

"Uh, ponies?" Rainbow pointed with one hoof. "What are they doing up there?"

"I would believe trying to figure out the way home?" Twilight questioned with a frown.

"Um…" The voice of his new A.I. spoke up from Tyr's wrist and he lifted the communicator up and activated it. The little hologram of Cindy didn't look happy.

"What is it, Cindy?" Tyr asked.

"I think they are searching for the closest heat source to move to," She said slowly.

"And that would be…?"

Twilight gasped loudly. "Ponyville!"

"Oh buck me," Rainbow muttered. The Pyreflies seemed to have come to a general consensus and were swarming over the top of the forest towards the town in question.

"Later," Ace said automatically.

"Not the _time_ Ace!"

"I can't help it!"

"We need to cut them off, like yesterday," Flash hissed, wings opening wide.

"We can't really do anything to stop them!" Twilight said. "Only Tyr can!"

"I can't fly," Tyr pointed out.

"And we can't carry him," Ace agreed.

"Um…" Cindy spoke up again. "Operator, your mother could turn into a blizzard in order to travel. You theoretically could do the same."

"That sounds… well, I always wanted to try being incorporeal," Tyr muttered.

"Also Operator, I would like to initiate Ragnarok protocols."

"What is that?" Fenrir asked.

"To put it simply, I will return the Jötunheim to full operational capacity."

Tyr frowned. "Well, whatever you think helps. Do it."

-v-

"Everypony please hold onto something!" Symbols and data on floating screens surrounded Cindy as her fingers played across display windows with information that neither Applejack or Fluttershy could read.

"What in the hay is going on?" the cowgirl asked, feeling the room they were in rumble.

Cindy had a smile almost manic in its glee as she began activating long dormant systems. "Main power at 96%, well within acceptable parameters. Anti-grav generators working at full capacity; beginning auxiliary thrusters' pre-ignition—hull stability at 100% and holding. Overall integrity could be better, but it'll have to do until I can do full maintenance. Shield generator at full power…"

"C-Cindy," Fluttershy squeaked. "What's going on?"

The controller didn't respond, too engrossed in what she was doing. "Shake down commenced. Time to break free of these earthly binds."

"Hey g-girls!" Pinkie came bouncing in, shaking even more with the rest of the structure. "W-w-what's a-all the hubbub?"

"We don't know!" Applejack said.

Cindy laughed. "Finally! This has been a long time in the making. If I could feel, this emotion would have been _glee_!"

"Um… Cindy? Y'all alright?"

"I'm so sorry," Cindy said, glancing at them and giving them an apologetic smile. But have you ever woken up and felt each of your limbs wake up after being relaxed completely? That's what I'm feeling right now."

"What is going on?" Fluttershy tried again, a little stronger this time.

"Look. I've waited so long for this moment."

Cindy pointed to the screen, which was becoming opaque and then transparent, revealing the outside. The three mares' jaws dropped wide open. Applejack's hat slid off her head. "What in Celestia's name…"

"The Jötunheim is AWAKE!"

-x-

"Princess. Princess!"

"This better be important," Luna snapped, lifting the sleeping mask off her face. She sat up in her bed, feeling the lack of another source of heat but choosing not to complain about it just yet. Tyr had been gone much longer than she had thought, but there was little she could do about it. She frowned at the messenger standing in her doorway.

"Ah…" The look of frustration on the Princess of Dreams' face had stopped her right in her tracks. "Um…"

"If you do not speak now, I will plague your dreams with nightmares for a week."

"Ah—!"

"Mommy, mommy!" Aurora came bursting into the room, tripping over her own hooves in her haste. Luna caught her with her magic before she hit the floor. "…Thanks."

"What has you so excited, my little crescent moon?" Luna asked, confused. A messenger was one thing, but her daughter as well?

"You gotta come see it!"

"See what?"

"It's an airship!"

"An airship…?" Luna chuckled. "My dear, I have seen plenty of airships. This one can't be that special."

The messenger seemed to have recovered her voice. "Well… you might want to see it before you say that."

Luna gave her a disparaging look, but let out a soft sigh. "…Very well."

She retrieved her regalia and left the bedroom, following the messenger and her daughter to one of the upper balconies. As she approached, she found her sister and a very sleepy Grace waiting on them. Celestia noticed her sister and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to wake you so early, Lulu. I know you had just gotten to sleep."

"Where's my apology?" Grace murmured bitterly, yawning. "It's like five in the morning."

"Let's go out onto the balcony," Celestia said, opening the door that led outside. Without another word, they all moved to see. The sight that came into view left them all in a stunned silence.

A large silver ship gracefully slipped through the skies over the Everfree, light glittering off its reflective exterior. The ship was following at a gentle pace, it's features looking as if they were cut from solid ice. A serpent like maw was at the front of it, and pieces of stone fell off of it as it moved. It carried no markings except for a stylized fractal snowflake design. The command bridge was halfway to the back, where several wide engine ports gave off an ethereal blue glow. Whatever was propelling it gave off barely any light or sound. "What in the name of the Moon…?" Luna whispered.

"Look over there!" Aurora pointed, directing their attention. She was pointing at the distant Ponyville. A blizzard was bearing down on the town, following after a bright red cloud.

"What is going on out there?" Celestia murmured. She noticed Luna turning and going back inside. "Lulu? Is something the matter?"

"I'm going back to sleep," The dark blue Alicorn mumbled. "I don't have enough energy to deal with all of this crazy yet."

* * *

 **There we have it, my two chapters for the week. Pray I don't get writers block and get stuck somewhere.**

 **But, gotta love that Fire and Ice dynamic. For those of you wondering how the whole 'inheritance' thing works, let me clarify just a bit. Not a whole "my granddad had this ability, I have it too", its more like "My parents saw this before, so I can identify it easier and whatnot". He has knowledge, not muscle memory. Although he does learn the skills his parents had much easier.**

 **And elementals always pass that on.**

 **But anyways, that's my piece. I hope you enjoy the chapters, and please, let me know how you feel but Reading, Reviewing, and Returning.**

 **The Library accepts all, and I'll see you soon.**

 **P.S. Jew-tun-heim.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Greetings as usual, dear readers. Before I go into my normal spiel, I have a bit of frustration to purge. As I was trying to post these two chapters (I believe I have settled into a groove, how wonderful) Fanfiction decided that my usual method of submitting documents (I use .docx) doesn't work anymore. I don't know why, or what happened to cause his change, but now I have to downgrade all my document saves to Word 97-03 compatibility if I want to submit. Not as much a detriment, but a complaint. Sigh. Anyways, onto my comments for the week.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Cindy isn't related to Tyr by blood. But just as a point of order, Cindy isn't her real name. Seeing as Central (her actual designation) is several thousand years old, only she knows her own true name. Considering that Cindy comes from a culture where knowing someone's name allows you to curse them, she's understandably protective of herself. self preservation and all that. Don't worry, Cindy's real name is much more impressive. :D**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Yes indeed. Points for remembering. I had toyed with a massive Iron Giant esque idea, but then I had no reason for Aleksandra to leave it there. *shrug* An airship made more sense. And onto the topic of puppy love... As a being focused on emotions, it stands to reason that a Changeling would feel more of an attachment to Kindness. Cori and Goldie are cute together, anyway!**

 **So there were the reviews for the week. I'm not the kind of person to ask for more, however. Knowing that people are still reading is what matters, and as long as I have readers, there will be chapters to read. So here are the chapters for the week, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10: A Rolling Blizzard

"Cori, are you in here?" Ancè called, glancing into the library. To her mild surprise, she didn't find the gray filly in there. She frowned slightly and went to the kitchen, thinking perhaps the shy filly was eating breakfast. Instead, she found two of her other friends there.

"Yo, Ancè," Vibrant said, halfway through stuffing his face with toast. Evie, reading a book while magically using a fork to feed herself eggs, glanced up and nodded in greeting.

"Hello you two. Have you seen Cori this morning?"

"Nope. I've been up for about a half hour."

"Miss Crystal sent her on an errand," Evie pointed out, setting down her book. "I think they went into the town market. Golden Grove went with her."

Ancè blinked at that comment, before a warm smile crossed her face. "That's nice. It's good to see those two are becoming friends."

"I guess shy people get along better," Vibrant muttered, taking a particularly hard bite of his toast. Ancè took a seat at the table and pulled an apple over to her with her magic. She got a knife and began cutting the apple into slices.

"Oh, don't be jealous of her," the white unicorn told him with a giggle. "I doubt it'll be impossible for you to befriend her."

"Hey, I'm not jealous! Besides, if anyone would be upset, it would be Bram."

"Why would Bramley be upset?"

"Goldie is his little sister," Evie pointed out. "And Bram is kinda protective."

"Hello~!" Jubilee came bouncing into the kitchen. She plopped herself down beside her sister, who immediately fed her a slice of apple. "Thank you~!"

"Well, someone is a ball of energy early in the morning," Evie said with a small laugh. "Although that's not much of a surprise."

"I get it from my mom," Jubilee said, eating another slice of apple. Ancè instead prepared herself a slice of buttered toast. Vibrant was watching them with undisguised amusement.

"Why are you feeding Jubilee?" He asked finally.

Ancè sighed, Jubilee catching another floating piece of apple. "It's the only way I can get Bibi to not eat messily. As a plus side, it is good way to practice fine magical control."

"I have fun too!" Jubilee said with a smile.

"Well, I guess if you've got it all worked out…"

"Where is Bramley?" Ancè asked. "He hasn't worked his way out here yet."

"You know he's a heavy sleeper," Vi replied, getting an apple of his own. He bit into it. "You think the smell of food would wake him up…"

The sound of somewhat heavy hoof steps got their attention. They all turned to see the dark green colt come walking in slowly, yawning as he went. "Morning y'all."

"Bout time you got up," Vi said, nailing him in the head with an apple. It barely fazed the other colt, who simply retrieved the apple and took a spot at the table. He glanced around at the others.

"…Where's Goldie?"

"Out," Ancè said. "With Cori."

"Where'd they go?"

"Most likely to the market."

"Hm." He didn't say anything else, gathering up some toast and eggs for himself and beginning to eat.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Vi asked, "Now that the crew minus two is here."

"I've got chores at the farm ta do," Bramley pointed out. "So I gotta go meet my Uncle Mac in a little bit."

"I do as well," Ancè said, finishing her breakfast and delicately wiping her mouth. "I need to feed Opal and make sure the shop is clean."

"And I'm helping!" Jubilee said.

"I have to finish some work on a project of mine," Evie pointed out.

Vi scowled. "Am I the only one not doing anything today?"

Jubilee shrugged. "Sorry Vi."

"Humph." He laid his head on the table. "I guess I can try cloud busting or something today…"

"Well," Ancè stood. "Come on Bibi, we should get going."

"Okay Beri!" Jubilee hopped up as well, quickly scarfing up the rest of her food. "See you guys later!"

"I should be going too," Bramley said, getting up as the two fillies left. "Don't want Uncle Mac coming and looking for me."

"I'll head out with ya," Vi said. "Maybe I can help out."

Evie gave a small wave as her friends all left. It was a bit lonely, but she quietly cleaned up and went up to her room. She'd see them all later once their chores were done. She went over to her desk, pulling up the schematics of the automated book sorter she was attempting to build. She planned for it to be a surprise for her mother's birthday in a couple months. But as she laid out the plans to go over them, something outside her window caught her eye. The glasses almost fell off her nose as her jaw dropped open wide. "…What in Equestria is _that_?"

–x–

"Did we get everything?" Cori asked, removing the saddlebags from on her back. They were full of different fruits and vegetables. Golden Grove, beside her, checked the list she had."

"Um… tomatoes?"

"Check."

"Lettuce?"

"Check."

"Bread?"

"Check."

"Milk?"

"Check."

Goldie smiled. "Then I think we're okay. That's everything on the list anyway."

Cori put the bags back onto her back and straightened up. "That's good. Thanks for coming with me, Goldie. Knowing me, I would have forgotten something…"

"Don't sell yourself short, Cori," Goldie said, gently putting a wing over her back. Cori enjoyed the feeling of having the Pegasus filly do that, as it was almost like being hugged. Plus, it made Cori feel—

"Look at that, they're starting early."

Cori blinked as she heard the voice. She glanced around, suddenly realizing that they were being watched. No one looked like they had spoken though… Goldie tensed up beside her. "Goldie?"

"I'm fine," the brown Pegasus said softly, although Cori could tell otherwise. "Let's just… go home, okay?"

"Is something the matter?"

They began to walk, painfully aware of the odd looks and glances they were getting. Most were simply curious, but others looked… disgusted. Cori was so distracted that she almost missed Goldie crying out. "G-Goldie? What's wrong?"

"L-Look!" Goldie pointed a hook to the sky. Cori looked up and saw a massive red cloud growing in the distance. Or not growing, approaching. "What is that?"

"I don't know…"

"Cordelia! Golden Grove!" The two fillies looked over to see Ancè and Jubilee galloping over to them. Cori immediately knew something was wrong. For one, Ancè had called her by her full name. Secondly, Jubilee was actually not bouncing for once.

"Ancè?" She murmured as the two fillies stopped in front of her. "What is it?"

"They're telling everypony to get inside," Ancè said, casting a worried glance at the sky. "Nopony knows what those things are, but we need to get to safety."

"Where should we go?" Goldie asked.

"We can go back to the Boutique. Come quickly!"

The four fillies took off at a gallop for Carousel Boutique. Ponies were running in fear from the advancing cloud. At this range, they could see what the cloud was—Pyreflies. The bugs were coming in fast, and were already smashing into some of the houses. To the horror of the ponies below, anything they touched caught fire while the unfazed creatures moved on to another target. There were fires already breaking out all over town. "Oh dear…!" Goldie whispered in shock.

"This is insanity…!" Ancè murmured, before a large group of Pyreflies broke apart from the rest of the group and converged on the elegantly designed building. No doubt they had noticed all the flammable materials inside, and the moment they impacted it the building it went up in flames. Ancè and Jubilee stared in horror. "No!"

"This isn't happening," Goldie murmured. She was hyperventilating, and Cori tried to get her to calm down. "This isn't happening!"

Cori looked around hurriedly. Where were they supposed to go now? "Ancè, what do we do?" She asked worriedly, tapping the unicorn's shoulder. When she didn't respond, she shook her. "Ancè, what do we do!?"

"I…" Ancè murmured, completely at a loss. There was nothing she could do in this situation, even as the Pyreflies left the burning boutique and headed straight for them.

"Beri!" Jubilee cried, shaking her sister and trying to get her out of her stupor.

"They're coming!" Goldie cried.

Cori looked around at her friends, the heat from the Pyreflies beginning to make her sweat. Almost without a thought, she pushed past the stupefied Ancè to stand between them and the oncoming Pyreflies. She wasn't sure if there was a way for her to protect them, but she was sure going to try—

"Not so fast, jitterbug."

The cold air flowed around her and even as she turned away from the whisper on the wind, a rush of freezing air came past her, scattering the Pyreflies and putting out the flames on the boutique. Cori shivered slightly, before she looked up to find a tall, dark skinned man standing over her, the cold air wrapped about him like a cloak. The other three fillies gasped upon seeing him.

"Uncle!"

"Father!"

"Dad!"

"Papa…!" Cori whispered before she even thought about it. Ancè and the other two looked at her in shock, but the Pyreflies were already reforming their swarm.

"Stay still, all of you," Tyr ordered shortly, his cold white aura flaring to life. Cori pulled Goldie close to her and moved back to the other two fillies. As they watched, Tyr quickly and expertly crafted an igloo of ice around them. He grinned once his handiwork was finished. "Huh. Gotta love having a mother who loved sculpting. Now stay in there until I come back to get you, alright?"

"Y-Yes sir," Cori replied. Goldie simply nodded. Tyr smiled and turned towards the town.

"Time to go," He said, taking off at a run. [Chrysalis]

[Master!] Came the elated reply. [I was so worried about you]

[Sorry about that] Tyr thought, letting the blizzard following him put out the fires he passed. The flames were spreading quickly, and a few ponies were trying to put them out. But for every flame that was put out, the Pyreflies made two more. He had to work fast if he wanted to stop this. [Where is the center of town]

[Look up]

Tyr slid to a stop, eyes darting upwards to see a familiar black shape with light green gossamer wings. He grinned. [See you soon]

Putting newfound strength in his step, he let his magic flow forth once more, this time finding the white turning silver. His constructs came to life around him, but instead of being magic solidified each construct soldier was made of pure ice. They moved to deflect pyrefly swarms that flowed towards the few Ponyville residents that were trying to fight the fires. Even made of magic ice, they still began melting under the heat, but Tyr only needed them to buy time. Town square came up faster than he had thought. He was quite pleased to find Chrys waiting on him, noticeably not disguised. A wide smile crossed her face as he approached, but she restrained herself from embracing him. "So glad to see you safe and sound, Master," She said softly.

"Same to you, Chrissy." He smirked. "Happy to see the children didn't tear you apart."

"Oh, I'm good with children. The drones were pretty much children unless I told them what to do."

"I see." Tyr looked up at the sky. Smoke was beginning to rise above the building tops, and the Pyreflies were numerous. "…I need to stop this now."

"By doing what, may I ask?"

"Just watch. Your master has learned some new tricks." Tyr lifted his hands to the sky, letting his magic surge once more. It was the first time he had ever done it, but his body and magic reacted like he had been doing this for years. He let his silver-white aura flow over the town, expanding his own personal storm all the way to the town limits. The blizzard quickly choked every flame the Pyreflies had set, even sapping the very heat from the insects themselves. The fire starters tried to escape the all-enveloping chill, but the temperature was too low. And now the heat they had was rapidly sapped away. All over Ponyville frozen Pyreflies fell from the sky, dead. In exchange, Ponyville was left in its own personal winter. His job done, Tyr let his arms fall to his sides and his magic cut off. He slowly slid to his knees. That much magical exertion, especially with something he wasn't used to, was quite draining. But worth it. With a small smile on his face, he let out a long sigh. "…Perfect. What do you think about that, Chrys?"

He glanced around, hoping to see the usual amused look on his Changeling's face. But the town square was covered in at least half a foot of snow. He struggled to rise, a bit of fear in his mind. Where was Chrys? "Chrys! Chrissy, where are you?"

This wasn't good. Had he unintentionally frozen her? He hadn't sensed anything from the Bond—he smacked a fist into his palm. The sonar spell, the one she had taught him how to use. With barely any effort, he let pulse flare out, easily identifying the mass close by. He rushed over, quickly digging into the snow. The sight he saw made his heart skip a beat. Chrys was curled up in the fetal position, irises as narrow as pinpricks and her eyes open as wide as dinner plates. She was shivering, but from a combination of cold and fear. "Chrissy!"

Her viridian eyes snapped to him, and a single tear escaped. It was then Tyr remembered—the first encounter he had with the former Queen of the Changelings was in a situation like this, her almost dead from the cold. At least this time around, she wasn't dying, but from the look on her face, she had just relived that moment. She was absolutely terrified. He pulled her from the snowbank and hugged her close. "Oh god, I'm so sorry Chrissy…!"

The gentle murmurings and his hand on her back slowly calmed her down, but she was still shivering. "I… I never want to be that cold again…!" She whispered, crushing herself against him. "Being cold means I'm dying, and I don't want to die…"

"Being cold doesn't mean you're dying," He told her with a small smile. She looked up at him, confusion on her face. Even as a Changeling in this world, Tyr still found her pretty. "It just means I'm near."

Suddenly, a blanket was wrapped around them, and Tyr looked up to find a familiar pair of light green eyes and a two tone pink mane. They belonged to a dark pink pony who gave him a warm smile. "…Cheerilee?"

"Nice to see you remember me," she said with a small laugh. "And I'm glad you were here to help us."

Tyr pulled the blanket tighter around himself and Chrys, doing his best to give her most of it. His own natural resistance to cold was enough for him. "You know me. Always trying to help."

"Operator!" Tyr blinked as the familiar voice came from his wrist. He lifted the communicator up, the hologram of Cindy appearing.

"Yes?"

"I was a little worried, Operator. I'm glad to see everything worked out."

"Did I… get them all?"

"Yes you did. Confirming all heat signatures belonging to Pyreflies non-responsive. A wonderful job, Operator."

"Who is that?" Cheerilee asked, moving closer to look. Tyr simply smiled.

"A friend," He said, standing up and helping Chrys get up as well. The Changeling stayed close to him, feeding off his compassion for her and his warmth.

"If you say so…"

Cindy looked over at Tyr. "Operator, the Elements of Harmony request your presence aboard the Jötunheim."

"I'll be there in a moment," Tyr told her. He smiled over at Cheerilee. "I'll see you around, Cheerilee. I need to get home."

The pink mare nodded. "Alright then, be safe!"

"Ah, one last thing," Tyr said, just before he turned away. When the schoolteacher looked to him, he gave her a soft smile. "There's an igloo outside of Carousel Boutique with four fillies in it. Take care of them, will you?"

Cheerilee smiled back. "Of course. I'll head right over."

The man gave her a soft smile before vanishing into white smoke, Chrys disappearing behind him. She looked around at the town square. Other ponies were coming outside now, obviously relieved for the snow. It was a welcome change to the fires, obviously. Even now, fillies and colts were running outside, beginning to play in the snow. "Ah, children! No roughhousing!"

–x–

"As I thought, this human seeks to continue what his race began," Jury Review was saying. Luna immediately stood up from her seat, anger in her eyes.

"Why must you insist on demonizing my husband?" She demanded. "He has done nothing wrong!"

"He has brought some ancient warship to life, frozen over one of our towns, and no doubt has kidnapped the Elements of Harmony and three of the Royal Knights!"

"They haven't been kidnapped," Grace said shortly, eyes narrowed. "Last I checked, they had invited him to help resolve the issue in the Everfree."

"Then why didn't you have your stallions stop them?"

"Because they were in no danger," Celestia pointed out. Working with this council was exhausting. At every turn they tried to find some way to paint Tyr as a villain. Sure, the man was deadly in a fight and had the instincts of a hunting wolf, but the only thing she was more sure of than his skill at arms was his dedication to Luna. He would never do anything to hurt her, even if it meant sacrificing himself. She let out a heavy sigh. "Tyr views those girls as his family. And Tyr just saved the town from burning, if you recall."

Grace nodded in agreement. "If it wasn't for him, Ponyville would have probably burned to the ground."

"There's still the issue of that warship," One of the other council members said.

"I do not think it is a warship of any kind," Grace muttered. With a slight flick of one ear, a raven with a green collar came flying in and landed beside her. It was holding a rolled up scroll that she opened up. Those ravens had been coming and going all day, and Grace was tightlipped about what they carried. "Unless that ship has weapons that don't look like weapons, it's relatively unarmed."

"You can't be sure…"

"Well, until the man of the hour comes in we won't know, now will we?"

"Once Tyr comes back, we will end this stupid debate," Luna asserted, sitting back down. She crossed her hooves. "And I have half a mind to have you all apologize to him."

"Apologize? To the human? Absurd." One council mare scoffed. "He has already caused quite a bit of damage—"

"Excuse me!" A guard came into the room, slightly out of breath. They all turned and looked at him. "The airship… it's over Canterlot!"

"What!?" Jury Review remarked. "Is it an attack?"

Celestia gave the stallion a flat look. "You are trying quite hard, aren't you?"

Grace smirked. "Right on time. Let's go meet him, shall we?" She got up, headed to the door. Two confused princesses followed, along with the Council members. Sure enough, a massive shadow was cast over the city as the silver ship hung low over the skyline. Many of the locals were remarking on the strange sight. "Huh. It's more impressive up close…"

"It's massive," Luna said, eyes wide. "I doubt any of our own airships are even close to that size…"

A small platform like object came floating down from the ship, floating down swiftly yet evenly. Before long, it reached the ground and revealed its contents to be the six Elements of Harmony and the three Royal Knights. Rarity had her leg wrapped up in a strange looking bandage, but she was walking on it just fine. "Twilight!" Celestia murmured, slightly surprised.

"We're back, although I'm sure you didn't expect to see us," The Princess of Friendship said with a nervous smile. "Sorry we didn't send more warning."

"We kinda got a lift," Ace said with a grin.

Celestia moved forward to gently embrace her former student. After they were done, she turned a soft smile towards Ace. "You too," She told him.

"Oh, come on…"

She gently nuzzled him. "You're the one who slips up and calls me mother on occasion."

Ace blushed furiously. "Hey, Song started doing that first."

Luna stepped forward, looking over the gathered ponies. "Where… where is my husband?"

"Here," The wind told her. She unconsciously shivered as Tyr appeared, Chrys by his side wrapped in a blanket. He had changed out of his armor, instead clad in only a black shirt and his black pants with a fur waist wrap. "Did I miss anything?"

"Only me," Luna said, flying over to him and embracing him. He caught her easily, pulling her close and kissing her without hesitation. When they finally broke the kiss, neither moved to let the other go. She made a little pouting face. "…You made me wait so long."

He chuckled, reaching up to gently caress her face. "Sorry Princess. I'll get the job done quicker next time."

"Daddy!" A bright voice called.

Tyr let go of his wife just in time for Aurora and Aleron to slam into him, hugging him. Sherry appeared as well, flying in to hug him from behind. Under the weight of so many bodies, even Tyr lost his balance. But the smile on the man's face was genuine as he returned every little bit of affection he was being shown. "Now isn't that downright adorable," Applejack said softly.

Fluttershy giggled. "I always knew Tyr was a big softy."

Jury Review cleared his throat. "If I could have a moment…"

Finally being released, Tyr got up to face the stallion. "Well, you must be Jury Review. I've heard quite the stories about you."

"And how is that?"

Bright Soul moved up beside Tyr, a familiar raven popping up from out of her mane. With a soft caw, it flew out of her mane and went over to Grace, joining it's sibling. "I think you forget who else went on this trip," The hazel pony said.

"You've been keeping in contact?"

"I keep in contact with everypony," Grace said with a smile.

Jury Review glanced over her. "How… How much does he know?"

"I've been brought up to speed," Tyr pointed out, moving up. Fenrir leapt to the ground, shifting into her wolf form. "So I'm to believe you want to deny my marriage to Luna?"

Jury Review glanced from the silver wolf to the man. "Ah… Yes. You are of a different species, even more so of one that attempted to kill our princesses."

The man's eyes narrowed, and the wolf by his size growled menacingly.. "I come here with no weapons yet with fangs bared. Care to state why you want to keep me from the love of my life?"

"Your race tried to kill her and Princess Celestia…!"

"Before you continue on that tangent," Tyr stopped him by raising a hand. "I'm actually not human, at least not of the kind you're referring to. If anything, I suppose I'm an Elemental."

"So that blizzard really was you," Luna murmured in awe. Her husband nodded. She had to admit that she was impressed—going from construct creation to becoming nature itself? Even her own ice magic couldn't compare to that.

"Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that you have illegitimate children—!" Jury Review said.

"If I may?" Cindy's voice spoke up. Tyr lifted his arm up for the hologram to appear. The Council members drew back in surprise.

"What magic is that?" One remarked.

Cindy's hologram blinked. "Oh, I'm not magic. Well, I suppose I'm high tech enough to look like magic…"

Tyr chuckled. "What is it, Cindy?"

"I've been going over the Equestrian Laws and Practices," The A.I. muttered. "And I've discovered something that might change the thought processes of all involved."

Celestia leaned down to look at the hologram. "Hm… Speak then, little one."

"Hah! I'm not that little in person… pony… error. Terminology conflict. Anyway! I've come across a concept known as 'herding' amongst these ponies. That practice is still in effect from I've seen in the laws."

"How in Equestria can you know that?" Jury Review stepped forward, a frown on his face. "You would have to have access to our laws somehow?"

"Or I could have simply been around when every law has been put into effect." Cindy smiled mischievously. "But I digress. Herding is still an acceptable practice is it not?"

Luna frowned. "It is such an old practice that many of the less… modernized towns in our land still have such relationships."

"That's a very old custom," Celestia said thoughtfully. "And since it was so ingrained in some places, I never considered abolishing it. Plus, Cadance could never find an unhappy herd…"

"So what are you suggesting?" Sherry asked, raising an eyebrow. She had taken to the whole technology thing pretty quickly. Cindy seemed to have been waiting for just that question.

She smiled. "So, according to the law, a herd is made up by one alpha male, an alpha female, and any number of other females that agree to join the herd. As long as there is complete consent from all members involved, the herd is allowed to be formed. Any children born to the herd leader is under his guidance and guardianship. They will also be considered children of the entire herd."

"Where are you going with this?" Applejack asked.

"Well, considering the law only states that a herd includes one male, and any number of females…"

"Tyr is free to claim a herd?" Twilight finished the thought. "But who would he—?"

The man stepped forward. "I think I see what Cindy is saying. You complain so much about me having 'illegitimate children'? Then I claim Rarity and Pinkie Pie as part of my herd."

There were a few gasps, but none as loud as one council mare. "What? You'd claim two of the Elements? But they—"

"I wholeheartedly accept," Rarity said, stepping forward. "Tyr was such a dear to my darling Ancè that I wouldn't dream of separating the two!"

"I'm okay with it too!" Pinkie said, bouncing over. "Jubilee and Tyr get along like two peas in a pod! Or two thieves on a heist! Or cheese in a taco! Or—!"

"I think they get the point, Pinkie," Rainbow said dryly.

The pink mare let out a sheepish grin. "Well… that and… If he gets Rarity, I'm going too. It's a package deal sort of thing."

"T-This all still hinges on Princess Luna's acceptance," Jury Review managed to say, looking at the Princess of Dreams. "If she doesn't accept—"

"I agree to the creation of this herd," Luna said softly. "And as Alpha Mare, I will treat the fillies of these two mares as if they were my own children."

"So even if some ponies don't approve of herds," Grace said with a grin, "You can't claim that Tyr is cheating on Luna or anything like that."

"Then that settles things," Celestia said, before anyone on the council could say otherwise. However, Cindy spoke up then, catching her attention.

"Ah, there is another thing I dredged up from my data banks," The A.I. pointed out. She opened up a screen containing lines of text. "According to this, there was a noticeable law put into place as a… safeguard. It detailed what would happen in the event of any provisional government being set up in the absence of the Princesses. Upon their return, if they found said provisional government to be… unsatisfactory, they could disband the provisional government on the spot."

Jury Review stared in shock. "D-Disband?"

"Quite the idea," Celestia said with a smile, looking back at the Council. "I honestly had forgotten about that addendum. Although I'd have to ask for the opinion of my other Princesses?"

"You know what I will choose," Luna said.

"I believe I agree with Princess Luna," Twilight said.

"And I am agreeing to the disbandment," Sherry said. "You all should be ashamed of trying to separate my parents!"

"So ends this farce," Luna said, turning to the shocked Council members. She flared her wings and her voice came out in a boom as she used the Royal Canterlot Voice. " **Begone! Before I choose to send you away myself!** "

The council ponies fled quickly, not wanting to stick around for whatever punishment Luna might consider. The gathered ponies watched them go for a moment before Sherry embraced her father again. "I'm glad you're back," She said softly, rubbing her face into his chest.

"Same here, love," Tyr said, kissing her mane. He reached out to caress Aurora's face and ruffle Aleron's mane. "I haven't had much time to spend with my family so far."

"Speaking of family," Luna spoke up, getting his attention. Her gaze was even, but it was obvious something was on her mind. "Tyr. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. I would like to speak to you in private."

Tyr glanced back at the other two mares. Rarity looked rather nervous, while Pinkie simply grinned widely. "…Alright, Moon."

He got up as she walked away. Before he could go, Chrys tugged at his sleeve. She looked scared to let him go. "M-Master…" She whispered. She could sense Luna's displeasure, but couldn't do much else but worry.

"It'll be alright, Chrissy. Stay with the others, okay?"

"…Yes, Master," She said weakly, letting him go. He gave her a quick hug and a kiss on her forehead before straightening back up.

"Are you coming?" Luna asked, pausing. Tyr nodded, moving to follow. Rarity and Pinkie Pie came along as well. Celestia watched her sister walk away, a little pain in her heart. Luna had always talked about finding a stallion to love her and care for her. But now, the love of her life had just declared his intention to form a herd. Sure, from what she could see, Tyr had done it for her, and under duress. But Luna might not see it that way…

"They'll be fine," A soft voice told her. She started and turned to see Hope standing beside her. "Luna and Uncle are much close. They'll work it out."

"Very close," Celestia corrected with a soft chuckle. She pulled the mare to her side with a wing to embrace her. "But thank you, Hope. Now…" She looked over at Twilight and the others and smiled. "Would anyone like to explain everything that happened?"

–V–

"A herd!?" Luna demanded the moment the door to her chambers were closed. "That is our solution to this?"

"It was kinda spur of the moment, Moon," Tyr pointed out weakly. He shrugged "And what else was I supposed to do?"

"You could have…you could have… I… I do not know!"

"Oh, oh!" Pinkie raised a hoof. "You could have sent Fenrir after them!"

"I do enjoy a bit of intimidation, Alpha," Fenrir said from her position at the door. The wolf girl was busy being lazy and lying on the floor. "Besides, you saw how their leader looked at me. He was most definitely scared."

"I doubt intimidation would have solved the issue permanently," Rarity pointed out. "They would have found some other way to attack you."

"But… a herd?" Luna asked weakly, sitting on her bed. Tyr sighed and went over to her. She looked down at her lap with a sigh as he began to stroke her mane comfortingly. Rarity and Pinkie shared a look for a moment before the fashionista turned back to the couple.

"Princess… if it's any consolation to you, this could be a herd only in name."

"What?" Luna looked up sharply. "What do you… what do you mean?"

"What I mean is… Tyr doesn't have to go treating us as if we were in a real herd." Rarity rubbed one leg against the other. "His responsibilities are to you first, Princess."

"Rarity…" Tyr murmured softly. But before he could say anything else, Luna had suddenly hardened her gaze.

"No." She softly and firmly.

"But Princess…?" Rarity began, but Luna held up a hoof.

"Rarity. I told you once before, you can call me Luna." She smiled, and then sighed. "It would be cruel of me to take the father of your children away. That would only be selfishness on my part."

"I do believe you are entitled to a bit of selfishness, Luna."

Pinkie nodded. "Tyr is your husband! Neither of us married him, you know."

"I am aware of that," Luna said evenly. "But your children have a right to know their father. On top of that, Grace has informed me that they are getting along wonderfully. And I… I already feel connected to you two."

"Connected?" Pinkie asked, a little confused. "How?"

"For one, I was the former bearer of the Element of Laughter," Luna pointed out with a little smirk. "I was quite the prankster at one point, and I made it my duty to make sure my sister laughed at least once a day."

"Oh! That sounds fun!"

"And Rarity," Luna looked over at the fashionista. "I can see your obvious love for my husband."

"L-Love!? I…"

"I know, Rarity. You may not love him the way I do, but your desire to help him and be close to him is… admirable."

"Rarity was one of the first of the girls I really 'befriended'," Tyr pointed out. He smiled over at the white unicorn, who smiled back.

"Well, you and Sweetie Bell got along so easily…" The white unicorn blushed and looked away.

"So what I am saying is," Luna said with a little nod. Tyr wasn't sure who she was nodding to, them or herself. "I will wholeheartedly agree to the creation of this herd."

"You… you will?" All three of them looked surprised.

"As the Alpha Mare," Luna said pointedly, standing. She moved to where she stood over the other two mares. "Anything I say goes. So you will abide by my decisions, correct?"

"Of course, Luna." Rarity bowed low to the ground, an obvious gesture of submission.

"Okie-dokie-lokie Luna!" Pinkie said with a bright grin and a bow of her own.

"And we all will pledge our love to you, Tyr," Luna said, turning to Tyr and bowing slightly.

The man couldn't find words for how… weird this whole thing felt. "I… uh… accept? I mean… this is all new to me…"

Seeing his nervousness, Luna simply chuckled. "We will work through it all together, my Beloved. So, first of all Tyr, what should we do about the fact our families are so far apart?"

"Operator!" Cindy called out. Tyr lifted the communicator up so they could all see. "I believe I have yet another solution for you!"

–x–

* * *

 **Cindy had a catchphrase. This happened before I was completely aware.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**This was the longer of the two chapters, oddly enough. Ah well.**

 **A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 11: Settling Down

"This place is AWESOME!" Aurora cried, flitting about from place to place. After the conversation with Luna, Tyr had exited the Princess of Dream's room to find Celestia and all the others waiting on them. The Princess of the Sun had suggested Tyr give them a tour of the Jötunheim. One that Cindy was all too happy to arrange. They were now all in the living area, with Cindy pointing out that since she ran everything in the ship there was no need for a conventional command bridge. Aurora and Aleron had come along as well, and now the energetic filly was flying around to look at everything.

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle as he caught his daughter flying past him. He pulled her to him in a gentle hug. "Calm down, Ro."

"But I wanna see everything!" She complained, but being held by her dad was just as good as exploring.

"Hm, there's a lot to show," Cindy said thoughtfully. She glanced down as Aleron walked over to her. "Yes?"

"My dad says you have a lot of information," the blue unicorn looked up at the A.I., who gave him a bright smile.

"I do indeed! Cataloging and gathering information is my purpose."

"So… can I ask you questions?"

"Of course!" Cindy grinned. "Questions are my second favorite thing!"

"What's the first?" Celestia asked, honestly curious.

"Answers!"

Tyr chuckled and let Aurora go. The filly shot off the moment her father released her. "Nice to see everyone getting along." He sat down on a couch, Luna joining him and laying her head against his chest. She let out a sigh.

"Your heartbeat… is calming," She murmured.

"That's good to hear." Tyr felt movement near him, looking over to see Chrysalis taking a spot close by. She was still wrapped in her blanket. [Are you all right?]

[I will be soon] The Changeling thought back. She moved closer so that Tyr could run his fingers through her mane. She shuddered at the love she felt coming from him.

Luna glanced up at him. "…You won't be running off or anything, right?"

Tyr grinned. "Only if I'm running off with you."

"Oh come on you two!" Rainbow complained. She didn't get to say anything else before she felt a tug on her tail. She glanced down to see Ace, who simply patted the cushion beside him. She blushed and landed next to him, the white Pegasus putting a wing around her.

"Aren't you two adorable," Flash teased from his spot beside Twilight. His wife giggled in agreement.

"Oh, shut up!" Rainbow's blush grew deeper.

Ace gently nuzzled her. "It's alright baby. We'll be home before long."

"This ship is quite impressive," Celestia murmured, getting Tyr's attention. "Is it your intent to live here?"

"The Jötunheim is suited for a living space," Cindy pointed out. "There are plenty of rooms if privacy is needed. And each room can be customized to the liking of its inhabitants."

"Plus, it's mobile," Flash said with a nod. "It can get anywhere in no time at all."

"I really want to know how those engines work," Twilight said.

"Well, whenever you have time, I can explain it," Cindy offered.

Celestia smiled. "A veritable treasure trove of information completely willing to spill her secrets."

Cindy held up a hand. "Actually, some things I will not be able to tell you. Like how the C.N.U works or where it is located. Self-preservation and all that."

"Fair enough." Celestia smiled. "Well, thank you for all your help, Cindy. I hope you and Tyr stay safe."

The A.I. bowed. "You are too kind, Princess. It is my pleasure to serve."

"I will be going ahead. Be safe, all of you."

The Princess of the Sun left through one of the side hatches, and all those aboard the ship settled in for the trip home. Flash and Twilight were looking over something the violet Alicorn was writing in a notepad. Applejack was leaned up against Fluttershy, hat pulled over her face. The pink maned mare was simply watching the farm pony sleep. Rainbow and Ace had gone over to the long window, watching the sky as the Jötunheim began to fly. Rarity was trying to keep Pinkie from bouncing all over the place. Aurora and Aleron were busy talking to Cindy, so Tyr gently nudged Luna. The dark blue Alicorn looked up at him. "…What is it, my love?"

"I had a question I wanted to ask you."

"Yes?"

"What… do you have a lot of duties that require you in Canterlot?"

"Duties?" Luna thought for a moment. Hm… no, I do not believe so. I can manage the rising and lowering of the moon from anywhere I can see the sky. And unless Celestia needs me to oversee court, I am usually simply keeping watch over the dreams of our populace. So in short, I do not."

"Then…" Tyr frowned, searching for words. Suddenly, he chuckled. "Now I see why it was so difficult for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to ask… if you would move in with me. Here, aboard the Jötunheim."

Luna shot up to a seated position, cerulean eyes wide. "W-what? Move in with you!?"

"I think it would be quite the awkward marriage if we didn't live together…"

"We'd live here!?" Aurora had overheard and came flying over, sliding into the space beside her father. Her silver eyes were wide with glee. "That would be so cool!"

"I agree with Ro," Aleron said, coming over. He smiled. "It would be really cool."

"And Sherry and Hope too!"

Tyr glanced back to where Sherry was admiring the design of Cindy's bar. Hope was beside her, watching in awe as the A.I. made things appear like magic. He smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't be satisfied without my entire family."

Aurora turned to Luna, who was still in a bit of shock. "Can we live here, mommy? Please, please, please?"

Luna blinked several times before finally recovering. The smile she gave Tyr was full of love. "…I would be foolish to pick any place to live than beside my beloved."

"Yay!" Aurora bounced up and down in happiness. Luna and Tyr couldn't help but smile at the filly's energy.

"We'll worry about the specifics later," Tyr said, planting a kiss on Luna's forehead. He made sure not to poke himself with her horn. "Cindy! Take us to Ponyville!"

Cindy's console came to life then, and the machine girl grinned. "Aye-aye, Captain! We fly!"

–x–

"I'm telling you guys, I know I saw an airship!" Evie continued, frowning. She and her friends were gathered in the common room of the Castle of Friendship, lounging around. The adult ponies had ushered them all inside while they dealt with all the fire damage. "It was bright silver, how could you guys have missed that?"

"I didn't see it," Vibrant asserted, "But I was busy trying not to catch fire."

"We were all trying ta keep the flames from getting to the orchard," Bramley said, glancing over at the unicorn.

"We were stuck in an igloo," Ancè said. "And the Boutique caught fire…"

Vibrant whistled. "Oh wow. Is it still standing?"

"Yes, but it's got burn damage all over. They say it's not safe to live in until its repaired."

"That's extremely unfortunate," Evie said with a frown. "And your moms are still away?"

"They went with dad to the Everfree!" Jubilee said.

Ancè frowned. "Actually, speaking of 'fathers'…" She looked pointedly at Cori, who winced.

Evie looked between them, a frown growing on her face. "What's up? Did something happen?"

"Only that we found out we're related to Cori!" Jubilee declared.

Bramley and Vibrant started. "W-What?"

Cori blushed. "Um… I'm sorry for not telling you, but it's true."

"So you're like… what, their half-sister?" Vibrant asked.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Goldie asked, looking a little sad. Cori could feel that the brown Pegasus was hurt because she thought her friend didn't trust her.

"I… I didn't know how to bring it up…"

"Anything else you're not telling us?" Bramley asked quietly. There wasn't any anger or disappointment, only pure curiosity. Cori let out a long sigh.

"I really want you all to be my friends, but… I'll show you." She backed away from her spot beside Goldie, moving to a place where all six of them could see her. She hung her head, dreading what she was about to do. But her father had told her that if she decided to, she could show her friends. With a flash of green flame, she revealed her changeling appearance. Her eyes were closed so that she wouldn't see the reactions of the other fillies and colts.

"Holy hay," Vibrant murmured. "That's… crazy."

"She's pure black," Ancè murmured, moving closer. "And this band around her…"

"Band?" Cori opened her eyes. She glanced over at one of the crystalline walls, seeing her reflection. Indeed, there was a dark viridian band around her stomach that was shiny like armor. The rest of her body was dark black and covered with a semi-hard carapace. Her eyes widened. She looked just like a young version of her mother, minus the holes in her legs, wings and mane. "I…"

"You look pretty," Goldie said, smiling and coming over to her. "But why hide this from us?"

"My mother told me that ponies were afraid of Changelings…"

"My mom told me Changelings were creepy looking and ugly," Vibrant pointed out. "And you don't really fit either of those descriptions."

Cori blushed a little, turning her face away. Bramley nodded his agreement. "To my eyes, y'all just look like an all-black pony."

"So… you aren't afraid of me?" Cori asked, dumbfounded.

Jubilee bounced over to her and mushed her cheek against hers. "You're not scary at all, Coco!"

"C-Coco?"

"Yeah!"

Ancè sighed. "Bibi gives everyone she likes a nickname."

"So that means I like you, silly!" Jubilee smiled. "You hid this because you were scared, right? Then we can't be that mad at you."

Cori looked over at Goldie, who looked a bit conflicted. The Changeling let out a sigh. "…I'm sorry for not telling you all…"

"It's more so the fact that you didn't trust us," Goldie said softly. "Friends are supposed to be able to trust one another."

"To be fair," Evie pointed out, adjusting her glasses, "We've only really known Cori for a few days. I don't think we can truly blame her for not completely trusting us."

Bramley nodded. "I reckon that's fair."

Goldie thought for a moment, but eventually sighed. "…I guess you're right."

"So your mom changes like that too?" Jubilee asked, looking over Cori's wings. Cori couldn't help but flutter them a bit at the feel of her breath.

"Yes, she does," Cori said, sitting back down. It was strange, being in her normal form while with her friends. And on top of that, they were treating her as normal, despite Jubilee's nosing about. Much different than Canterlot. "…Thank you," She said suddenly.

"That came out of the blue," Vibrant said, chewing on a carrot. "Why?"

"I mean, when the ponies in Canterlot saw me and my mom, they… threw things at us."

The others in the room stared at her in shock. "T-Threw things at you? Why would they do that?" Ancè asked.

"The Changelings did invade the capital," Evie pointed out. "My mom told me stories about fighting them."

"Well, that's not gonna happen here!" Vibrant said proudly. "Ponies in Ponyville are real friendly. And if any of them wanna give you any trouble, you let us know and we'll sort them out!"

Ancè chuckled. "As… aggressively as Vibrant put it, I believe we're all on your side, Cori. You can come to any of us when you need help."

The Changeling filly looked around the group, finding agreement from all the others. She blushed and looked back down at her hooves. "…Thanks. Again." She suddenly felt Jubilee nuzzling her from one side and Goldie wrapping a wing around her from the other. Ancè joined the awkward hug, with Bramley, Evie and Vibrant not participating.

"We're such a sappy bunch," Vibrant muttered, lying on his back. No sooner as he laid down, than the entire castle began to rumble. "What the hay?"

"Is it something else happening?" Bramley asked, looking around.

"It doesn't feel like an earthquake," Evie said, moving to the window. She gasped loudly and leapt up onto the sill. "Look! I told you I saw it!"

"Saw what…?" Vibrant asked, getting up. The others got up as well and went over to the window. All their jaws fell open at the sight of the silver airship passing by overhead. "…Okay. Now _that_ is cool."

"I ain't never seen anything like it," Bramley murmured.

"Ooh! Let's go see!" Jubilee said, bouncing. "Come on, come on!"

She bolted out of the castle, the other fillies and colts hesitating only a moment before chasing after her. Jubilee was bouncing along ahead, and Vibrant took off to the sky. He glanced back down at the others, who were still galloping. "Hey, come on! Goldie, Cori, you two have wings!"

"But…!" Goldie began, only for Cori to nudge her side.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

Goldie bit her lip, but nodded. She spread her wings wide and shakily took to flight. Cori flew up alongside her, and the group made their way to the silver ship. It had landed in a valley just out of town, and it didn't take too long to reach it. The ship had landed in a relatively safe spot, and was nestled in between two hills. Up close, it almost looked like a giant ice sculpture. "This is… impressive," Evie murmured.

"This isn't like any airship I've ever seen," Vibrant said.

"Look over there!" Jubilee said, pointing with one hoof. An opening had appeared on the side of the ship, much like a door. To the shock of the young group, Tyr and the rest of their parents came filing out. "Mom!"

"Jubilee!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing forward to embrace her daughter. The other members of the group came out as well, each of them being reunited with their children. Tyr watched with a smile, before Cori made her way over to him. He was a bit surprised to see her undisguised.

"Cori, did you…?" He began, but didn't get to say much more as Chrys pushed past him.

"Oh, my little one!" The adult Changeling embraced her daughter lovingly. "Are you alright? Did they force you to change back?"

Cori solemnly shook her head. "No, mom, I did it on my own. I felt that if I wanted them to trust me, they had to see the real me."

"Wise words from one so young," Luna said, coming over as well. She smiled at Cori. "It is good to see you again, Cori. You seem… different."

"I was going to ask about that myself," Tyr said, glancing at Chrys.

The former Queen of the Changelings sighed. "I have pointed out several times that Cori is not a drone."

"Then what is she?"

"…She is like me. If there were still a hive to lead, she would be the one to take my place."

Twilight caught that and looked up from nuzzling Evie. "So… Cori is a Queen?"

Chrys shook her head. She looked down at her daughter with a loving smile. "There is no hive to lead, but even if there were she is free to do as she wishes. I am not going to prevent my daughter from having a choice in her life."

"Fair enough," Ace said with a shrug. "As long as she's carful around town…"

"We'll watch out for her, dad!" Vibrant said with a grin. "No worries!"

"That's my boy," The white Pegasus rubbed his hoof into his son's head.

"Speaking of watching out for ponies," Tyr spoke up. He glanced behind him, spotting Aleron and Aurora beside their mother. "Come on up, you two."

"Oh?" Evie glanced over. "Who…?"

"Hello!" Aurora said brightly, smiling from ear to ear. "My name's Aurora, and this is my twin brother, Aleron."

Evie glanced over at her friends. "Well, I'm Evening Star. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all ours," Aleron said, eyes falling on the young unicorn. He smiled nervously.

"I'm Bramley, and this is my little sister Golden Grove," the tall colt said, coming over with his sister.

Ancè came forward next, with Jubilee beside her. "I am Exuberance, and this is my sister Jubilee."

"Hiya!" The pink filly said cheerily.

"And I'm Vibrant," Vi said, flying over and landing. He looked over Aurora for a moment. "You're an Alicorn?"

"Yup!" Aurora said with a nod. She opened her wings. "Although Al is better at magic than me."

"Really?" Evie glanced over at the other unicorn. Al simply shrugged.

"Now, now kids," Rarity said, coming over. "Let's all do the meet and greet later, shall we? We've all had an eventful day and I think it would be good to rest."

"I agree with Rarity," Rainbow said. She stretched. "I feel like the moment I lay on my bed I'll just pass out."

"I'm a little tired too," Fluttershy admitted.

Tyr smiled. "Then everyone should go home and rest. I'll see you all around."

"Well, it's not like we don't know where to find you," Flash said with a chuckle. The others shared a laugh at that. "See you around, bro."

They all left then, except for Ancè, Jubilee, and their moms. Tyr glanced over at them, noticing the smaller white unicorn was explaining something to her mothers. Suddenly, Rarity's mouth fell open wide and her eyes shot open. "W-w-what!?"

"Is something the matter?" Sherry asked, coming up beside her dad.

Tyr shrugged. "I dunno."

Suddenly, the fashionista's voice cut the air. "The Boutique is… is WHAT!?"

"Rarity," Tyr spoke up, coming over and getting her attention. "What's wrong?"

Rarity seemed to be at a loss for words. "I… The Boutique is… I can't…"

"Come on Rarity, tell me."

"The fire in the Boutique," Ancè said quietly. "The rescue ponies told me that the building wasn't safe, and that we can't stay there until everything is repaired."

"How long would that take?" Luna asked.

"They said it might be a few weeks… they don't really know the extent of the damage."

"All my work, my ideas…" Rarity sunk down onto her rump. "All of my materials were in there…"

"Sorry Rarity," Tyr murmured. "I had just gotten to town when the Pyreflies got there…"

"It's… not your fault, darling." She shook her head. "There wasn't much you could do…"

"So what should we do?" Tyr asked.

Pinkie frowned. "Well, I'd say we could use my old room at Sugar Cube Corner, but the Cakes turned it into storage since I haven't been there in so long."

"There's plenty of room in the Jötunheim," Tyr pointed out. "I can always have Cindy prepare some rooms for you."

Rarity gave him a smile. "Thank you, dear. That helps a lot. But my business is ruined otherwise…"

"Didn't you open that second boutique in Canterlot?" Luna asked. Rarity's ears perked up at that. "Couldn't you get some of the materials from there to help start back up?"

"That's a wonderful idea, darling!" Rarity beamed. Then, a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Although I'd have to speak to Sassy about how much we can spare…"

"Then all is not lost." Luna smiled. "If it comes to it, I can have any materials you require pulled from the royal stores."

"L-Luna!" Rarity blushed. "That's… hardly necessary…" She was trying to deny it, but even Rarity couldn't help but imagine what could possibly be in the royal stores. The fabrics in there must be completely divine.

"Come now. We are now in a herd, yes? So it is my duty to look after all members of my herd."

"…True enough. Thank you Luna."

"Speaking of my duty… Pinkie Pie, Rarity, will you two join me inside?"

"Inside? What is it?"

"Something that we will discuss once my beloved leaves," Luna pointed out, glancing over at Tyr. The man blinked, but simply held up his hands.

"Well, I know when I'm being shooed off," Tyr said with a chuckle. "I guess I'll head into town and let the mayor know we've parked outside her town."

"I wanna go too!" Sherry piped up, trotting over to her dad. She pouted. "I haven't gotten to spend any time with you at all!"

"Hope neither!" The snow maned mare came over as well, a frown on her face. "I want to go too!"

"Take them with you, darling," Rarity told him with a smile. "The little ones already ran inside."

Tyr shrugged. "Alright then girls. Let's go." He wasn't too unhappy—he had been yearning to spend at least some time with his 'first' child.

"So what should we do once we get to town?" Sherry had a wide smile on her face as well, obviously elated to have time with him. It had been a long time since she had really talked to her father, and the smile on her face wouldn't go away. "You've seen pretty much everyone, so maybe we should—" Almost without her noticing, he had set his hand atop her head. She looked up at him, only to meet his loving gaze. "D-Dad?"

"I love you, Sherry," He said simply, hand curling down to caress her face.

She couldn't explain it, but her eyes teared up at that very moment. Hearing her father speak that way to her after all those years was too much. She had given up and resigned herself to never seeing him again… the last barrier within her broke, and her 'everything is okay' demeanor fell immediately. She crushed herself against him, sobbing into his chest. "I missed you so much!" She cried, rubbing her face against him. Tyr didn't act surprised or caught off guard. He simply knelt down and embraced her back.

"I missed you too, Sherry. Having you back in my life has made me the happiest man in Equestria."

"Seeing as you're the only human, that not surprising," Hope said with a giggle.

"Oh stop it you," Tyr chuckled, reaching out to pat her head as well. "I missed you both."

Sherry finally managed to get all her tears out, as she pulled away from him to wipe her nose. "S-Sorry Daddy…" She murmured, pushing off of him.

"It's alright honey," Tyr said softly, reaching up to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes. "I know you've been doing your best, and I'm proud of you. But I'm here now, and you don't have to hold it in."

"Well, don't be surprised by the number of ponies coming up to hug you," She told him, pushing herself up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. She pulled back, smirking a little. "Don't go collecting any more herd mates, alright?"

"Quit it," Tyr said with a nervous smile. He scratched at the back of his neck. "I never intended to form a herd in the first place…"

"I think it's quite amazing that you can care for three mares like that," Hope said with a nod. "Rarity obviously loves you, and… well, I don't really get Pinkie Pie."

"And there's no doubting how much mom loves you," Sherry told him.

Tyr smirked and stood back up. "Come on you two, stop trying to be older than you are. Let's go, alright?"

"Kay!" Both mares responded cheerily.

–v-

Ponyville was still in a state of disrepair when they reached it, although most of the damage had been cleared away. As the entered town proper, they noticed a few ponies were piling up burned wood in a pile. They glanced over as they came closer, eyes widening slightly upon seeing Tyr, and then snapping even wider when Sherry and Hope came walking up beside him. "Ah! It's the Princesses!"

"Ah! Wait—!" Sherry raised a hoof to say something, but the few stallions that were there suddenly dropped into low bows. The brown Alicorn let out a sigh. "…Darn."

Tyr couldn't help but laugh quietly. "I'm guessing you get this a lot?"

"More than I would like…"

"You do not have to bow," Hope pointed out, suffering from a little nervousness. "Please, get up?"

The stallions shared a strange look before slowly rising. "…Apologies, Princess. Was there… something you needed?"

Sherry moved over to the pile of burned wood. "What are you all doing?"

"We're gathering up all the burned and damaged wood." The stallion looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although… we're not sure what we were going to do with it once we gathered it all up…"

Sherry frowned, but thought for a moment. "Hey, why don't you gather all the wood up and then burn it into ash?"

Tyr frowned. "Why would they do that?"

"Because then they could put the ash into containers and ship it over to the farms. Ash can actually can be used as a fertilizing agent. From what I've read, it actually is good for tomatoes when mixed with normal dirt."

"Now where did you pick up that little bit of trivia?" Tyr asked, amused. Sherry blushed a little.

"I… picked it up in a book…" Sherry smiled. "I read about a lot of different subjects so I could be of some help to mom and Aunt Celestia."

Tyr reached out and gently patted her head. "Good girl."

Sherry's smile grew, and she glanced over at the two stallions. "Does that sound like a good idea to you?"

The stallions stood up straight. "Ah, of course, Princess Sherry! We'll get right to work on it."

"You don't have to take it as an order…" Sherry murmured. Suddenly, she perked up. "Ah, I have an idea. Rubrik: go design H2." Her horn glowed a light purple, and a cube of a strange golden-brown material materialized in front of her. It opened, and a cascade of stone-like shards came flying out to form a large bipedal creature with large, thick arms. It plodded over to the pile of wood and lifted it up. The group of stallions watched it in awe as it trudged off into town.

Tyr whistled. "Seems you've gotten good at that."

"I don't use the Rubrik much because I think it scares some ponies," Sherry admitted. She glanced over at the worker ponies. "When it's done, just tell it 'dismissed' and it will fall apart and come back."

The stallions bowed. "Very well, Princess. Thank you."

While Sherry tried to convince the two ponies it was no big deal, Tyr looked around to see where Hope had wandered off. To his surprise, he found the golden Alicorn knelt down beside a pair of young foals. They were talking, and he moved over to hear what they were saying. "Why were you crying?" Hope was asking.

"Because our house burned down…" one of the foals told her.

"All our stuff was in there!" The other said.

Hope gave them a gentle smile. "But your mommy and daddy—are they okay?"

"Yes…"

"Then it's okay!" Hope beamed. "As long as you have your family, everything will be okay. You love your parents, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Of course!"

"Then all you have to do is be good little foals and do what they tell you, okay?" Hope leaned in close, and it was only because of his slightly above average hearing that Tyr could make out the words she said. "There is always light, even in the darkest night. Remember that well, little ones."

The two foals nodded quickly, before another mare with a dark red coat came over, a nervous smile on her face. "Oh, Princess Esperanza! I hope my little ones weren't causing you any trouble…"

Hope straightened up and gently shook her head. "No, I actually enjoy being around foals. It's not issue." The mare gave her a much more genuine smile before ushering her children away. Hope turned to trot away, only to see Tyr looking at her. The man had a curious look on his face. "…What is it?"

"Just watching you, Hope," Tyr told her. He smiled. "You're good with kids."

"I go by the nursery in Canterlot sometimes," The golden mare said, coming over to him. She paused just slightly. "I… the foals there remind me of when I was… younger, I guess. When I wasn't able to talk good like I do now."

"Well," Tyr corrected. Hope glanced over at him, scrunched up her nose, and sighed.

"It still happens occasionally," Hope complained.

"It'll be okay, Hope."

"I suppose."

Sherry came over to them, the Rubrik winking out of sight as she approached. "Well, that's taken care of. So what should we do now?"

Tyr thought for a moment. "I dunno. I can't think of anyone I haven't seen yet…"

A voice cried out suddenly, getting all of them to turn. "Oh, Sweetie!"

"What the—?" Tyr turned just in time for a white pony to suddenly crash into his chest with enough force to make him stagger back. "Who…?"

"I missed you so much!" the mane of pink and purple in his chest said. "And now you're back, and I get to see you again!"

Tyr's eyes widened, as the voice was familiar. Sure, it was no longer the high pitched and developing voice he remembered. It now was the voice of a trained and skilled singer, as sounded fuller than he remembered. But it was still the same girl—mare—in his arms. "Sweetie Bell," He said, unable to really think about what to say. But the pale green eyes that looked up at him were full of happiness.

"You remember me!"

"Of course I do!" Tyr chuckled. "You were almost calling me 'Big Brother' back in my world."

"Maybe I can start calling you that now?" She grinned.

"It really is him!" A voice with a slight country accent called out. Tyr looked over to see Applebloom, Scootaloo and Spike making their way over. He noticed a flash of something pass over Spike's face over seeing Sweetie hugging Tyr, but it vanished almost as quick as it came. "Tyr! You're really here!"

"I told ya!" Scootaloo said. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Sweetie, are y'all just gonna hug him all day?" Applebloom asked.

Sweetie Bell let Tyr go and dropped to the ground beside him, looking a little embarrassed. The man looked down at her, noting the length of her mane along with the mic and heart symbol on her flank. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Sorry Tyr."

"Nah, it's okay," the man said with a chuckle. "I'm getting used to everyone wanting to hug me when they see me."

"Well duh!" Scootaloo flew up to hover near his head. "I mean, we haven't seen you in so long!"

"Applejack and the others were really sad about leaving you behind," Applebloom pointed out.

Spike scratched the back of his head. "Twilight was pretty torn up about it too, come to think of it…"

"But it's okay now!" Sweetie said with a smile. "Tyr is here, and now we don't have to worry about it!"

"Fair enough," Applebloom said with a shrug.

The white unicorn turned to Tyr. "So what are you up to, Tyr?"

"I was just hanging out," Tyr replied, pointing to where Sherry and Hope were standing.

"Oh, hey Sherry!"

"Hello girls," Sherry said warmly, coming over to join her father. "It's good to see you all."

"Same ta you," Applebloom said with a smile. "It's been a while since we've seen you, Sherry."

"Well, seeing as only Scootaloo is in the capital that often…"

"I may get there before long," Sweetie said with a giggle. "But anyway, you were spending the day with your dad?"

Sherry nodded. "Uh huh. What are you three up to?"

"We were headed over to Octavia and Vinyl's," Scootaloo said. "They wanted to hang out since Sweetie's been busy."

Sweetie grinned. "Yeah, since I've been out of town for the past month or so…"

"Out of town?" Hope asked.

"Mmhm. I was recording in Manehattan. But I came home to visit. And then Scootaloo comes and tells us you're here!"

"I kinda almost said you were home," Scootaloo said with a chuckle.

Tyr gave the orange Pegasus a soft smile. "…I am home. This is where my family is, after all."

Spike cleared his throat. "Uh, girls? Vinyl's expecting us, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Sweetie blinked rapidly. She glanced at Tyr. "Hey, you wanna come with us?"

"I'm sure Tyr's busy—"

"Actually, that sounds like fun," Tyr replied, smiling. "I did want to see Octavia and Vinyl again. And I'm sure they'll be surprised to see me."

"So let's go!" Applebloom said. The others agreed, and with the exception of one slightly disappointed dragon they headed off.

–V–

"A two tone house?" Tyr remarked, looking up at the strangely painted house. One half was a soft and more normal brown color while the other was a lighter blue. "Well, eccentric personalities beget eccentric painting designs…"

"Sounds like they started without us," Sweetie said, moving close to the door. The sound of what seemed to be cello music with a dubstep accompaniment filtered out of the door. The white unicorn knocked several times on the door. She paused, and then knocked a very specific beat against the door. Almost immediately, the music stopped. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a white unicorn with a bright two-tone blue mane that was grinning like a fool. By the linked eighth note symbol on her flank, Tyr immediately identified her as Vinyl Scratch.

"Yo, Sweetie!" the unicorn mare said, pulling the younger mare into a half hug. "It's been a while!"

"Sorry I haven't been by sooner," Sweetie replied, giggling. Vinyl gave her a playful laugh before looking over the group behind them. Her eyes fell on Tyr, and her bright pink glasses fell to the bridge of her nose.

"Tyr? Dude, is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me," The man said, stepping forward. He grinned. "Nice to see you, Vinyl."

The white unicorn grinned. "This is too sweet! Hey, Tavi come out here and see who stopped by!"

"Oh, wubzy, we're supposed to be practicing…" A gray mare with a dark gray mane came trotting out, only to pause in her tracks once she saw Tyr. "Good heavens, Tyr!? I thought we'd never see you again!"

"I was thinking the same myself for a while," the man admitted. "But here I am."

"Well, it certainly is good to see you. Come in, come in!"

At the behest of the cellist, the group squeezed into Vinyl and Octavia's shared home. The color scheme seemed to translate to the inside, as one half of the main room was blue and covered in DJ equipment, and the other was gray and more modestly decorated. Judging from the standing cello against a nearby couch and the set up turntable, they had just been practicing. "We weren't interrupting, were we?" Tyr asked.

"Not at all, my dear friend. Please everyone, have a seat."

They all took seats around a somewhat large table on Octavia's side. Tyr took a seat between Sweetie Bell and Sherry. As he sat, that flash of jealousy shot through the air again. And this time he knew where it was coming from exactly. But he kept the smile on his face as he leaned back to get comfortable. Vinyl tossed herself into a spot beside Octavia, one foreleg easily falling around the other mare's shoulders. "So, to what do we owe the visit?"

"I was simply stopping by," Tyr said. He reached over to mess with Sherry's mane. "Plus, I haven't spent a lot of time with my oldest daughter, so I decided to rectify that."

Octavia smiled. "How sweet of you."

"What about you, Bell?" Vinyl asked, glancing over at Sweetie Bell. "Didn't you have that whole recording thing going on?"

"Yeah, she did!" Applebloom said, grinning. "But while she was doing the last few takes, guess who walked in!"

Octavia frowned. "…Who?"

"Coloratura!"

"Oh, isn't that the former pop idol? The one that was called Countess Coloratura?" Sherry asked with a slight frown.

"Not so much former," Vinyl said, adjusting her shades. "From what I hear, she dropped the Countess part and is just performing songs as 'Rara' now."

"Applejack caused that, did she not?" Octavia agreed with a nod.

"Well, Rara comes in because she heard we were in town," Applebloom continued. "And she hears Sweetie singing, and she asks her to sing with her!"

"Oh? Sing with her?"

Sweetie nodded. "She wanted to do a trio piece with another singer. I gotta go into Canterlot in a couple days to meet the last pony she wants us to sing with."

Scootaloo nodded. "She couldn't tell her cause she hadn't asked the pony yet. But she should know by the time she goes to Canterlot."

"Well, that's great," Tyr said with a smile. "Let me know when you go. I'd like to see you sing."

Sweetie blushed. "Aw… thanks Tyr. If it wasn't for you, I may have never realized my true talent."

"I'm pretty sure you'd have realized it sooner or later," Spike pointed out, a little roughly. Tyr glanced over at him, but didn't say anything. Instead, a single thought came through as the ponies continued with their conversation.

[Someone is a bit jealous]

[You think so, Chrys?]

[I know so, Master. I am a connoisseur of emotions]

[So what should I do about it?]

Instead of Chrys's calculated thoughts, instead came the somewhat bored response of Fenrir. [It should be obvious, Alpha]

[How so?]

[You are a wolf, Alpha. Mark your territory]

[I think I get what you mean] Tyr smirked, but stayed relatively silent as the conversation at the table was currently directed away from him. So it went on for a little while, the man making small comments here and there, until it started getting late. "Hm. I think maybe we should head out, girls."

"Ah, it is late huh?" Sweetie asked, glancing out the window. The sun was beginning to set, Tyr imagining Luna being disturbed from whatever she was doing to do her part and raise the moon.

"Oh dear, we spent the afternoon talking," Octavia said with a frown. "Sorry about that everypony."

"It's cool," Scootaloo said. "Mom and Dad were asleep when I stopped by the house earlier."

"But we probably should get out a their manes," Applebloom said, standing. The others agreed, and with a few last goodbyes they left the musical house. The town streets were relatively empty as night grew around them. Tyr walked behind the group of ponies and one dragon with a small smile on his face at how excited they were. Sherry must not have seen her friends in a long time the way they were talking and laughing. Tyr had to give a moment of thought at how these girls had grown. Before, sometimes it seemed like Scootaloo was the one who spoke up for the group. But now, Sweetie Bell seemed to be in a sort of leadership position, speaking with confidence that she had not shown before. It brought a smile to his face.

Almost immediately after having that thought, he noticed Spike glance back at him. His good humor vanished almost instantly at seeing the somewhat possessive look on the young dragons face. He had to deal with this now. "…Sweetie Bell. Spike. Can I talk to you two for a moment?"

Sweetie glanced back at him in surprise. "Uh… yeah sure. Go on ahead girls."

The white unicorn and the purple dragon came over to him, confused looks on their faces. "Uh… what is it, Tyr?" Spike asked. The man didn't speak at first, giving a mental command to Fenrir to watch over Sherry and the others. It wasn't until the wolf and the mares were out of sight that Tyr finally spoke.

"You two know that I'm the father of Jubilee and Exuberance, right?" He asked softly, kneeling down to their level.

"Uh… yeah, Rarity told me," Sweetie Bell said.

Spike nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Twilight explained it to me. Some kind of artificial pregnancy thing?"

"Yeah, exactly," Tyr said with a nod. "So for all intents and purposes that makes me those two filly's father."

"Okay, so why did you need to talk to us?"

"Because the Canterlot Council and probably the whole of Equestria's population wouldn't accept their princess in a marriage with a man… or stallion… that had children outside of the marriage."

"But, why?" Sweetie Bell frowned. "It's not like you cheated on Princess Luna…"

"True enough, Sweetie. But if just one pony thought otherwise, that sort of thing would spread rapidly. And suddenly, Moon is the talk of the town."

"So what did you do?"

"Cindy came up with it, but… I formed a herd with Luna, Pinkie and Rarity."

The two young adults stared at him in mute shock. "And… and Luna was okay with all of that?" Spike asked.

"Not completely at first. I think she, Rarity and Pinkie are back home ironing out the details…"

"So… that means you're technically married to Rarity now, right?" Sweetie asked, a little confused. Tyr thought for a moment before giving a short nod.

"I guess that's technically true. So that does make me your brother in law," Tyr told her.

"Oh, really? Awesome!" She leapt onto Tyr, hugging him. She giggled.

Tyr hugged her back before setting her back down on her hooves. "Yeah, it is. Now go catch up, I wanted to tell Spike something."

"Okay!" She trotted over to the young dragon, placing a kiss on his cheek before she galloped off to catch up with her friends. Spike watched her go, the tall man watching him with a slight frown on his face.

"…Spike."

The young dragon turned, flinching a bit at the cold look the man had. Tyr's eyes were narrow, and the bright silver glowed ever so slightly. "Y-Yeah?"

"I believe you should realize what this means," Tyr said softly. It was a trick he had learned back in high school to drive off people attempting to bully him or Vanna. His voice was devoid of almost any emotion. Now, even the very air around him grew as cold as his tone. Spike was visibly shivering as the man spoke. "It means that not only is Rarity mine and Exuberance is my daughter, but Sweetie is now my little sister. I'm perfectly fine with your relationship with Sweetie, however."

"You… you are?"

"She does love you, and you care for her as well. But if you make Sweetie Bell cry… Then not even Twilight could save you from me."

Spike swallowed heavily. Tyr looked deathly serious, and there wasn't anything he could really say. So he simply nodded. "Y-Yes sir."

Tyr's cold demeanor dropped instantly, and a warm smile crossed his face. "Good. Glad we could have this talk, Spike. Now go on, I think Sweetie is waiting on you."

"She is?" Spike nervously turned around to spot the light green glow of Sweetie's horn as she waited for her dragon-friend to catch up. "…oh. Right. I'll uh… go over there."

There was amusement on the face of the dark skinned man as the young dragon fled back to the relative safety of his marefriend. Tyr grinned, moving to follow behind as they went to join the group. "That was wonderful practice for when Sherry ever decides to date," The man said quietly to himself. Although considering his attachment to the chocolate brown Alicorn, he'd probably be a lot harsher. Then the thought of Aurora, Exuberance, or Jubilee dating crossed his mind, and he had to let out a sigh.

"Why is being a father so difficult? And why did I only manage to have one son?"

–x–

Hope was yawning by the time she, Tyr and Sherry made it back to the Jötunheim. "Tired, Hope?" Sherry asked, a small smile on her face.

"I'm normally asleep by now," Hope complained, yawning again. Tyr gently patted her head.

"Let's get you into bed then," He told her, leading her inside. The side port into the silver ship opened once they got close, granting them access inside. The gray hallways were silent, and before long they reached the common room. To Tyr's surprise only Rarity was present, seated on the half-circle couch. "Rarity? You're still up?"

The white unicorn glanced over at him and blinked a couple times. "Tyr? Oh, darling I was caught up in my own thoughts. When did you all get back?"

"Just a moment ago," Sherry said, looking around. Oddly enough, not even Cindy was present in her normal spot behind the bar. "Is everyone else asleep?"

"Luna said there was someone having a nightmare, so she went to go help," Rarity said. "And Pinkie and the kids are all asleep."

"I think I'll follow their lead," Hope muttered, heading off through the side passage that led to the personal quarters. Sherry giggled, but followed after.

"Night dad!" She said, waving one hoof. Tyr gave her a small smile and wave back. Once the two girls were gone, Tyr moved over to take a seat beside Rarity on the couch. She had what looked to be a small stack of papers in front of her, and her horn was alight with magic as she wrote with a pen. Tyr leaned over slightly to look, finding a lot of names and numbers written on the papers.

"Taking inventory?" He asked softly.

"These are the inventory sheets from Canterlot Carousel," Rarity replied. "I need to know exactly what I have to work with to get Carousel Boutique back up and running."

"So nothing could be salvaged?"

"Only the metal tools and whatnot. Everything flammable was ruined."

"Sorry, Rarity. If I had been a bit faster, I may have made it in time…"

Rarity sighed and set down her pen. "Darling. I cannot have you blaming yourself for this. None of us could have known the Pyreflies would come straight to the town."

"But if I had just frozen the entire area…"

"You didn't know the full extent of your powers yet, dear. And might I remind you, there are four little fillies that would not have been here if you had not arrived when you did?"

Tyr smirked. "Well, I couldn't let them get hurt…"

A small smile formed on the seamstress's face. "Darling… the very fact that you're so apologetic about something you had no control over is just another reminder of why I—" She stopped suddenly, frowning to herself.

Frowning himself, Tyr leaned forward. "Rarity? What's wrong?"

The white unicorn sighed. "Darling, what Luna said… I've been thinking about it."

"…I see."

"Well, I suppose it's fair to simply admit it to myself and you. I do love you, Tyr."

"You do?" Tyr was a bit caught off guard from the declaration. There hadn't been much hesitation on Rarity's part, for the look on her face was definitely serious. "I mean, judging from that look you're giving me, you're not joking."

"Of course not. But to be perfectly frank my dear, I don't love you more than I love Pinkie. That pink ball of sunshine will always keep a special place in my heart. But you and Luna… I feel a different sort of affection towards the two of you. Even Pinkie-winkle says she's fine with us being in a herd. That if it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have agreed. And I'm finding myself thinking the same way."

"Rarity…"

"So! You better be a good father to my fillies, Tyr," The white unicorn sat up straight and gave him a small but beautiful smile. Tyr couldn't help but smile right back.

"Of course, Rarity."

"And… one other thing."

"What is it?"

"I have been… informed that I am the only one in our herd that has not kissed you yet." Rarity blushed. "And Pinkie started teasing me about it."

"I see… so what did you want to do about it?"

The white unicorn gave him a flat look. "…Luna was right. You do love to tease."

"I am not teasing!"

"So then you should know what I want." She closed her eyes and tilted her head up ever so slightly. "I will not be neglected, you know."

"As awkward as this is…" A hoof smacked into his arm. "Fine, fine… should I start calling you 'Princess' too?"

"No… you may reserve that for Luna."

"Fine," Tyr said with a chuckle. He scooted over closer to the unicorn, gently taking hold of her chin. She seemed to shiver at his touch. "…Nervous?"

"You will be the first stallion I have ever kissed."

"Lucky me," Tyr said, and leaned in. Rarity froze up a little bit, but the moment Tyr's lips touched hers, she almost shied away. Tyr wrapped one arm around her slender body, keeping her close as he made the kiss as gentle as he could. After a moment, Rarity seemed to melt into his embrace. He pulled away then, leaving the mare breathless. Her blue eyes were still half closed as she looked up at him.

"You… you are a really good kisser," She murmured.

"Same to you," He replied.

"Well then… ahem." She gently pushed away, and coughed. "That was… interesting."

"You taste like vanilla," Tyr pointed out.

"W-what?" A hoof shot to her lips. "Oh! I was… eating ice cream a bit earlier…"

"I see."

"Well, goodnight, darling!" Rarity almost fled from the room, a blush on her cheeks. Tyr watched her go, a small smirk on his face. With a soft sigh, he leaned back on the couch.

[It seems you're getting used to the idea of a herd, Master]

[...Maybe]

[…Mare-killer]

"Shut up Chrys," Tyr muttered with a chuckle.

* * *

 **Territory marked. Now the thought: "Can a Wolf fight a Dragon?"**

 **Perhaps we shall see. Besides functioning as a chance for Tyr to spend time with his daughter, this was a chapter to point out the possessiveness of dragons. Vanna is possessive as well, but directs it somewhere else.**

 **So the only human/Elemental in Equestria lives in a mobile home (I couldnt resist). At least he has his family.**

 **Onto the herd business. After realizing Tyr has so many kids, and how his character was, I couldn't just have him ignore his other two daughters and their mothers. Maybe he grows used to the idea? maybe he doesn't. Time will tell, and you've got to come back for the next chapters.**

 **Please Read, Review, and Return. The Library accepts all, and I will see you soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Greeting once more, dear readers, and I present to you another 14,000 words. I guess cause I'm more in the swing of things, I can put more effort into my writing. Unfortunately, my EMT classes are going to be a bit more of a focus in the coming weeks, with all the studying I need to do. I'll still be putting out the best quality content I can, although unfortunately perhaps back to a chapter a week. Sorry! But I will keep working as diligently as I can. So, onto my reviews. Any guilt you felt was your own.**

 **Kevin Lapse: This is a response to your review. And thank you very much.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I must admit, Tyr is developing more and more into a badass. His namesake did get his hand chomped off by an angry wolf and pretty much go "meh". The Council was probably not as... stick in the mud before. The herd happens when it happens, and we have no control over it. Just be prepared for... complications. And Cindy is downright adorable to write.**

 **WarHusky2000: I understand what you mean, Chrissy does feel like a member, but at the same time she's more of a pet... Its a gray area. Pretty sure Tyr, Luna and the rest consider her a member, however. And that's for reading the first story, glad you enjoyed it!**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I hold no responsibility for any guilt you feel. 1: Threat Neutralized. 2: Probably, at least until Jehu gets bored enough to build his own. 3: He is an unintentional player. The best kind. 4 & 5: Is this where hope goes to die? 6: Soon. Well, perhaps not very soon. But I have plans.**

 **Ahem! Enough scheming on my part. Onto the chapter! There's an event coming up.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Just like a Local

"We have to go to school?" Aurora cried, sitting up at the dinner table. The newly formed/reunited family sat around the common room of the Jötunheim. Cindy had taken it upon herself to change part of the common room into a breakfast area, with tables and cushions for everyone to sit on. The look of distress on his daughter's face was so comical that Tyr couldn't help but laugh.

"Come now, my little crescent moon," Luna said from Tyr's other side, frowning ever so slightly. "You cannot simply stay home."

"But studying is boring…"

"I think you'll have fun," Ancè offered. "I mean, Bibi and I will be there too."

"And you know you like to make friends," Aleron pointed out, using his magic to stick a spoon into his bowl of oatmeal. His sister sighed and sat back.

"I guess."

"It'll totally be fun!" Jubilee bounced up and down. She paused just long enough to pour sugar into her own bowl of oatmeal. Tyr was quite amused at the sheer amount going into the bowl. "You get to meet new ponies, learn new things, and participate in all the sports and stuff!"

Aurora's ears perked up. "Sports?"

"Yeah, like hoof ball and basketball and stuff!"

"Of course she gets interested when sports comes up," Aleron mumbled. Aurora simply grinned.

"Well, I for one do not particularly care for sports," Ancè muttered. "Physical exertion has never been my strong suit regardless. I enjoy the occasional deviance, but not on a constant basis."

"I wonder where you got that from," Tyr muttered, glancing over at Rarity. The white unicorn glanced up from her spot on the other side of the table, glasses almost falling off her nose.

"Well, she certainly didn't get that from me," Rarity huffed, flipping her mane back over her shoulder.

Tyr's skepticism was hidden by his obvious amusement. "If you say so…"

"Although… speaking of school, the little dears need to go soon. What will you do about Aleron and Aurora?"

"You could always go talk to Cheerilee!" Pinkie pointed out, stuffing her face full of muffin. "I'm sure if you talked to her she'd help you get the twins into class!"

"And all the other children are there as well," Chrys said. Leaning up from her headrest that was Tyr's lap, she glanced over at Cori who was seated beside her. "…I suppose you'd have to go as well, my little one."

"I can?" Cori blinked, looking up at her mother.

"Yes. It would be… proper for you to learn among the other fillies and colts."

"This is gonna be one large class," Tyr muttered. "So judging from the majority of reactions, I'm guessing it's my duty to take the kids to school."

Rarity smiled slightly. "Would you be a dear? I've got a lot of work to do…"

"I'm going to Sugarcube corner!" Pinkie sang.

Luna rose. "And I am going back to sleep. Sorry my beloved."

"No, I know you're not a morning pony, Moon," Tyr replied, leaning over to kiss her. "I'll see you later, alright?"

"Of course."

Tyr got up then as all the kids jumped up to get ready. Sherry and Hope had left much earlier that morning for breakfast with Scootaloo and the girls. So as he looked over his somewhat large herd, Tyr couldn't help but smile. As he moved over to the entrance after the excited children, he felt something grip his arm. He glanced down to see a soft blue glow enveloping his wrist. "Huh?

"I believe you're forgetting something?" Rarity asked softly. Pinkie had a wide grin on her face as well.

"We want kisses too!" Pinkie claimed, bouncing up and down.

Tyr, a bit caught off guard, glanced back over at Luna. The Princess of Dreams let out a soft sigh. "…Kisses and cuddles were what we agreed upon," She said with a little nod.

Rarity and Pinkie waited patiently for Tyr to come back over to them. "Whenever you're ready, darling," The fashionista said.

As awkward as this was, the man simply sighed and knelt down. Kissing Pinkie was easy enough, that familiar taste of cake on her lips as she jumped up to meet him. When he let her go, she giggled and shot out of the Jötunheim. Tyr turned to Rarity, and found a smile on those delicate lips. "…What?"

"Nothing, darling."

Tyr shook his head before leaning in to give Rarity a gentle yet loving kiss on the lips. "Happy?"

"Absolutely, darling," Rarity giggled. "Now go on before the children get to school on their own." He rolled his eyes, but turned and left the ship. Rarity looked back at her work, but not before catching a small smirk from the Princess of Dreams. "…What?"

"Oh nothing," Luna said, her smile growing. "Just noticing that you seem to not know what to do when my beloved kisses you."

That flustered the unicorn mare. "W-what do you expect? When he touches me so gently… it leaves butterflies in my stomach."

Luna simply nodded. "I know the feeling. It's as if he finds himself able to love us all while still staying true to his own feelings."

"…You know neither Pinkie or myself would try to take him from you?"

"Would you even try?"

To the dark blue Alicorn's surprise, Rarity's reply was instant and firm. "If I truly believed I loved him more than you, then yes I would."

"Oh ho," Chrys said, sitting up. "Now that is quite the declaration."

"I see," Luna murmured. "Your feelings are true. As are mine."

Rarity nodded. "Then I am comfortable in my position." She bowed ever so slightly before getting up, gathering her papers, and heading back to her room. Luna watched her go, a small frown on her face. Chrys noticed and shifted so she was looking up at the Princess of dreams.

"A bit for your thoughts, Mistress?" She asked with a slow smile.

Luna glanced down at her, seeing the humor in the Changeling's face. "…It is odd to me."

"What is?"

"Rarity and Pinkie Pie… their attraction to Tyr. To be fair, perhaps they both did harbor feelings for him. But the strength of those feelings…"

"Perhaps I have rubbed off on him," Chrys responded. "Changelings did have the ability to make emotions directed at them stronger. Maybe the same is happening to them?"

"But then Tyr would have to have Changeling magic," Luna pointed out. She glanced down at her plate of food, magic taking hold of her daisy sandwich. She took a bite out of it gingerly. Tyr had been a bit surprised at the diet that Equestrians had in their own world, but had in the end simply shrugged and went with it. Cindy on the other hoof, was quite amused that ponies did in fact eat flowers. "And unless that painful day allowed you to transfer your magic to him…"

"Perhaps our dear Master is more of a mystery than we thought," The Changeling said thoughtfully, green eyes averting to the far wall. "Even now, he still sifts through memories of ancestors long dead in order to discover what he truly knows."

The Princess of Dreams let out a heavy sigh. "…Would that I could help him."

"I feel the same, Luna."

"Well, I suppose we will have to simply wait for him…" Suddenly, Chrys shot up to her hooves and tackled Luna. The changeling pinned the Alicorn to the sofa. "W-what are you doing?"

"My Master is cruel," Chrys said simply. "He reminded me of something he forgot."

"A-And what is that?" Luna asked just before Chrys leaned down and kissed her.

–x–

Aurora glanced over at her father, who was chuckling. "What's so funny, dad?"

"Oh nothing Ro," Tyr replied, smiling.

"Mm… okay." Aurora trotted back over to Jubilee, who was bouncing along while they all walked. With a wide smile, the young Alicorn began bouncing alongside her half-sister. They both started giggling.

"You two are ridiculous," Aleron muttered with a shake of his head.

"Fun is fun!" Jubilee sang out.

Ancè gave Aleron a small smile. "She's incorrigible, Aleron."

Aleron gave her a flat look. "You mean my sister or yours?"

"I think they're both your sisters," Ancè replied with a little laugh. "Or does that bother you? Us being your half-sisters, I mean."

"My only complaint is that I don't have any brothers." The white unicorn filly blinked at that response, before a happy smile grew on her face. Aleron smiled back, the sincerity of Ancè's smile being infectious.

"Well, Vibrant and Bramley are friendly," Cori offered, coming over to them. "I'm sure you could spend time with them."

"I just don't want to be overwhelmed by all the estrogen," Al muttered. Cori and Ancè laughed quietly.

Tyr smiled. As odd as it was to think about it, all his kids were getting along. So all he really had to do was watch over them and guide them. He stayed mostly silent as they walked, simply taking in the sights. Ponyville was a busy, yet cozy town. And friendly too, judging from all of the waves and bright smiles he was getting. He couldn't help but be happy himself. As he was contemplating that fact, he felt a tug on his leg. He glanced down and found Cori looking up at him, a worried look on her face. "Um… Papa?"

"Yes, Cori? Is something wrong?" He frowned, easily catching the worry she had, along with the slight tinge of fear.

"I was… wondering if I should disguise myself again…"

"I will not hear of it," Ancè said immediately. Both Cori and Tyr looked over at the white unicorn with a mixture of surprise and confusion on their faces. "I for one absolutely adore how Cori looks when she's like this. And we've already told you that we will look out for you."

"Nopony will give you trouble with us around!" Jubilee agreed.

"Not to mention you've got royalty backing you up," Aurora said proudly.

Tyr smiled. "I'm happy you all are going to look after Cori."

Aleron smirked. "That's what family is for, right dad?"

"Right."

They reached the school then, Tyr spotting Cheerilee welcoming a familiar pair of all white pegasii. Ace glanced around and spotted them. "Oh, hey Tyr! Geez, how many kids do you have?"

"I was about to ask that same question," Cheerilee said, looking over. "Are these all…?"

"Yeah," Tyr said simply.

"Jeez dude," Ace chuckled. "Busy much?"

"Oh, shut up, Ace."

Laughing, the white Pegasus shared a quick hoof bump with his son. "Well, I'd love and stay to tease ya some more, but I gotta go help Dashie with cloud busting. A stallion's work is never done, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure I see you lazing about almost as much as her," Cheerilee countered, getting a nervous chuckle from the Knight.

"Heh… right." He grinned. "Well… see ya!"

He shot off into the sky, a prominent white trail marking his path along the sky. Tyr glanced back over at Cheerilee. She laughed softly. "Well, as long as the two of them get the job done," She said with a shrug.

"I guess so."

"So! I know Ancè and Jubilee, but…?"

"Ah, right. You haven't met these three."

He moved so that the twins and Cori were in front of him. Cheerilee gave the three kids a warm smile. "Well, I don't believe I have!. A pleasure to meet you all."

"Hello!" Aurora said brightly. "I'm Aurora, and this is my twin brother Aleron. Oh, and our half-sister Cori!"

"Half-sister…?" Cheerilee's eyes fell on Cori, who drew back a bit at the surprise that grew there. "…Is she… is she a…?"

"Yes, she is a Changeling," Tyr said. "If it's alright, I'd like her to learn alongside the other colts and fillies. But if you don't think that's fine…"

"She's the little gray one from the igloo, correct?" Cheerilee smiled. "So she's a Changeling. I don't think I've ever taught a Changeling. Or an Alicorn for that matter!"

"I'm pretty sure you'll get more good things out of Aleron than me," Aurora said gently, smiling and stepping beside her brother. "He's the smarter one."

Aleron rolled his eyes, but Cheerilee just laughed softly. "Oh, I don't play favorites. As long as you're willing to learn, you're welcome in my class."

"Sounds great then!"

"Let's just go in," Aleron said with a small chuckle. He led the way inside, Ancè following with a little giggle of her own. Jubilee and Aurora bounced in after them. Cori moved to follow after, but paused beside Cheerilee. The teacher looked down at her expectantly.

"Yes?" Cheerilee asked.

"Um… Miss Cheerilee?" Cori blushed slightly. "I um… I never learned how to read properly, so I can't read as well as the other kids."

"Oh? Well, that's not a problem. I'll give you one-on-one help if you'd like."

Cori brightened up immediately. "I would really like that. Thank you Miss Cheerilee."

"Of course dear."

Before going inside after her siblings, the young Changeling trotted back over to her father. He knelt down, wondering what she wanted. To his surprise, the little filly leaned up to nuzzle his cheek affectionately. "I love you, papa," She told him.

Tyr couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was. "I love you too, Cori."

"Ah!"

"No fair!"

Suddenly, Tyr was bowled over by two more bodies, one belonging to Jubilee and the other belonging to Aurora. "What the…! Girls!"

"We wanted to hug you too!" Aurora complained.

"We just forgot!" Jubilee agreed, sticking out her tongue.

"Inside, children," Cheerilee said dryly, shaking her head. With sheepish grins on their faces, the three fillies went inside at their teacher's order. Tyr got back up to his feet, his smile still there. The pink mare smiled up at him. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm used to it already." He laughed. "I'll be back to pick them up."

After getting the correct time for school to end, Tyr left the schoolhouse and headed back into town. Only at that moment did he realize how little he had to do. From what he could sense, Chrys was asleep, as was Luna. And he had no idea where Sherry and Hope were today… oh. A large pile of what looked to be plywood went floating by on the other side of town, held in a golden magical aura. Well, there was Hope at least. Seems she's already helping out.

He entered the town square, a little surprised at how few confused glances he got. But as most of the ponies here had been in his world, most likely they were simply surprised to see him. Guess it's better than just surprise or confusion at what he was. He noticed a newspaper stand. Best to get some sort of information about this world, hm? He went over and scanned the headline. "Pyrefly attack almost levels town… huh. Well, can't say I'm surprised…"

"Hey, buddy?" The newsstand mare looked up at him expectantly. "I'm not running a library here. You want to read, you gotta buy it first."

Tyr frowned. "…Fair enough, I guess. How much?"

"Five bits."

A cursory search of his pockets reminded Tyr that while he did indeed have Equestrian currency, all of it was stored… somewhere else. He was essentially broke. But suddenly, five golden coins plinked onto the counter top in front of him and a cheery voice spoke up. "There ya go!"

Tyr looked down to see Pinkie beside him, a wide grin on her face. The man stood there momentarily in pure confusion before speaking. "…Pinkie. What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"You needed money to buy a newspaper, right?" A sound like a toy being squeezed accompanied the expected grin. "So I came here super-lickety-split!"

"How did you even know?"

"My Pinkie Sense!" The pink pony told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Dry tongue, itchy ear, and creaky knee! A friend of mine needs money for a newspaper!"

"How the… you know what, I think I'll take the safe route and just not ask." Tyr sighed, but gave her a small smile. "Thanks Pinkie."

"Of course!" Her smile became a bit more gentle. "That's what being in a herd means, right? Looking out for one another?"

"…Right." Tyr smiled even wider. He gently patted the pink mare's head. With a victorious grin, he took the newspaper from the confused newsstand owner and walked a short distance away. The main story in the paper was about the Pyrefly swarm that had come into town, with a few testimonials from ponies that had witnessed the event. To his surprise, a picture of him standing in the town square was there, along with Chrys. The caption 'Friends or Foes?' was inked along the bottom. "Huh. Figures."

"Ooh, that's a nice picture of you!" Pinkie said, popping up between him and the paper. "Although it would look a lot better in color."

Tyr grabbed her head with one hand, getting her to look up at him with those innocent blue eyes. "…Pinkie, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Yup!" Tyr couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"So why are you here?"

"Cause I wanted you to come to Sugarcube Corner!"

"Uh… okay?"

"Come on!" Suddenly, Tyr was being pushed down the road bodily by this mare that was at least three feet shorter than him. That was Earth Ponies for you—had multiplicative strength like ants. Before he knew it, he was outside of a store that looked like it was edible. Ponies were coming in and out, only stopping at the sight of Pinkie pushing him. Most made way as he was forced inside.

"Pinkie!" A motherly voice called out in shock. Tyr glanced over to the source of the voice and found a blue mare with a swirled pink mane and tail looking over at them. Her eyes widened upon seeing Tyr. "Oh my… Tyr? Is that you?"

"Mrs. Cake?" Tyr responded with equal measures of shock. "Uh… hi."

"I thought Pinkie was just being… well Pinkie when she said you were here," She said, coming over. "My word dear, you're… taller than I remember."

"Considering I'm not a pony, that doesn't surprise me," the man replied. Suddenly, he was sitting on a stool, and Pinkie was coming back over with what looked to be a chocolate cake balanced on her nose. She set it in front of Tyr. "Uh… Pinkie?"

"Taste it!" Pinkie ordered, grin never leaving her face. "Come on, come on, come on!"

"Uh, I need a fork or something…?"

"Here!" A fork was thrust into his hand. Giving the pink mare a flat look, he turned back to the cake. It was expertly made, with elegant design and meticulous care in the icing. It was a cake that one could argue was too perfect to cut into. But cut he did, and took a bite. Pinkie was still breathing over his neck and—

Oh.

Oh wow.

"What the…?" He had lost all feeling for a moment, and only a warmth had spread out from his tongue to the rest of his body. Pinkie and Mrs. Cake were watching him expectantly. He had to take a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Well dear?" Mrs. Cake asked. "How… how was it?"

"I've had a lot of conflicting thoughts for a while," Tyr began slowly. "For a lot of reasons. But for one moment… it was completely clear. Like the only thing possible to even think about was how good that tasted. And it was immaculate clarity."

"It's called the Forget-me-Not," A happy voice told him. Tyr glanced around the cake to see a beaming Sherry. "I… I've been working on it for a long time, ever since we came back."

"Sherry…!"

"She wouldn't even let me taste it," Pinkie pouted. Tyr frowned and glanced over at his daughter, a question on his lips. But Sherry answered it before he had a chance to ask it. The look on her face was gentle, but also carried a tinge of regret.

"Because my dad has to be the first one to taste the cake I designed for him," Sherry pointed out. She smiled up at Tyr. "…Was it good?"

Tyr smiled, got up, and went over to her. He wrapped her in a hug. "It was perfect, Sherry. Just perfect." She hugged him back tightly, and he could feel tears on her cheeks.

"Jeez dad," She mumbled. "You're making me cry so much lately."

"Sorry honey."

"So I can eat it now?" Pinkie asked roughly. Tyr and Sherry glanced back at her and laughed. The pink mare was almost literally drooling.

Sherry nodded. "Yes Pinkie, you can have _one_ slice. I still need a slice for mom. Oh, and don't—"

"Okay!" They all watched in horror as Pinkie rapidly consumed almost the entire cake except for two slices. "All done—!"

She froze up, eyes going wide and then slumping to the ground. She sat there unmoving. "Uh… is she alright?" Mrs. Cake asked.

"I was going to tell her not to eat too much too fast," Sherry said with a shake of her head. "One slice is probably the safest."

"Safe?"

"Eating that much is going to leave her catatonic for at least a couple hours," Sherry said, her horn lighting up with a pink glow. The same glow enveloped Pinkie and lifted her up. She began to carry her into the back. "Um, Mrs. Cake? Can you wrap those up for me?"

"Sure hon, just be careful with her." Mrs. Cake took the plate of cake up to the counter. Tyr smiled and leaned back in his seat. Sherry had grown up wonderfully over the five years he hadn't seen her, but she was still that quiet and shy girl he remembered from oh so long ago. Even becoming an Alicorn Princess hadn't taken away her modesty. And that cake… It was just what he needed. All the memories he had been locked away from had piled on top of him like backed up homework, and it had taken the combined efforts of himself, Chrys and Fenrir to at least keep his waking mind free of clutter. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to function at all. Hence why both the Changeling and Chaos Spirit were sleeping so much more often. At least, it was in Chrys's case. Fenrir just slept whenever he wasn't fighting.

But now, everything was completely ordered. Eating that bite of cake had been like an instant organize button, for now all his memories were in their proper place. He couldn't help but grin like a fool. His daughter was exceptional, and he'd sing it to the rafters if he could. Although he was sure doing so would just embarrass Sherry. He glanced out the window. He spotted a familiar yellow pony walking past. It was Applebloom. She looked a little down. Without another thought, he got up and went outside.

Following the young mare was easy—she was so focused on where she was going she didn't notice him following her. Well, wolves were skilled hunters and trackers. Getting caught doing either was out of the question. So like a wolf cornering its prey, Tyr kept his eyes on the red maned pony as she left town. Before long though, the Everfree forest came into view. He frowned. Why would Applebloom be going there? But his question was answered by the mare sitting down within view of the forest. A soft sigh made her shoulders slump. After a minute of watching, he decided to make his presence known. "…Something wrong, Applebloom?"

She jumped to all fours in shock, spinning around. Recognition shot through her eyes. "Oh, Tyr! Y'all almost scared the mane right off me!"

"I'm pretty sure I can't do that," Tyr said with a chuckle, walking over. She went back to her seat as he joined her. "…Something bothering you?"

"Well… kinda."

He sat down beside her. "Wanna tell me?"

"Well… Tyr. You know much about… curses?"

The man frowned. Where exactly was this going? "Well, sort of. I've never been cursed before, but the Zebras in the Sereneighti are pretty cautious about those sorts of things. I can say they do exist."

"So… what about a curse that turns a pony into an evil creature?"

"Evil creature?"

"Like… say… a zombie. Do you think zombies exist?"

Tyr was thoughtful for a moment. "…Ever since I started travelling after you all left my world, I've come across a lot of things. Hydras, Dragons, Griffons, demons… even an Angel or two. But… I don't think I've ever seen a zombie."

"So… they don't exist."

"I didn't say they didn't," Tyr corrected. "But I've never seen one. But I know enough to tell you that its more likely that they exist than that they don't."

"Oh."

"So why the interest in the undead?" He looked over at her. There was a thoughtful yet disturbed look on the young pony's face. He smirked. "Not thinking about becoming one, I hope."

"No! But… is there a way to turn a zombie back to normal?"

Tyr frowned and rubbed his chin. "Normally… zombies come from people—or ponies—that were already dead. So… in that case no."

"…Oh."

"But if we're talking about a _curse_ that turns a person—pony—into a zombie… that's something that can be dealt with."

Applebloom noticeably brightened up at that. Tyr suppressed a chuckle as the red bow she wore shot up as well, emoting along with her. "Really!?"

Tyr reached into his cloak and extracted the vial of blood Isabel had given him. In the light and out of the darkness of the Everfree, it looked less like blood and more like wine. "This was a gift from a friend of mine. It can cure any poison or dispel any curse."

"Oh wow…"

"But seriously though Applebloom," Tyr put the vial away. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "Why all the interest in curses and zombies?"

"Ah… I… was just curious?"

Posing it like a question didn't help her case, but Tyr decided to let it go. "Right… Just one thing, Applebloom."

"Yes?"

"Don't go wandering into the Everfree alone." He fixed her with a hard glare. "I know you know about the Timberwolves, but there are worse things that haunt the darkness."

"So if I did want to go… would you come with me?"

"Me? I suppose I wouldn't say no, but—!"

"Thanks Tyr!" The yellow pony hopped up onto her hooves. "I'll see ya later!"

She dashed off, leaving Tyr in a slight daze. "Uh… well then. That was a thing."

"Um… hello?" Tyr glanced back to see a light violet unicorn mare standing on the road behind him. Her mane and tail were dark purple with light blue streaks, and a Cutie Mark reminiscent of a falling violet star was on her flank. Her blue eyes were wide upon looking at him. Now that's a face he didn't recognize, Tyr thought. Or at least, a coloration he remembered. On her back was a pair of saddlebags, each emblazoned with the mare's Cutie Mark. Must have been travelling, he figured.

"Hello there," He said, not getting up. He knew from past experiences that his height was a terrifying point of contention when it came to ponies. As he was naturally so much taller than them, they'd treat him with caution. So he kept himself low. "I don't believe we've met."

"Likewise…" The mare seemed a bit cautious around him, although to his senses it wasn't because of what he was. "May I… May I know your name?"

"My name is Tyr Winter," Tyr replied, choosing to keep his mother's maiden name. He did prefer it, after all. "And may I have the honor of learning yours?"

"I'm… Starlight Glimmer."

He raised an eyebrow. Interesting name, he thought. "So, Starlight. What brings you to Ponyville?"

"You can tell I'm not from here?"

"If you lived here, I'd have seen you before," Tyr said matter-of-factly. "I've got good eyes."

"I see. So I stick out…" She frowned, almost thoughtful.

"Not saying that's a bad thing," Tyr clarified. The mare looked back up at him.

"Sorry. I guess I'm still not very good at handling new ponies. I guess spending so much time alone didn't help much…"

"Time alone?"

"I… wronged a lot of ponies a couple years back," Starlight explained quietly. "I hurt a lot of them, and I'm still paying for it."

Her face had fallen, and Tyr frowned. "Hey, I'm not going to judge you for your past. Everyone has a few things they're not proud of."

The mare actually smiled. It was a cute, shy smile. "You're quite kind. Like Fluttershy."

Tyr blinked. "You know Fluttershy?"

Starlight nodded. "This is not my first time in Ponyville."

"Oh?"

"I was here a couple years back. I met Twilight and all her friends here. They were… nice to me."

"Well," Tyr decided to stand. He got quite the surprised look from revealing his full height, but no more than that. "I'm nice to people—ponies—that I meet."

"I have to ask… what _are_ you?"

Tyr smirked. He was waiting on that question. "I'm a human. I'm guessing you've never seen one, huh?"

"No… but Twilight did tell me of her time in another world…"

Must have been his world, Tyr thought. Unless Twilight had some other world she had gone to in the interim. He'd have to ask about it later. "So anyway Starlight, did you need a guide into town?"

"You can help me?" She seemed more surprised than shocked. "You live here?"

"Just outside of town," Tyr pointed out. "And to be perfectly honest, I've only been here in Ponyville for a couple days. But I'm familiar enough to at least direct you to where you want to go."

"I was… actually looking for Twilight's castle…?"

"Oh? The castle?"

"Yes, I… I'm technically Twilight's student."

"Then follow me." Tyr smiled and headed back into town. Starlight followed behind, a nervous look on her face. She stayed relatively close to him, almost avoiding making eye contact with anypony. Most were giving her stranger looks than they gave the lone human.

"Am I… really that out of place?" Starlight asked nervously. Tyr gave her a warm smile.

"It's probably because they don't recognize you," Tyr pointed out. "Don't worry. Since they see you with me, they won't worry too much."

"Are you that well known?"

"You could say that."

The rest of the trip was passed in relative silence, as Starlight spent quite a bit of time looking around at the ponies looking their way while Tyr simply navigated. Must not have spent that much time in town to get to know anyone. Before long though, they found themselves outside the impressive Castle of Friendship. Starlight moved a head a little bit to look up at the castle. "Just as impressive as I remember…"

The front doors opened all of a sudden, and out came quite the frazzled Twilight Sparkle. She came flying out the doors and crashed into the ground in front of them. Before either the mare or the man could ask what was going on, a massive gout of flame came rolling out of the doors and over them. Starlight reacted by throwing up a quick magical barrier, while the flames simply parted against the sudden aura of cold around Tyr. As the flames passed, the man looked more amused than upset. "Having fun, Twilight?"

The violet Alicorn slowly got up onto all four hooves. "I was trying to test if a unicorn—or Alicorn in my case—could control an element like you. As you can see, I made the unfortunate decision to use fire."

"Obviously the most violent of all elements," Starlight pointed out with a chuckle. Twilight looked a bit surprised.

"Starlight? You're here?"

"I came to visit," the light purple unicorn said with a small smile. The two mares shared a short hug. When they broke apart, Twilight had a small frown on her face.

"Is… everything okay back in your town?" She asked worriedly. "I know they said they forgave you, but…"

"We started calling it Greenville," Starlight pointed out. "Since all the Earth Ponies are doing what they were born to, the whole area is a lot prettier."

"I see. And how are the ponies living there treating you?"

"It's a lot easier to forgive than forget," Starlight said sadly. But then she forced her smile to grow. "But you all became my first friends, so I'll be fine."

"Starlight…" Twilight said sadly.

"Don't worry about it. So… I heard about the Gala."

"Oh, that's right! That is coming up soon!"

Tyr frowned. "…Gala?"

"The Grand Galloping Gala," Twilight explained. "It's an annual event held in Canterlot. It's a very high class event."

Starlight giggled "But Twilight, you told me the last one was messed up by Discord."

The violet Alicorn shivered. "Ugh. Don't remind me. I'm just glad my mane isn't cotton candy anymore. Keeping Pinkie off of me was already hard enough…"

Tyr couldn't help but laugh. "Sounds like a ball."

"Well, considering Princess Celestia sees it as a way for more ponies to get used to seeing you…"

"Wait what?" Tyr blinked. "I'm going?"

Twilight gave him a sigh. "Tyr. You're married to Luna. Of course you're going."

Starlight blinked several times rapidly. "Wait. This man is married to Princess Luna?"

Tyr grinned. "Yep. And the proud father of two kids." Or five.

"Oh my…"

"Although having to go to fancy parties makes me rethink that decision…"

Twilight chuckled. "You sound like Flash. He said the same thing last year."

Your husband is a royal Knight, right?" Starlight asked. "So wouldn't he have to be there?"

"That's exactly what I told him." Twilight said. "But you know Flash. Always a complainer."

Starlight giggled. "Maybe one day I can find a stallion like Flash."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You'd be better off trying to find someone like Tyr. Whenever Flash is home and not working, he just lazes around."

"I can hear you," A voice said roughly. They all looked up to see a disgruntled Flash flying up near one of the windows. He was busy fixing it, apparently after Twilight's experiment had broken it open. "And considering I spend most of my time trying to fix what you and Evie break with your tests and whatnot…"

"You know I love you, honey," Twilight said, getting an eye roll from the orange Pegasus. He finished with the window and landed down beside Twilight. As if to further convince him, she nuzzled him the moment he landed.

"Gah! Stop that, Twi."

"But I love you so much…!"

"Yeah, I get it." He smirked. "So we have visitors?"

"Just the one," Tyr pointed out, gesturing to Starlight. "I was about to be on my way—"

"Beloved!" They all turned in surprise as Luna, Rarity, and one more mare suddenly materialized behind them. Starlight's eyes narrowed to pinpricks.

"Ah… ah… Princess Luna…!"

Luna frowned, looking down at the frightened mare. "Oh? Do I… know you?"

"This is Starlight Glimmer," Twilight said, coming over to place a hoof on the mare in question's shoulder.

"Oh, Starlight!" Rarity smiled. "It has been some time, no?"

"Ah, the unicorn who developed a magic to steal Cutie Marks," Luna said with a nod. The light violet unicorn winced. "I remember Tia telling me about your little town."

"Oh… so you know," Starlight looked disappointed.

Twilight glanced between the Princess of Dreams and Starlight Glimmer. "Ah, Princess, she's trying to move on past that point…"

"Forgetting our sins is not always the best path," Luna said, coming forward. She smiled down at the other mare. "First, we have to forgive ourselves."

Starlight looked up at Luna, a small smile on her face. "I… I suppose I've never forgiven myself for what I did…"

"So now is a good time to start."

"Yes, Princess!"

"Anyways," Luna looked back over at Tyr. "A letter arrived for you, beloved."

"For me?" Tyr frowned. The third mare came forward then. She was a gray pony with a blonde mane and tail, and a trio of bubbles made up her Cutie Mark. Her golden eyes were pointed in different directions, although one focused on him. It was a little disorienting, but the smile the mare gave him was innocent and bright.

"This is for you!" She said happily, reaching into the mailbag on her back and pulling out a muffin. Everyone paused, staring at the treat. She frowned down at it. "Um… that's not it…"

"I believe this is it, Miss Derpy," Luna said, pulling an envelope out of Derpy's bag with her magic.

"Ah, that is it! Thanks Princess Luna!"

Luna chuckled lightly and levitated the envelope over to Tyr. The man frowned a bit as he took it, before making a small knife out of ice and slicing it open. "Oh? Seems you're getting much more proficient with your ice magic," Luna remarked.

"Thank Sherry for that," The man said, chuckling. "She made a cake that essentially gave me peace of mind. All the memories from my parents fell in line instantly."

"I still want to ask you all about that," Twilight spoke up. "I still don't understand that."

"Direct all questions about that to Cindy," Tyr said with a chuckle. He pulled a letter out of the envelope. It was written on some pretty nice stationary he saw. He began reading. "To Tyr, Husband of Princess Luna; you are cordially invited to… blah blah blah… your presence would be greatly appreciated at the annual Grand Galloping Gala. Enclosed is your ticket."

He shook the envelope and a single golden ticket fell out into his waiting hand. "Oh!" Rarity exclaimed. "You've got your ticket!"

"Letter says I'm allowed to take a plus one," Tyr murmured. He glanced over at the fashionista. "Do you have your own ticket?"

"Oh, yes darling. All of us—Myself, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash—we all get our own tickets."

"And Sherry, Hope and I automatically get in," Luna explained. "Perks of being Princesses."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "I see… oh, I know who to bring."

"Oh? Who?"

"Rarity," Tyr turned to the white unicorn. "Can you get a dress together for Chrysalis?"

Rarity thought for only a moment. "I may actually have one that she can wear already. Lucky for me I had so many dresses in Canterlot Carousel… Although I may need to make some alterations…"

Twilight gasped. "Chrys? You're going to take her?"

"She loves the idea," Tyr said, shrugging. At least, if the cheering in his head was anything to go by. "Plus, it'll reinforce the fact that she won't be a threat."

"Fair enough I guess…"

"Oh!" Rarity perked up. "I almost forgot—Tyr, Darling, I need to measure you!"

Tyr blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"To make you a proper ensemble! I cannot let you go about wearing that armor of yours! It is completely inappropriate for an occasion such as this!"

Flash frowned. "Ace, Grace, Bright Soul and I will be in uniform…"

"But your armor will be clean," Rarity asserted. "And unless there is a master armorer somewhere in the vicinity of Ponyville, I doubt Tyr's armor will be ready for the Gala."

"I guess you're right…"

"And he's in luck! I managed to get quite a bit of the materials I needed in order to do everything I needed. All my work will be finished in time!"

Twilight smiled. "That's wonderful! But… Could you do me a favor, Rarity?"

"Oh? What do you need, darling?"

"I was wondering… could you make a sun themed dress for me?"

"But… I already have a dress designed for you…?"

"I know, but… I was thinking maybe trying a… brighter style this time?" She smiled widely, although to Tyr's gaze it looked a bit forced.

"Hm. Well, I suppose I can. I'm not one to turn down a friend after all." She turned back to Luna and Tyr. "I believe I should get home then. I will be seeing you!"

"I will teleport us back," Luna said. She glanced around, probably looking for Derpy. The gray Pegasus mare had already left, somehow managing to disappear without anyone noticing. She shrugged. "We will see you at home, Beloved."

"Of course," Tyr replied, nodding.

"And by the way…" She blushed lightly. "Please remember to control your Changeling."

He chuckled. "Sorry about this morning."

"Uh huh…"

The two mares vanished in a flash of blue light. Flash chuckled. "Everything alright in paradise, Tyr?"

"Yeah, whatever. Hey Twilight, try not to kill him, alright?"

Twilight nodded. "Right! I'll try doing wind this time."

With a laugh, the man watched as the two ponies reentered the castle, one determined and the other in a panic. Well, there was plenty of time left until school was out. He figured he should go back and check on Pinkie. Hopefully she wasn't still out of it. Seeing Pinkie completely still like that had been… unnerving.

–x–

Bright Soul glanced over as a she spotted Grace walking over to her. "Grace, was there something you needed?"

The other mare was wearing a white cloak with black accents about her shoulders that had her Cutie Mark emblazoned on the collar. As a royal Knight, each of the Knights had their own personalized cloak they wore when on duty, featuring the prominent colors of the Princess they served and a color that identified them. Bright Soul's was a dark gold along with the black, and her own Cutie Mark—a gleaming spear—was on display. Grace adjusted her glasses as she got close. "I heard from one of the patrols that there was a particular stallion that was wandering around. Was there an issue?"

"Ah, him." Bright Soul gestured across the street. A light blue Pegasus stallion was standing around, looking up at the castle. His dark red mane was tied back into a loose ponytail, and a Cutie Mark in the design of a lockbox was clearly visible. Sunglasses obscured his eyes, so Grace couldn't tell where he was looking. But something about him made her wary.

"Has he done anything?"

"Other than look around the castle grounds? Nothing. Hasn't spoken to anypony either."

"I think I'll go see if he's willing to talk." Grace left the other knight and swiftly crossed the street. Other ponies made way for her, her reputation as the most accurate shot with any thrown object preceding her. The unicorn stallion didn't run away or move, only tilting his head downwards as she approached. Grace stopped a few steps short of him. "Hello there."

"Well, well! One of the famous Royal Knights comes to speak to me," The stallion said. He had a light accent, but it was one that Grace knew immediately.

"You're from Manehattan," She said, eyes widening. Her hometown, and the place where she had picked up most of her healing skills.

"Oh? I thought my accent was all but gone."

"You never get rid of it," Grace said with a small smile. The stallion chuckled.

"Yeah… now that ya mention it, I can kinda hear it on your voice too."

"Well then! What brings you to Canterlot?"

"I came to see the Gala," The stallion told her. "I've been hearing stories about it from all over Equestria. So for the first time in a long time I've finally made it here."

Grace frowned. "I see. But unfortunately, the Gala is invite only. Unless you have a ticket, you can't get in."

"Ah, that is an issue, isn't it?" The stallion shrugged. "Oh well. I guess I'll stay outside unless I somehow manage to get a ticket."

"I see. Very well then. Have a good day, sir."

"You as well, Miss Knight." Grace walked back over to Bright Soul, casting only one glance back at the stallion. He was still looking back up at the castle, a small smirk on his lips. Bright Soul spoke up once she was back on the other side of the street.

"So? What do you think?"

"He's definitely suspicious," Grace murmured, keeping her voice low. "For one, his accent is the same from the place where I grew up."

"That makes him suspicious?"

"I grew up in the slums, Bright Soul. When you grow up like that, you can tell when someone else came from the same place." Grace's eyes narrowed. "I never trust anyone from my hometown that my hooves haven't been inside of."

Bright Soul winced. "That's… a little unnerving."

"I learned how to do surgery at ten, Bright Soul. I have a really twisted outlook on life."

"You don't say…"

"On top of that, he was never looking at me while I was talking to him."

"You can tell? I figured his eyes were completely obscured."

"They were, but his body language said otherwise. He wasn't looking at me and he wanted me to know it. Keep an eye on him, alright?"

Bright Soul nodded. "Of course. Will you be going to alert Princess Celestia?"

"She has more things to worry about," Grace muttered. "There is still the issue of those missing mares."

"No progress on that front?"

"None yet. I've only gotten reports of two missing, and it just began recently. It might not be anything at all."

"Well, we have to focus on the Gala for now."

Grace frowned, but didn't say anything. Bright Soul was right—they had the Gala to focus on. Missing mares was not that worrisome, as ponies went missing all the time. The number of missing pony reports had been massive upon their return to Equestria, and had only dwindled down since then. She couldn't look into all of them. So she had to simply go about her business. She spared one last glance back to see that the stallion from before had vanished. Too weird, she thought as she continued her rounds. Too weird.


	14. Chapter 14

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 13: Dressed to Impress

"Stay still," Rarity mumbled, working her way around the impatient Pinkie Pie. The pink mare in question was currently perched atop a small stand while the seamstress made sure her dress was completely ready.

"Aw…" Pinkie complained. "Aren't you almost done?"

"Almost, Pinkie-winkle."

"Looks like a lot of trouble," Tyr muttered from his spot on the couch. It was the day of the Gala, and Rarity was in a rush. According to her, she only had to finish adjusting Pinkie's outfit, and then deliver the other dresses to her friends. The man had to give the mare credit however—managing to make (or at least alter) eight custom dresses and one suit in just two days. He really had to admire her work ethic. Cindy had helped out by fabricating any materials the mare had needed, but when she asked if Rarity wanted her to simply produce the clothes herself, the fashionista had asserted that every dress had to be handmade.

"Getting Pinkie's dress to survive her constant bouncing is the number one concern," Rarity said, moving around to fix the dress's collar. Pinkie's dress really did reflect her personality—balloons and candy shaped emblems were scattered about the cotton candy pink dress, in alternating blue and white colors. It was frilly, and a large blue bow was tied to the back. It was bright and playful, just like Pinkie. "But I've done it before, and I can do it again."

"You're a credit to your profession, Rarity," Luna said, coming into the seamstress's workroom. To Tyr's surprise, his beloved wife's hair was tied back in a bun. She noticed his searching gaze and chuckled slightly. "I have my mane done like this so that it will be somewhat ready for all the work that will go into it tonight."

"Work?"

"The Princesses have extensive work put into their ensembles for this event," Rarity said, turning to look. "Why, just last year, Twilight told me she had almost half a dozen hairstylists working on her mane and tail before the Gala."

"That's… pretty impressive."

"I normally don't attend," Luna said, taking a seat beside Tyr. The man slipped an arm around her without a word and she simply leaned against him. "But considering this will be your first, beloved, I decided to at least show myself."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Well, thank you my dear."

"Alright, I'm done," Rarity said with a soft sigh. Pinkie bounced up and down happily. "Oh don't start now! Get the dress off for now—we'll do your hair and things before we leave."

Pinkie grinned. "Kay~" She bounced out of the room to go to her own. Rarity let out a sigh.

"I swear by the Two Sisters, that mare has more energy than I can handle…"

"That brings up a thought," Tyr said. "Why do ponies essentially use Luna and Celestia's names like if they were gods?"

"Well, to be perfectly frank, many ponies still do suffer from the delusion that my sister and I are gods," Luna said sadly. "Although I believe Tia has done her best to fix that interpretation, it is a euphemism that we have not gotten rid of."

"It is something I have been used to saying since I was little," Rarity admitted.

Tyr shrugged. "I see."

"Well, I am done for the time being," Rarity said, stretching. "I will take the dresses for the others over to Twilight's castle, and then we can all get prepared. Unfortunately darling—"

"I'll get changed here," Tyr said with a chuckle. "I'll give you your privacy."

"I suppose I should be going as well," Luna said with a sigh. She got up. "I need to take Sherry and Hope back to Canterlot. A Princess's work is never done…"

"I guess I'll have to wait to see you in your dress," Tyr said.

"I'm sure you will be fine waiting," Luna said, leaning down to kiss him. After she pulled away, Tyr got up as well. Together the three of them went out into the hall, and then the common room. Aleron was reading a book, while Jubilee, Ancè, and Aurora were talking. Cori was sitting with Chrys, the older Changeling showing her something in the newspaper.

"Chrys, we should get going," Rarity said as Luna went off to go find Tyr's other two daughters. "We're going to Twilight's castle to prepare for the evening."

Chrys frowned ever so slightly. "I see. And the little ones?"

"They will be spending the evening in the castle," Rarity explained proudly. "Since they're a bit too young to be romping around the Gala."

"Oh!" Aurora sat up. "That means we can show everypony around, right?"

"I would enjoy a tour of the castle," Ancè said.

"Aw, I wanted to party!" Jubilee whined.

"Please don't be so much like mom, Bibi…"

"You all sound like you're going somewhere," Fenrir mumbled, crawling out from her sleeping spot under Tyr's cloak. She yawned.

"We're going to a party," Chrys said.

"…Humph. Wake me up if you get into a fight or something."

Tyr shook his head. "Hopefully I won't need to wake you then."

"I laid out your suit in your room, Tyr," Rarity said, pulling a long rack full of dresses along behind her. "Put it on before we leave."

"How are we getting to Canterlot, actually?" Tyr asked, a bit curious.

Rarity frowned. "Normally we go by train. It's an hour or so trip, if I recall. We wanted to attempt teleportation one year, but over such a long distance and with such a large group, Twilight couldn't do it safely."

"I believe I have a solution, Operator," Cindy said, coming over.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. That was becoming the machine girl's catch phrase. "And what solution do you have for me, Cindy?"

"The Jötunheim has a pair of smaller craft with transport capability," Cindy said. "It is called a Ranger. It should provide enough transport space for all of you, and transport you to your destination in short order."

"That sounds perfect."

"Although… it requires a pilot. Unfortunately, I cannot provide that service. You will need to pilot it manually."

Tyr flexed his hands. "No worries. I remember my mother's skill."

Rarity smiled. "I'll let the girls know then. You remember the time, right?"

"Right. See you later?"

She came over to him and pushed herself up to kiss his cheek. "Of course, darling."

"I want a kiss too," Chrys complained, coming over. Tyr chuckled and rolled his eyes. But he did gently place a kiss right between his Changeling's eyes. "Thank you Master."

"Now I'll see you girls later, alright?" He grinned.

"Of course." Rarity smiled. "I just hope you're looking forward to our outfits, Darling."

The tone with which she said it made Tyr frown, as if she had something else planned. Well, if that was the case, he'd just have to wait until he saw them again.

–x–

Celestia looked up from the scroll she was reading as Ace came into her study. "Oh, you're early, Ace," She said.

"Just making sure everything was in order," The knight said, running a hoof over his mane. He was clad in his white and gold cloak with a bloody shield emblazoned on it—his Cutie Mark. Every time Celestia saw it her heart hurt. It was an almost constant reminder that there was still evil in this world. If Ace noticed her slight cringe, he didn't say anything.

"So nothing out of the ordinary?"

"No, we have all the food and everything, decorations are up…" Ace smirked. "So when were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"You asked Heart to sing tonight."

Celestia smiled. "Ah, Heart Song. Are you that surprised?"

"Not really." Ace moved over to one of the cushions near the desk. "But I've been so busy I haven't had time to see my sister. And you knew that."

"Oh Ace, I'm not that devious." She smirked, which got a laugh from the all-white Pegasus.

"You say that," He chuckled. "Anyway, she's getting set up. Want to go see her?"

"Well, it's not much fun doing paperwork anyway," Celestia said, getting up. Ace got up as well and together they left the study. Everyone in the castle was working at full steam to prepare for the Gala, so most of the halls were empty. However as they made it outside, they spotted Flash talking to two other ponies. One was a dark purple unicorn stallion, with a braided black mane and a pair of headphones around his neck. His Cutie Mark was a quill sitting on a CD, and the same emblem was on the black jacket he wore. The other was a Pegasus mare, with a brown coat and a brown mane and tail that had gold highlights. Her Cutie Mark was a metronome, and she was wearing a plaid shirt and a multicolored scarf.

"Ah, Princess," Flash said, spotting them coming. His cloak was gold and blue, with his Cutie Mark—a blue shield with a lightning bolt—stitched into it. "I was actually about to come looking for you."

"For me?" Celestia frowned. "What seemed to be the problem?"

"First, let me introduce Read Write and Even Tempo, the two music coordinators for today. They normally work with Coloratura, but she lent them to us for the evening."

The violet stallion bowed slightly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess. The name's Read Write, but most ponies just call me Read. I'll be handling sound for you tonight, and provide whatever you need."

"And I'm Even Tempo," The mare said, smiling. "I'll make sure my silly fiancé here actually does his job."

Read chuckled nervously. "Jeez babe."

Celestia laughed softly. "I am not worried. You two seem like good ponies, so I am sure you will do an excellent job."

"We're professionals," Read assured her. "You're gonna have the best sound ever."

"And that's a promise we can keep!" Tempo added.

"Wonderful. I will leave you to your duties."

The two ponies bowed once more before going off to where a sound station was set up. "Coloratura was pretty nice to lend us her pros for the Gala," Ace said thoughtfully.

"She was close friends with Applejack from what I heard," Flash said, joining Celestia and Ace. "Probably that Apple hospitality rubbed off on her."

"A fair point," Celestia agreed. "If I see her tonight, I will have to personally thank her."

"Aunt Tia!" They looked over to see Sherry coming over, a frown on the Princess of Creativity's face. Celestia frowned ever so slightly.

"Is something wrong, Sherry?"

"Not particularly, I just wanted your permission to serve my new cake design tonight."

"Ah, the one you were designing for your father?"

"Yeah. I got him to taste it the other day, and he approved."

"Wonderful. You have my permission as well." Celestia smirked. New cake recipes were always welcome to her.

"Thanks Aunt Tia. I'll see you later then!"

"Ah, before you go, Sherry," Celestia stopped her before she left. "Where is my sister?"

Sherry thought for a moment. "I think she's still getting herself ready? I'm not completely sure."

"Fair enough. You may go, Sherry."

The young Alicorn smiled brightly before hurrying off, no doubt to begin her own preparations for the Gala. "She's such a good kid," Flash muttered.

"I believe her upbringing had quite a part to play in that," Celestia said with a smile. "I am sure her parents raised her to be a kind filly, and Tyr gave her the mental fortitude to pull through after losing her family. And he gave her the strength to continue on."

"She's kind and honest like Tyr," Ace agreed. "Plus he even made sure to keep her involved and show that he loved her when the twins were born. Sun knows I had that issue when Vi was born…"

"Lucky for me I only have one kid," Flash said with a chuckle. Ace rolled his eyes, but the motion caused him to look over at Celestia. Her smile was still there, but there was a bit of pain in it. He frowned, but the Princess of the Sun looked down at him.

"Is there something wrong, Ace?"

"No…" He murmured. "But… are you alright, Princess?"

"I will be fine."

Ace frowned, but before he could prod any further, a musical voice called out to him. "Big Brother~!"

Celestia had always loved seeing the emotions play over Ace's face whenever he saw his sister for the first time in a while. First there was confusion, as he didn't immediately recognize the voice. Then the realization, and then the pure joy at seeing his little sister. "Heart!"

The all-white mare came rolling over in her wheelchair, red tinged magic turning the wheels. She was already dressed in a dark red evening gown, and her long mane was tied back into a French braid. There was a small smile on her face, but Celestia could almost feel the happiness radiate off her. Ace immediately flew to his sister and embraced her. "It's been too long," She said, hugging her brother back.

"We've been busy," Ace said, gently resting his forehead against hers. "But I have really missed you."

"Same."

"Could you guys chill with the sibling love?" Flash said with a chuckle. "I know you two love each other, but seriously."

"If you had a sister like mine, you'd be the same," Ace said, gently nuzzling his sister one last time. Heart Song giggled.

"Stop hyping me up," Heart Song said. "I'm not all that amazing."

"You are to me."

Celestia laughed quietly. "You two are simply adorable."

Instead of being embarrassed, as most ponies would be, both Ace and Heart Song beamed. Obviously, any kind of praise they could get from Celestia was worth it. The knight turned to his sister for a moment. "Hey, do you have everything you need for tonight?"

Heart Song thought for a moment. "I do believe so. Read and Tempo have been really patient and helpful. It almost makes me a bit jealous that Coloratura has them all to herself."

"I'm sure 'Rara' would lend them to you if you asked," Flash pointed out with a small chuckle. "Speaking of her, I haven't seen her at all."

"She's getting ready," Heart Song said. "I was just a bit quicker."

"Yo, Song!" Read called out. "We still have to do a sound check for you, love!"

Heart Song smiled sadly. "Duty calls, friends and family. I'll see you all at the gala!"

She rolled away, leaving the Princess and her two Knights standing there. Read was waiting on her with a lapel mic in his dark gray magical aura. "Seems she'll be busy," Flash murmured. Although almost immediately, several voices cried out.

"Princess Celestia!"

They turned to see three mares running to them. "What's going on?" Ace asked.

"We've been looking for you everywhere, princess!" The lead of the mares said. "We need to do your mane and tail!"

Ace blinked several times. "…Princess?"

Celestia glanced over at him. "…Yes, my dear Ace Guard?"

"You weren't doing paperwork, were you?"

"…No."

"You were hiding from the stylists."

"…Yes…"

Ace face-hoofed. "…Go get your mane and tail done."

Celestia leaned in close. "Only if you call me mother."

The white Pegasus blushed softly, glancing around. Flash was watching intently, and the three mares were waiting on his reply. He let out a deep sigh. "Go get your mane and tail done… mom."

The Princess of the Sun beamed just like the celestial body she controlled. "As you say, my dear son."

As the Princess left, Flash gave his friend a sly smirk. The other knight rolled his eyes, even as he could overhear the other ponies setting up beginning to talk about what just happened. No doubt Princess Celestia's 'son' was going to get a lot of attention tonight…

–x–

"So we're not taking the train?" Rainbow asked. She and the Elements of Harmony and Starlight Glimmer were in the Castle of Friendship's map room, each seated on their respective thrones. Well, all except Twilight. The Princess of Friendship was absent, preparing something in another room. The others were already dressed, each of their dresses matching their personalities. Applejack and Rainbow's dresses were less ornate or fancy as the others as befitted their distaste for anything too flashy. Fluttershy's dress was earth colored and flowy, yet still gave her a refined look. Rarity had outdone herself, as usual.

The fashionista herself was dressed in an elegant white and purple dress that glittered in the light. Assorted gemstones lined the edges of the dress, a testament to Rarity's… extravagant style. She chided her athletic friend gently. "Now Rainbow Dash, calm down. I already explained that Tyr planned to provide our means of transportation tonight."

"But how?"

"Hopefully not with his airship," Applejack pointed out. "I know Rare is all for big entrances, but that thing might be a _tad_ too big?"

"I agree," Fluttershy said. "It might be too loud for all the animals there…"

Rarity huffed. "Now, I will agree with you Applejack; I do enjoy a good entrance. But even I know that massive ship of Tyr's is too much."

"So what did he decide to do?" Starlight asked.

Pinkie bounced up and down on her throne. "He got a smaller ship, silly!"

"Smaller?"

There was a noise from outside, catching their attention. "That's Tyr!" Pinkie cried, bolting out of the door.

"How does she know that?" Starlight murmured, but she and the other mares followed after. The sight that greeted them just outside was enough to make their jaws drop. A sleek silver ship about the size of a small house sat in front of them, its engine humming gently as it settled down. A ramp opened up then, and out walked Tyr. The mares there had to take a moment as the man walked out. He was wearing a silver three piece suit, the vest a royal blue and the tie designed to look like stars. A small version of his Cutie Mark—a silver shield with a moon in its center—was emblazoned just above where his heart would be. Rarity had added a violet half cape to the outfit, which Tyr wore over his right arm. A quintet of stars was centered halfway up the cape itself.

"So…" The man said, smiling slightly. "How do I look?"

"You look…" Applejack started, trying to find words.

"Dude, you look awesome!" Dash exclaimed. "That cape is badass!"

"I agree," Fluttershy said softly. She smiled, a small blush crossing her cheeks. "You look… dashing."

Pinkie almost couldn't contain herself. "You look so COOL!"

"What do the stars stand for?" Starlight asked.

"His kids," Rarity said softly. The other mare looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it.

He adjusted one of his sleeves. "But I have to give it to you, Rarity; this outfit fits me perfectly." Tyr admitted with a chuckle as he walked over.

"I take pride in all my projects," Rarity said proudly, tossing her mane. "Of course I would do the best for my…"

A frown crossed her face as she stopped talking. "What is it, Rarity?" Tyr asked.

"I've just realized… I'm not quite sure what to call you."

Pinkie blew a raspberry. "You can just call him Tyr, silly!"

"Pinkie, you know what I meant."

"I believe the proper term is 'herd-mate'," Chrys supplied, coming outside. The changeling was clad in a forest green dress that almost looked like it was made of metal instead of cloth. It shimmered like the surface of a lake. Silver accents lined some of the edges. Her mane was done up into long braids, tied back by a silver bow. She smiled as she saw Tyr's shocked look. "Do you approve, Master?" She purred.

"Well… yeah. You look… stunning, Chrissy."

The Changeling giggled and walked over to him. She gave him one long appreciative look. "You look good yourself."

He smirked and touched the collar around her neck. "Although I think this part of the outfit is my favorite."

That got a blush out of the Changeling. She lowered her head slightly. "…It is mine as well, Master. Although…"

"Although?"

"The constant reminder of your love is the main reason I like it."

"What are they doing?" Starlight whispered to Rarity. "Didn't Queen Chrysalis attempt to conquer Equestria? Why is he so… friendly with her?"

The white unicorn frowned slightly. "Chrysalis belongs to him. I made that collar for her, and he gave it to her. She's wholly devoted to him."

"And you and the others just forgave her for what she did?"

"It took a while, but yes," Rarity said shortly, narrowing her eyes at the other mare. "Considering she saved Luna's life twice, I believe she has earned our trust."

"She saved Princess Luna…?" Starlight processed that information. This… man had 'tamed' a Changeling? And the Queen of the Changelings on top of that! She made to ask Rarity another question, but noticed something black just under the collar of her dress. "Rarity… are you wearing something on your neck?"

The white unicorn blinked rapidly, before adjusting her dress with her magic. "I am wearing a high collared dress, darling."

"Yes but—"

"I'm finished!" Twilight's voice called out from inside the castle. Everyone turned to look as the Princess of Friendship came trotting out of the castle. Her dress was a mixture of violet, pink, and blue, with purple stars mixed in. It was elegant and fit the Princess extremely well. "Oh, hello Tyr!"

"Princess," The man said respectfully, bowing with one arm crossed over his chest. Twilight was a bit taken aback by the professionalism in his voice. It didn't help that in that moment, he looked like a knight in dress attire.

"Oh, uh… You don't have to be so formal…"

"Just wanted to do it once," Tyr admitted respectfully. "So, are we all ready to go?"

"Can you fit all of us in there?" Fluttershy asked, looking over the Ranger.

"All of you and plenty of room to spare."

"Then…" Twilight spoke up. "You don't mind me adding one more?"

"One more?" Tyr frowned slightly as the kids came rushing out of the castle. They were all dressed up as well, in some regards almost in outfits just like their parents. The only exception was Vibrant, who was wearing a white and gold suit. Tyr figured that Ace was probably wearing something like that. Chrys immediately took over in getting them calmly into the Ranger.

Twilight nodded and turned back to the castle. "You can come out now!"

There was a heavy sigh from inside. "…Fine." Out from the castle gate came a unicorn mare with a golden coat and hair that reminded Tyr of flames. Her sky blue eyes regarded Tyr for a moment. "…So you're the guy."

"I'm the guy?" He repeated.

"The one from the other human world." The unicorn said, coming forward. Her dress caught Tyr's eye, with the design almost like a red sun spreading rays of pure yellow light. She stopped just short of Tyr. "You must be Tyr Hymir."

"Winter, actually," Tyr corrected the mare. "And am I safe to assume that Twilight told you about me?"

"You'd be correct." She smiled. "Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet you, Tyr."

"The pleasure is all mine. You look radiant in that dress by the way."

"Why thank you! I expect nothing less from a Rarity."

"A Rarity?"

"The world Sunset lives in is parallel to this one," Twilight said, moving over to join her friend. "There's an alternate version of everyone in this world in that one."

"Well, all except me," Sunset said a little sadly. "I haven't met my alternate self. Which may or may not be a good thing?"

"Well, you won't know unless you do see her," Applejack said. "So are these… 'alternate selves' just like us?"

"More or less," Sunset said with a grin.

"Well!" Rarity cleared her throat. "We are wasting time. The Gala awaits!"

As the other mares went up the boarding ramp into the Ranger, Sunset paused at the bottom. "…We're going in this thing?"

"Don't worry," Tyr told her, patting her back as he passed. "You're in good hands."

The color drained out of her face. " _You're_ flying? Oh dear Celestia, and I was worried about my Math test…"

"No worries," Rainbow said, settling in next to Vibrant. "Believe me, if you knew Tyr like we know him, you'd trust him too."

"Coming from Rainbow that actually means something," Sunset murmured, sitting beside Starlight in the back. Tyr moved up to the cockpit, placing his hands on the blank metal panel. To Sunset's surprise, conventional controls formed out of the metal, as if responding to his touch.

"Everypony buckle up," Tyr said, grinning. "It's time to fly."

–x–

The Gala was in full swing by the time they arrived. Ponies of all colors and sizes were walking about, socializing and enjoying the festivities. Most were extravagantly dressed, and at least some were obviously rich. Although the looks they gave Tyr and his party when they approached were obviously a little bit disdainful. Although one pony brightened Tyr's evening the moment he saw her. "Daddy!"

Sherry flew to her father, landing lightly in front of him before she embraced him. He couldn't help but smile and stroke her styled mane. "Hello my dear. How are you?"

"Much better now that you're here," Sherry said, releasing him and dropping back to all fours. Her dress was a mixture of pink and night related colors, and a small tiara sat atop her head. She waved at the others behind Tyr. "Wow, everyone came, huh?"

"Yeah, they all get tickets normally I hear."

"Sherry!" A quite upset voice called out. Tyr glanced past his daughter to see Hope trotting over. Her dress was more sun themed, and flowed about her as she walked. She frowned at the other Alicorn. "Aunty Celestia had us greeting guests—you can't just run off like that!"

"And you're supposed to be the responsible one," Aurora teased, flying up near her father's shoulder.

Sherry grinned sheepishly. "Right… well, check your tickets in with the doorpony, and I'll see you inside!"

With a hurried wave goodbye, the two Alicorns galloped back to the front doors. Tyr turned to the large group behind him. Rarity and Pinkie were right behind him, with the others slightly scattered about. "Alright everypony!" He called out, catching their attention. Aurora landed on his shoulders, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. He had to suppress the chuckle as he spoke. "Let's get checked in and then we can go about our business."

"First off, we need to get the kids to the castle," Twilight pointed out.

"We can handle that!" Aurora said proudly. "Al and I know the castle like the back of our hooves!"

"Then you two take care of your friends," Tyr said, smiling. "And don't get into trouble."

"Kay!"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Aleron promised. His sister pouted, but a quick and gentle pat from her father stopped her from responding.

"Thanks, you two. I'll sneak you some of your sister's cake."

"Sweet!" Aurora proclaimed, and took off towards her friends. It still amazed Tyr how quickly Aurora and Aleron had joined the already tight-knit group that was made up of his friend's kids. His daughter and Jubilee were really close, and even Al was getting along well with Ancè. But what made him the most happy was how accepted Cori was. The little Changeling had been almost absolutely terrified of any and all confrontation at first. But now, she was laughing and talking along with the rest of them. In particular, she seemed quite close with Golden Grove. He watched Aurora and Evie coming up with some kind of organizational plan, before the nine-pony group headed off to the castle.

"We should be on our way as well, darling," Rarity said, breaking him from his momentary thought process. His friends were already walking ahead, checking in with the guard at the door. Pinkie and Rarity had stayed behind with him, along with Chrys. He nodded wordlessly, and led the three mares to the door. The guard seemed particularly confused at both the human man and the Changeling, but the moment Tyr presented his ticket, the stallion had no choice but to let them in. The inside of the castle was as grand as Tyr remembered, except for all the decorations strewn about. For such an upscale party, it was still pretty lively.

"Oh, darling," Rarity spoke up. "I think I see someone I need to talk to. Do you mind?"

"You don't have to stay with me the whole night," Tyr pointed out with a small chuckle. "It's not like I own you or anything."

Rarity and Pinkie shared a look, but the white unicorn simply laughed quietly. "…Quite right, I suppose. Well, I shall see you later, darling."

She walked off, Tyr watching her walk away for a moment. He had to admit Rarity did really good in that dress of hers. All the girls did, he figured after a thought. He glanced around, suddenly finding himself alone. Pinkie vanishing was no surprise, but even Chrys had wandered off somewhere. There was a chuckle behind him. "Already lost, Tyr?"

Tyr glanced back to see Bright Soul approaching him, a small smirk on her face. The Lunar Knight was clad in her personal cloak, and Tyr could see light armor on under it. He smirked. "I suppose. Everyone's gone off to do their own thing."

"Hm. I see." She glanced around, looking at all the party goers. "I'm not one for things like this…"

"That makes two of us," Tyr said, chuckling. "This isn't the first time I've been dragged to a party because of who I know."

"While I have to work."

"A cruel world, is it not?"

To Tyr's surprise, the hazel pony chuckled. "I suppose at times it is."

"What's this now?" Tyr folded his arms over his chest, a smile beginning to form. "Are you warming up to me?"

"No!" Bright Soul immediately denied it. "I mean… Grace told me I had to make small talk, but… Ugh."

"If you're not comfortable talking to me…"

"It's not that. My sister… is here."

"Your sister? You said her name was Shining Light, right?"

The other pony glanced up at him, raising one eyebrow. "You remember?"

"I have perfect recall," Tyr pointed out. "So your sister came with you?"

"I told her you might be here, so she wanted to meet you."

"Fair enough… where is she?"

Bright Soul turned back to the crowd. She searched for a while before suddenly smiling. "There she is!" She waved one hoof into the air. After a moment, a golden maned mare came trotting over. She and Bright Soul had the same coat color, but the newcomer's eyes were a gentle brown. Those eyes in question opened wide upon seeing Tyr. Her mouth opened, and a soft voice managed to come out.

"You… you're the Silver Knight…"

Tyr smiled. "Hello there. Shining Light, if I'm correct?"

"You remember me!" The mare seemed almost giddy. "After all this time… you still remember me?"

A small frown crossed the man's face. "Well, considering what we saw…"

Shining Light's face fell. "Oh… right."

"But everyone—everypony, I mean—got out okay, right?"

"Oh, yes! Thanks to you and the other knights, we all got home safely." Shining Light glanced over at her sister. "And I got to be reunited with my big sister."

"Don't start getting all mushy, Light," Bright Soul said, nudging her sister.

The other mare pouted. "You don't have to be so serious all the time, big sis."

"I'm a knight! It's my job!"

"I don't think being 'stoic and stern' was part of the job description," Ace said. He, Flash and Grace came walking over.

"Yo, everypony," Tyr said in greeting.

Flash chuckled. "Someone's getting used to the terminology."

"I kinda have to. Ponies keep looking at me weird."

"Well," Ace spoke up. "We kinda have a thing to do, remember Bright?"

Bright Soul thought for a moment before suddenly stomping one hoof. "Ah, right! For the duke and duchess of Maretania?"

"Right. And their son, who came along."

Shining Light glanced around. "You all have something to do?"

"Sorry Light," Bright Soul apologized. "I have my duties…"

"It's okay, Bright," Shining told her,

Tyr frowned. "What are you guys even doing?"

"A presentation of our skills, or some such," Grace pointed out. She gestured towards one of the windows. Already, there was a group of horses—not ponies—outside who looked quite foreign. They seemed to be waiting for something. "Princess Celestia asked us to entertain them."

"I guess I'll tag along," Tyr said, shrugging. "My little group ditched me."

"Well, it's just like old times!" Flash agreed. He glanced at Bright Soul. "Plus one, of course."

"Thanks for establishing me as the odd one out," the Lunar Knight responded dryly.

"Sorry."

They made their way outside. As they walked, Tyr could hear the light clinking noise as the armor the four knights were wearing clinked together. Grace and Bright Soul were more lightly armored than Flash and Ace, although Flash wore more plate like armor. Guess their preferences had changed once they were back in their own world. There was a table set up outside, and the duke and his family were seated behind it. Sherry and Hope stood to one side, with the duchess saying something to them. Once they got closer, they caught the last bit of the conversation. "I just cannot fathom what has kept Princess Celestia and Princess Luna so occupied," the mare was saying.

"Princess Celestia is greeting ponies as they enter," Hope explained calmly. "And Princess Luna is currently occupied by other nobles attending this event. That is why Princess Sherry and I are attending to you."

"I still find it odd that there are so many Princesses now," The stallion said, tilting his head upwards. It made it so he was looking down on Sherry and Hope, even despite his already obvious high difference. "In our lands, we do not throw around titles such as 'Princess' with such ease."

"We were given titles to emphasize our position of helping other ponies," Sherry said, frowning. "We do not use our positions as political tools."

"Are you implying something, Miss Sherry?"

The pink haired mare was caught off guard. "No, I…" She looked over at Hope, who also seemed quite surprised.

"I think avoiding such blatant threats would be a benefit to us all," Tyr said, as he and the knights reached the group. The duke's guards snapped to attention, drawing sabers and angling them towards Tyr.

"Watch it!" Grace hissed, stepping forward. Her horn lit up to push the blades down. "Don't point those at him!"

"What is this… beast you bring before us?" The duke stood up, frowning deeply. "Is this what the Princesses wished to show us? Some dressed up pet of theirs?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. For a short moment they almost looked feral. "Didn't anypony teach you not to threaten a wolf?"

The duke drew back, obviously terrified. His guards pushed forward again, but Ace and Flash stepped in the way. "Stand down, or we'll make you," Flash warned.

"Oh, please do," Ace said with a wild grin. "I _really_ want something to do."

The duke and Tyr stared at one another for a long minute. Finally, the stallion let out a sigh and turned away. "…Stand down."

The guards looked to their leader, but sheathed their sabers. "So!" The duchess spoke up. "This demonstration…"

"Princess Celestia asked me to demonstrate my skills," Grace said, stepping forward.

"And what will you be doing?"

"I've got just the trick," Ace said with a grin, retrieving an apple. "How about this one, Grace?"

The red-maned pony looked at the apple for a minute. After a moment of thought, she took off her glasses and set them on the nearby table. "…That one will do."

Ace moved to a spot in front of the group, while Grace stood just off the side. "Here goes nothing!" The white pegasus threw the apple into the air as high as he could. Grace followed it with her eyes as it travelled, never moving. Only the moment it reached the apex of its flight did she move. She flung her cape open, and in a fluid motion drew a quartet of throwing knives. Only Tyr could follow the motion as the four knives shot through the night air and towards the apple. To the shock of the majority of those watching, the apple landed on the table in one piece.

The duke's son sat up straighter. "Did… did she miss?"

"This is the supposed skill of the Royal knights?" The duke chuckled. "Why she couldn't hit the broad side of a—"

With a small sound, the apple separated into several slices. Grace smirked and replaced her glasses. "I don't miss."

"…I see…"

"Man that never gets old," Ace chuckled, popping one of the apple slices into his mouth. "I almost want her to do this at breakfast."

"Not even if you asked, Ace," Grace said with a laugh. "I'd like to not leave knife holes in too many walls."

"Fair enough."

"I see the prowess of the knights are not to be scoffed at," The duke said. "And does this… thing do anything useful?"

"He is an Elemental," Bright Soul clarified. "I would advise you to not speak of him like a household pet."

"…Very well."

"I'll show you what I can do," Tyr said, a bit of venom in his voice. He lifted up one arm, cold air already forming around it. He directed the cold air flow into a small storm, sending it dancing off his fingertips and onto the grass. The ice flurry grew thicker and thicker under his direction, and snow began to fall in the small area around it. Tyr yanked his hands apart, and the ice snapped together to form a life sized statue of Luna made completely of ice. Everyone stared in quiet awe. Tyr let out a soft sigh. "…There."

"Whoa man," Ace mumbled, moving closer to inspect it. "This is… perfect."

"It's an exact replica," the duke muttered, looking it over himself. "You even captured that stern look of hers so well…"

"What's this about me looking stern?" Everyone turned to see the Princess of Dreams herself walking along the path to them. Her violet and blue dress gave off the appearance of stained glass, and flowed as she moved. She approached the ice sculpture, a look of wonder crossing her face. She glanced from the sculpture to Tyr, and then back again. "Beloved… did you make this?"

"Yes I did," Tyr said, smiling. "Who else do you know that can control ice?"

Luna chuckled. "Well, true enough. Plus, only you would know me well enough to make an exact replica."

"Princess…" The duke mumbled. "You… and this… human?"

"This 'human' as you keep calling him is an Elemental," Luna said sharply, frowning and looking over at the duke. "And he is my husband."

As the other ponies' eyes widened in shock, Bright Soul rolled her eyes. "I warned you…"

The duchess stood up and cleared her throat. "W-Well! I believe we have been quite entertained. We should go inside and get something to eat, no?"

Taking the advice of his wife, the duke and his family got up, bowed slightly to Princess Luna, and hurried inside with their guards. "I saw that coming," Grace said with a chuckle.

Ace glanced around, noticing who was left. A small smirk appeared on his face. "Hey, Flash, Grace, Bright—didn't we have something to do?"

Bright Soul looked over at the white pegasus with a frown. "I don't remember having anything else to—?"

"Ah, that's right!" Sherry said, nodding. "I needed you four for something. Come on, we should go."

Ace, Flash and Grace shared a look and nodded, moving to follow Sherry and Hope. Bright Soul still had a frown on her face. "I still don't remember… hey wait, don't leave me!" She galloped after them, leaving Tyr and Luna alone out in the garden. The Princess of Dreams was still looking at the sculpture, walking around it in a slow circle. Tyr found a bench nearby and sat down.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Like it? I'm still simply wondering if my flank really is that big." Luna glanced over behind herself, and then at Tyr. The man was looking at her backside with a curious expression. "…Really, beloved?"

"You brought it up," Tyr said with a chuckle.

"I suppose that is true. Although if anyone is going to stare at my flank, I would prefer it was you." She moved away from the sculpture and joined Tyr on the bench, sitting beside him and laying her head in his lap. He began to aimlessly stroke her mane and run his fingers through it. The strange ethereal like texture still felt weird to him. Luna let out a sigh of content. "That feels good."

"Your mane still feels strange to me," Tyr pointed out. "A good kind of strange though."

"I wish I could simply lie here in your lap all evening. That would be a perfect night for me."

"I agree with you there, Moon. But you've got your duties to deal with."

"Night take my duties," Luna complained, twitching slightly as Tyr's fingers brushed against her ears. "I would give up everything for you."

Tyr smiled. "I know my dear, and I would do the same for you. But we do have our responsibilities."

"I know…"

"You do look wonderful in this dress."

Luna smiled and laughed quietly. "Why thank you, my love. And you in turn look quite handsome in that suit. A Rarity original, I may assume?"

"Of course."

Dark blue magic took hold of the half-cape, lifting it up slightly. "It does rather suit you."

"Thank you." Tyr smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. As he did so, a thought occurred to him. "Hey, Moon, mind if I ask a question?"

"Of course not, my beloved. What is it?"

"I know you like it when I touch your mane or scratch at your ears, but… what happens if I touch your horn?"

To the man's surprise, the mare in his lap tensed up and a blush spread across her cheeks. "That… that is a question, is it not…"

"Moon?"

"Simply put beloved… Only touch my horn if you want me out of this dress."

"I…I see. That was rather blunt."

"You know I'm not one to dance around the issue…"

"True enough."

"Princess!" A guard called softly, coming outside. Luna lifted her head up from Tyr's lap, a small frown crossing her face. "I'm sorry to disturb you and your husband, but—"

"Let me guess; Duty calls, correct?" Luna let out a sigh. "One day, I will be able to spend an evening just lying on your lap, beloved."

Tyr grinned. "My lap and I will be waiting."

They both got up off the bench. "Well, let us go. We have to 'mingle' and whatnot…"

"It'll be fine," Tyr put a comforting arm around her as they walked back inside. "We'll have tons of fun!"

–x–

* * *

 **I believe that is what we call... tempting fate. This Gala will be quite interesting.**

 **But I won't reveal any secrets. You'll have to wait, for now.**

 **As usual, please Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter. Don't hesitate to comment or criticize, for the Library Accepts All, and will patiently wait for your return.**

 **Oh, and just in case I have those readers... Happy Father's Day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Apologies, dear readers. I am a day late. Steam summer sale hit, and I was a bit... distracted. My sincerest apologies. But I do have two chapter for you today, and I'll be sure to be on time next week. Onto the comments!**

 **Kevin Lapse: Unfortunately, I'm with Sprint. I may not have gotten that call.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Rarity is scheming. Is this bad? We may not know.**

 **WarHusky2000: I will continue putting up quality content! Hope you enjoy these chapters as well!**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Although I have planned to include Blueblood back into the story way before your prediction/demand, I am simply curious as to why you want to see him so badly. Just curious to see what I do with him, or for another insidious reason...? Ah well.**

 **On to the chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 14: A Wolf in Pony-Made Clothing

Unfortunately for Tyr, fate had other designs for his wife this evening. Almost the moment they reentered the main hall, Luna had been beckoned away by a group of nobles almost immediately. They wished to speak to her about some sort of business. As much as he wanted to join her, they kept giving him misgiving looks as he got close. So he simply left her to her business. He instead hung around and listened to the background music. To his amusement, Sweetie Bell was up at the mic, singing a slow song that sounded almost like a love song. He watched her sing for a minute or so, before something caught his eye. It was Rarity, standing beside a tall, gray, well dressed stallion. From this distance and with all the talking going on in the hall, he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Rarity seemed to be a bit embarrassed, and was blushing at what the stallion was saying. And whatever it was, he was laying it on thick. From the familiar touches he was giving Rarity and the look in his eyes, he was looking to have a good time _after_ the gala. Something in Tyr made him want to go over and tell the stallion off, but he held back. Rarity was… well, he couldn't really claim her, could he? Being in a herd was hard… Motion caught his attention, as a dark blue mare came storming over to them, fury on her features. Knowing this would not end well, Tyr made his way through the crowd. He managed to get close just as the mare spoke.

"You hussy!" She snarled, her venomous glare falling on Rarity. The white unicorn blinked several times in shock.

"What?" Rarity said, frowning. "You do not mean moi, do you?"

"Of course I mean you! You're going after a married stallion! Have you no shame?"

"I never…! I am not the type of mare to intrude on another's relationship! I am happy enough in my own relationship, as it were!" Rarity frowned. "And I am quite insulted you would accuse me of something such as that!"

"Then why are you over here flirting with him?" The mare accused.

"I can promise you I am not flirting…!"

Tyr decided to step in at that moment. "Excuse me, is there a problem here?"

To her credit, the blue mare only took one glance at Tyr without losing a beat. "This self-centered hussy is trying to steal my husband!"

"I am doing no such thing!" Rarity asserted. She looked over at Tyr. "You believe me, don't you darling?"

"Of course I do," Tyr replied. He turned to the other mare. "So miss, please excuse her. And to be honest, from what I saw it was your husband that was hitting on my mare."

" _Your_ mare?" Both Rarity and the blue mare blinked several times. Even the stallion seemed quite worried.

"Yes, _my_ mare. She is part of my herd. Does that… offend you or something?"

"Why… I mean… no, but—" She glanced over at the white unicorn. "Is this… true?"

Rarity coughed lightly. "Ah… yes. It is true. Tyr is my darling herd-mate."

"But that still doesn't excuse her behavior towards my husband!"

"All fault lies with him," Tyr pointed out, throwing a pointed look over at the silent stallion. After being noticed, he winced.

"Ah…" He mumbled, looking from his wife to Rarity. "It was just harmless flirting…"

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Harmless flirting? I can tell body language, friend. If it wasn't for the timely arrival of your wife and myself, you would have attempted to lead my dear Rarity away, correct?"

"I…!"

Rarity looked offended. "As if I would do such a thing! I am not some loose mare, sir!" She turned sharply, smacking the stallion in the face with her tail. "I am offended!"

Tyr glanced over at the stallion's wife. "I believe we'll leave him to you, miss."

The mare stared at her husband with barely contained anger. "Yes… I do hope you both have a better evening than us…"

Tyr gently placed a hand on Rarity's back as he led her away. The sound of arguing followed after them. It wasn't until they were near the refreshment table that they finally decided to talk. Rarity was irate. "Why the nerve of that stallion! Taking me for some cheap… floozy!"

"It's alright," Tyr told her with a chuckle.

"No, it is not alright!" She turned to him. "If I had realized what was going on, I would not have had a need for you to come to my aid, or even that mare—rude as she was—coming over. If anything, I am ashamed." A cup picked itself off the table, and filled itself with punch before floating over to her. She glanced up, noticing that it was being held by Tyr's magic. The man smirked a bit.

"Need a drink?"

"Ugh. Please do not remind me of alcohol," Rarity remarked, taking the cup in her own blue magic.

Tyr chuckled. "Sorry."

"No, it's quite alright darling. Thank you." She sipped at her drink for a quiet moment, before glancing up at him. "…A question for you, darling."

"Yes?"

"When you spoke earlier… you called me… _your_ mare. Did you… did you mean it?"

Tyr coughed a little. "Well… I kinda got caught up in the moment…"

"Oh…"

"But I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little jealous at seeing that stallion hitting on you." He shrugged. "Calling you my mare was… a bit spontaneous."

Rarity laughed nervously. "Well, I think I do understand Chrysalis a little better now. The whole feeling of being… claimed. I must admit darling, it is quite a bit exhilarating."

Tyr frowned. "…You're not going to go all masochist on me, are you?"

"W-What?" Rarity almost spit up her drink. "Why, darling why would you think that? I'll admit, I do adore a man who can be both gentlemanly and a bit rough around the edges, but a masochist I am not."

"Right. Wonderful."

There was a bit of regret in the man's voice, and Rarity picked up on it. "Chrys… did she do something, darling?"

"…She asked me to kill her."

Rarity's eyes were wide. "What!? Why would she… why would she do something like that?"

Tyr sighed. "The last night we spent together, right before Sherry cast her spell… Luna was… asleep, so she didn't hear it. I think Chrys knew what was going to happen once you all were sent home. That our Bond would be… revoked, in a way. For her, she would have rather died than lose me. So she tried to influence my mind to have me kill her."

"But wait, wouldn't that have hurt you as well?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I caught myself as I was choking her to death."

Rarity's response was a hushed whisper. "Oh my…!"

"Yeah… When I realized what she had done, I hit her, sadly enough. But I think that reminded her that I wasn't going to sell her life so cheaply."

"I… I see." Rarity raised a hoof up to her neck thoughtfully. "I think I understand why Chrys loves her collar so much…"

"It must have been her only reminder of me for the longest time," Tyr pointed out. "But that's all in the past. Sorry about bringing all that up."

"No darling, it is quite alright. Sharing these things with you make me feel as though we were much closer." She smiled up at him. "Do not feel remiss in talking to me about anything."

"Oh!" A soft voice spoke up. "I-I hope I didn't interrupt…!"

The two of them glanced over to find quite the surprised Fluttershy standing there. Rarity blinked. "Ah! Dearest Fluttershy, you surprised us!"

"I'm sorry…"

Tyr chuckled. The gentleness of his yellow friend was heartwarming, and took a bit of the pain away from the conversation he and Rarity had just had. "It's okay Fluttershy. Rarity and I were just… bonding."

"Oh, I see. Sorry for interrupting."

Rarity chuckled. "Now, now, darling, it's quite alright. We would never be upset for a friend coming by."

"I agree," Tyr said. "It's alright Fluttershy. Where have you been this whole time anyway?"

"I was visiting Philomena." An elegant flame red bird landed on the yellow pony's back and spread its wings in a mock bow.

"A phoenix," Tyr murmured thoughtfully. Philomena tilted her head at the attention from the man. "I saw a family of them once before."

Fluttershy blinked. "Really? That's amazing! Philomena is the only one I've ever seen…"

"You see a lot when you've travelled as much as I have."

"Well, I only came over for some water. I um… will leave you two alone?"

"Fluttershy…" Rarity began, but Fluttershy gently shook her head.

"Jackie and I were talking about you all being in herd, and…" She blushed a little. "Well, I thought that as long as you all managed to connect, it would work out…"

"And Tyr and I already get along really well!" Pinkie suddenly popped out from under the refreshment table. Fluttershy jumped a bit, causing Philomena to flutter up a bit. The phoenix's wing knocked Rarity's cup out of her magical grasp and spilled its contents onto her dress.

"Not the dress!" She complained immediately. "Oh, I can't believe this!"

"I'm so sorry Rarity!" Fluttershy panicked. "I didn't mean for that to happen…!"

Pinkie jumped up as well. "I'm so sorry Rare-bear!"

Rarity sighed as she looked at the stain on her dress. "I… I can't be mad. It's not your fault darling."

Tyr frowned. "Is there anything we can do to clean it up?"

"It needs professional work, darling. There is not much we can do."

"But what are you going to do, Rare-bear?" Pinkie asked. The violet maned mare simply smiled.

"I always bring a spare, darling." To Tyr's surprise, a massive chest came floating out of nowhere to land beside the seamstress. It opened, and she began rooting around in it. After a moment, she extracted a white and silver dress. "Why, this sort of thing seems to happen quite a lot, so I keep spares available and on hoof."

Chrys suddenly appeared beside Tyr. "What seems to be going on?"

"Chrissy?" Tyr frowned, automatically reaching up to pet his Changeling. "Well… Rarity spilled something on her dress. What are you doing over here?"

"I've been avoiding ponies who wish to poke and prod at me all evening. This seemed by far more interesting," She told him, rubbing her face up against his arm. Tyr simply chuckled.

Rarity began to remove the dress she was wearing to change. But the moment she was out of her dress, Fluttershy gasped. "R-Rarity! What are you wearing…"

The white unicorn blinked several times. "What? What is it darling?"

"Y-You too?"

"Me…" Rarity followed Fluttershy's gaze down to her neck, where a black collar rested. A silver shield was stitched into it with a trio of diamonds in the center. Rarity's eyes widened slowly, before narrowing to pinpricks. She glanced over at Tyr who was staring at her with wide eyes of his own. "…Oh…"

"Oh, I made such a good decision coming over here," Chrys said with a happy purr.

–x–

"So I gotta say," Vibrant said, chewing on an orange. "Girls are weird."

Aleron and Bramley glanced over at the third colt. The three colts were in Aleron's old study room, while the girls were in the twin's bedroom. They had separated based on gender because the two other colts weren't a fan of intruding on the Alicorn filly's privacy. It was the larger earth pony who responded. "Why do you say that, Vi?"

Vibrant tossed the last of his orange into his mouth. "I mean, think about it; we've got Jubilee and Aurora who are super active. Then we've got Ancè, who's super classy and whatever. Cori and Goldie are super shy, and Evie is a total bookworm."

"Everypony is different," Aleron pointed out. "None of us are the same."

"Point taken," Vibrant said with a shrug. "But they're still weird."

"Yup," Bramley agreed.

Aleron rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. "Well, they're weird, but we can't help but like them, right?"

The other two colts were quiet for a moment. "…Speaking of liking girls…" Vibrant began slowly.

"What's up, Vi?" Aleron asked, a bit confused. His friend was being a bit weird.

"…Hey Al, just a question… ya ever have a girl you liked?"

Aleron's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at, Vi?"

"Just curious, man, chill."

"…Right. Well, I can admit I've had a crush or two. You two know Grace, right?"

"Oh, her?" Vibrant sat up. "Yeah, my dad brought me up here to Canterlot once and I met her. You like her?"

"I mean, given she's so much older than me…"

Bramley chuckled. "I thought we were talking more about fillies our age?"

"Oops," Aleron chuckled. "Right. I guess… Evie then."

"Evie? Well, I suppose two studious types fit together," Vibrant muttered.

"What about you, Vi?"

The white pegasus frowned and was silent for a bit. "Well… yeah. I guess I have one…" He rubbed the back of his head.

Aleron sat up. "Come on Vi. You were grilling me about my crushes, so what about you?"

"Ugh, fine!" Vibrant groaned. "I have a crush on your sister!"

"…My sister? Uh, not to be silly, but which one?"

Bramley chuckled softly. Vibrant shot him a look, but turned back to Aleron with a frown. "I meant Aurora, dude. Not Ancè or Jubilee or Cori. Aurora's the one I have a crush on."

The blue unicorn blinked several times. "…Ro? You have a crush on _Ro_?"

"…Yeah."

Bramley whistled. "Well, that's kinda… awkward."

"You're telling me," Vibrant huffed.

Aleron was silent for a moment. "…Well then. I can't really decide what to do about this information…"

"Just don't tell her, okay? I'd rather do it myself."

"…Right, I guess. Okay."

"Now," Vibrant turned to Bramley. "What about you, Bram? You haven't said who you liked yet."

The green colt frowned. "Well… I don't think I—!"

"Oh come on! I know you have one!"

"…Ugh. I like Aurora too."

Aleron face-hoofed. "…You guys are going to give me headaches."

"Al!" Suddenly, the mare in question burst into the room, the most ridiculous hat on top of her head. "You gotta come out into the hallway!"

The unicorn glanced back at his friends for a moment before hopping off his bed. "Um… okay. Guess we'll address where you got that hat from later then…"

He went out into the hallway, Vibrant and Bramley following after. They found all the girls waiting for them. They were watching something down near the end of the hall. It was a light blue pegasus with a lockbox on his flank that was wandering around looking at everything. He was even picking up some of the objects on display and turning them about like he was appraising them. "I don't think he's supposed to be here," Cori offered weakly.

"I don't think I've ever seen him before either," Aleron mumbled. He glanced over at Evie, whose horn was lit up. "Evie? What are you doing?"

"Concealment spell," the young filly said, wincing slightly. She was obviously exerting some effort to keep the spell up. "I apologize Al, but I can't really talk right now."

He nodded, redirecting his attention to the pegasus stallion. As they watched, they saw him pocket some smaller pieces. "It seems we have a thief on our hands, everypony."

"Oh, how bothersome," Ancè sighed. "Why would anypony need to resort to petty thievery?"

"Maybe he's a pony who's down on his luck and has to steal in order to pay for medicine to help his sick daughter?" Jubilee offered. The others simply stared at her.

"That's… quite the guess," Cori said after a moment.

"That's normal for Jubilee," Vibrant pointed out. Golden Grove nodded in agreement.

Bramley frowned. "So what should we do?"

"We stop him," Aurora said. "Evie? Drop the spell."

"Gladly," the violet filly said, her horn winking out. She staggered a bit from the exertion, but Aleron was there to steady her. "Oh, thank you Aleron."

"No problem," the other unicorn told her. Vibrant and Bramley shared a look before laughing quietly.

Aurora stamped her hoof on the floor. "Hey! You over there, what are you doing?"

The light blue pegasus jumped at the sound of her voice. He glanced over in their direction, narrowing his eyes. "What the… kids? What are you doing in the castle?"

"We have permission to be in here," Aurora said, stepping forward. "You don't."

"We suggest you leave," Vibrant said, joining the Alicorn filly.

The pegasus scowled. "Look kid—you don't wanna get hurt, so get out of here."

"Maybe we should call the guards?" Golden Grove suggested.

"I doubt they'd make it fast enough," Aurora said. She grinned. "Al, you got my back?"

Aleron made sure Evie was alright before moving up beside his sister. He couldn't help but smirk. His horn lit up. "Of course, Ro."

"GET HIM!"

The unfortunate Pegasus turned on the spot, not entirely prepared to deal with nine children chasing after him. He bolted, but Aurora and Vibrant were much faster. The white pegasus crashed into the older stallion, knocking him to the ground. He jumped back to his feet, but Aurora slammed into him then, knocking him off balance. "Get away from me you stupid foals!"

"Hold him down!" Vibrant called out. He was a bit too late, as the Pegasus shot back down the way they had come. Evie and Aleron tried to bring their magic to bear, only to crash into one another. To their shock, he snatched up Goldie as he passed. The poor brown pegasus had been lagging behind the group, and had not seen what had happened up ahead. The moment the stallion grabbed her, she screamed.

"Goldie!" Cori cried out. Bramley looked horrified.

"Now back off," the pegasus muttered. Out of nowhere, he extracted a small knife. He held it up to the little filly's throat, causing her to whimper. "I don't want to do this, but I will if you get any closer."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ancè said.

"Try me."

Cori looked about at her friends. Aurora and Vibrant looked like they still wanted to fight, but Aleron and Evie were already backing off. Bramley was still rooted to the spot. Jubilee and Ancè looked terrified for their friend. The young changeling swallowed heavily. She had an idea, but it was risky. "…I can't let you go."

The thief blinked. "W-What?"

Cori stepped forward. "You threatened my friend, and I cannot let you leave."

"Cori…!" Aurora murmured, surprised.

The pegasus stallion scowled. "And what are you going to do about it? …What are you, anyway?"

"I am a Changeling," Cori said proudly. Her eyes and horn glowed. "The _Princess_ of the Changelings!"

"What…!?"

"Now, release my friend."

"Why would I—!"

"Release. My. Friend. Now." Cori's voice took on a deeper tone to it, almost as if there were two voices speaking as one. All eyes were on her, and it looked like she was drinking it in. Her mane and tail were growing brighter, an even more vibrant green, and a small smile was growing on her face. A pair of fangs became prominent in her mouth, giving her a frightening visage. "Or are you scared of what I might do to you?"

The light blue pegasus shivered, but didn't back down. "I-I'm not gonna back down from a kid!"

"But I'm not just any kid. I am a Changeling, after all. It's only fair to be afraid."

The hall grew slightly darker. "I… I…!"

"If you let her go, I may not have to harm you in any way…"

"Why would I even bother? She's my ticket out of here!" He tightened his grip on Goldie, who began to cry.

Cori's eyes narrowed, and she took one foreboding step forward. "She's your ticket to an early grave."

Something in the pegasus's mind snapped, and suddenly his eyes went dark and he fell back onto his haunches. He dropped Goldie, who immediately rushed over to her brother. Cori started to advance on him, and he pushed himself back as quickly as he could. "No! You… you can't hurt me!" The distressed Pegasus threw his knife at Cori, managing to nick her cheek. But the young changeling didn't react at all. She kept walking forward, only smirking lightly. "You can't hurt me!"

"I'm quite sure I can," Cori whispered gently. She stopped just short of him. With a slow smile growing, she reached out to touch his cheek. "…Would you like me to show you?"

A soundless scream ripped from the throat of the thief and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He shook violently for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. There was silence in the hall for a long minute. "By the Sun and Sky…" Evie murmured.

Cori turned back to the others. To her surprise, they drew back. "…Guys? What's… what's wrong?" Her voice had returned to normal, but her mane and tail were still their bright color.

"Cori…" Aurora's eyes were fixed on the stallion behind their changeling friend. He was curled up in the fetal position, trembling. "What did you… what did you do to him?"

"She made him feel fear," Evie said slowly. "She created that emotion in him and then fed off it. She made him feel fear so intense that…"

"I think we get the picture, bookworm," Vibrant muttered. His pink eyes narrowed. "I think she broke him…"

Cori glanced back at the stallion before turning back to her friends. She took a step forward to go to them, only for all of them to draw back. The motion made Cori freeze on the spot. Her mismatched eyes widened as a realization hit her. "Everypony… are you… afraid of me?"

"Well, considering your voice went all two-tone and creepy," Jubilee said. "It's kinda expected, you know?"

"But… I thought…!" She turned to Goldie, who was still being embraced by her brother. She held out a hoof to her friend, only for the brown pegasus to retreat even further towards Bramley. The larger colt put a hoof around his sister protectively. "G…Goldie?"

"Don't," Bramley said simply.

The other kids had the same confused and fearful faces. Cori blinked rapidly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She tried to go towards Goldie again. "No… please, don't…!"

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER, YOU MONSTER!" Bramley roared, catching them all off guard. Cori staggered back, almost unwilling to understand what she was hearing. But then the reality of it set in, and the tears began to flow freely down her face. Without saying anything else, she turned sharply and galloped away down the hall.

Ancè was the first to break the oppressive silence that followed. "…What did we just do?"

"You saw what she did!" Vibrant said. "She fed off his fear—and ours—and she _changed_! That's not the same Cori we befriended!"

"She looked like she was going to kill him," Evie murmured.

Jubilee nodded. "She was pretty scary."

"Yup," Bramley said shortly.

"But it was still Cori!" Ancè pointed out. She turned to her friends. "Afraid or not, we had no right to do that to her!"

"She's a monster," Bramley said quietly.

"A monster we promised to not judge for what she was," Ancè shot back. "We promised that filly that we would be her friends and stand by her no matter what. And the moment she does something natural to her kind _to save one of our own_ , we turn on her!? You all should be ashamed!"

"You didn't do anything either!" Evie pointed out. Ancè winced at the reminder. She looked away, letting her mane hide her eyes.

"…Of that fact I am well aware. Thank you for reminding me, Evening Star." Her voice was dead, and there was no emotion in it. The rest of the kids didn't make eye contact, too nervous and embarrassed to say anything.

"We can't trust her to not do that to us if she got mad enough," Vibrant said finally.

Aurora suddenly laid down on the floor. The others blinked at the action. "Aurora? Are you okay?" Jubilee asked.

"…I've… never seen Cori cry like that…" The Alicorn filly covered her head with her hooves. "…I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all…"

Aleron narrowed his eyes. Guards were already rushing down the hall, shouting. "This… is not good."

–x–

"I believe some explanation is in order," Rarity muttered, finally getting into her spare dress. The others gathered around her all nodded in agreement. Chrys instead slid up beside the white mare.

"So you have come over to my way of thinking, I see," the Changeling said. She giggled. "That collar looks… quite good on you—the black against white. I approve."

"I didn't do it for your approval," Rarity snapped. She blushed a bit regardless as the Changeling giggled again.

Tyr folded his arms. "So why did you do it then?"

"I… to be perfectly honest with you darling, I simply wanted to experience the feeling. Chrys always found her collar a source of comfort, and I suppose I was simply tempted to… try it out for myself."

"So how does it feel? Belonging to another?"

Rarity was thoughtful, stealing little glances at Tyr. "It is… a good feeling, I suppose…"

The man sighed and face-palmed. "First Chrys, now you?"

"I want one too!" Pinkie complained. "If Tyr's our owner, I should get a collar too!"

"Wait! That opens up a lot more questions that I really don't want to try answering right now…"

"Answering what questions, my dear brother-in-law?" Celestia asked, suddenly appearing behind Tyr.

"Gah! Where the heck did you come from!?"

"I saw you and the others over here when I came in, so I came to speak to you," Celestia said, taking a hurt expression. "What, you would rather have Luna here?"

Tyr folded his arms. "That would be preferable, yes."

To the surprise of the others, Celestia giggled. "Well said, Tyr. But my company is not adverse to you, is it?"

"Of course not. So you're done with your business?"

"Most of the nobles wished to speak to Luna since this is her first Gala in such a long time. According to them, she's a 'rare sight'."

"You sound a bit jealous."

"Oh, not at all." Celestia smirked. "It gives me time to enjoy this whole occasion."

"I suppose always having to greet the guests would get tiresome after a while," Fluttershy offered. "I don't know how you can do it."

"It takes a lot of practice, Fluttershy. A lot."

"Ooh!" Pinkie suddenly hopped into the air. "Sherry's cake!"

"Cake?" Celestia perked up and turned to look. Indeed, a large cake was levitating out of the kitchen, held suspended by Sherry's light pink aura. The brown Alicorn herself was walking out behind it, biting her lip in concentration. She set it on a nearby table just a second before Pinkie and Celestia appeared in front of it.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed. "Aunty? Pinkie?"

"We ah…" Celestia blushed a little. "Wanted some cake?"

"I never thought I'd see the Princess of the Sun clamoring for some cake," a male voice to the side said with a chuckle. They looked to find a dark gold unicorn stallion seated beside the table, his red-and orange mane tied back in a ponytail. He grinned, an expression that seemed to run all the way into his cobalt blue eyes.

"I do not believe we have met," Celestia said with a small frown. Sherry cut her aunt and Pinkie slices of cake and set it before them. Pinkie devoured hers instantly, and then went still as a board.

"Solstice Glow," The stallion said, bowing slightly. He adjusted his glasses before they fell off his nose. "A pleasure, Princess."

"You're not too disturbed speaking so coolly to a Princess," Rarity said, coming over with Tyr and Fluttershy. The yellow mare went over to Pinkie, concern on her face. "Most would be shaking in their hooves or tripping over their words?"

"I'm not one to sweat meeting big names," Solstice said with a shrug. "A Princess is just another pony to me, just one with a position of power."

Celestia frowned ever so slightly. "So you see me as no different from a common pony?"

Solstice smiled. "Now, Princess Celestia, you are far from being a common pony. You are much more attractive than most."

Tyr blinked in surprise as Celestia blushed. "Tia?"

"Nopony really calls me attractive," The surprised Princess said, blinking.

"Hopefully I'm not offending you," Solstice said, chuckling nervously. "I tend to say whatever's on my mind whenever I'm confronted with pretty mares."

Tyr frowned. "You're an easy flirt."

"Really? I'm kinda nervous here."

[He's not nervous at all] Chrys thought, moving up beside Tyr. He glanced at her, but didn't speak up. Instead, Rarity moved up to speak.

"I do not believe I have ever seen you at a Gala," the white unicorn pointed out. "And mostly the same ponies come to each one."

"I came in place of a friend of mine," Solstice said. "Sky Guide, I believe?"

"Oh, I know of him! He's a famous astrologer, correct?"

"Yeah, published a few articles and scientific studies I believe."

"So what do you do, Mr. Solstice?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm in… requisitions," Solstice said after a moment of thought. "I do private work. Ponies ask me to get things for them, and I do so. For a price of course."

"Work must pay well then." Rarity pointed out. "That outfit of yours is… rather well made."

"Depends on the object," Solstice admitted. "Although I don't go hungry."

"So whatever happened to poor Sky Guide?" Celestia asked.

"He's at home sick, and sends his apologies."

"A pity," Celestia said, taking a bite of her cake. Her eyes widened slightly, and she was silent a moment. She shook her head slowly. "Uh… what was I just saying?"

"So it does work on other Alicorns," Sherry muttered, writing something down on a notepad.

"I believe you were saying it was a pity Sky Guide couldn't be here," Tyr supplied.

"Oh." Celestia nodded. "Right. A pity. Luna would have liked to meet him."

"Princess Luna is the one who designs the night sky," Fluttershy agreed. "She would have really liked to talk to an astrologer."

Chrys suddenly snapped to attention, making Tyr jump. "Whoa! Something up, Chrissy?"

"Cori," the changeling stated quietly, before galloping off through the crowd. Tyr blinked several times before he felt it. Panic. Fear.

Rejection.

Chrys must have felt it much quicker than him because she was Cori's mother. "Is something the matter?" Celestia asked.

"Something is distressing Cori," Tyr replied evenly. "…Something big."

"I hope nothing has happened to the poor dear," Rarity murmured. "She is quite delicate…"

"Perhaps you should go too?" Sherry asked. Tyr didn't respond, instead simply nodding and taking off after Chrys. The group at the table watched the man go for several quiet seconds. After he vanished from sight, Celestia let out a sigh. Sherry glanced over at her aunt. "Is something the matter, Aunt Tia?"

"Nothing cake won't cure," The Princess of the Sun said with a chuckle, slicing another piece of cake for herself.

There was a laugh behind her. "Nice to see you haven't changed much, Princess."

Celestia sat up straight, cake halfway to her mouth. "That voice… I recognize it. Although it has been many years since I last heard it, could it be…?"

She turned, eyes widening. Beside Twilight stood a very shy looking golden unicorn mare. Sunset gave her a little smile, both nervous and hopeful. "…Hey, Princess Celestia. Been a while, huh?"

The Princess of the Sun was silent for a moment, processing what she saw. "…Sunset Shimmer… can it really be you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Sunset scratched the back of her head. "I, uh… felt it was time to come back, say hello… apologies for going evil…"

"I cannot believe…"

"Sunny?" Solstice suddenly spoke up.

Sunset blinked at the name, and glanced over at the other gold unicorn. Her jaw dropped. "No way…! Daddy?"

Solstice grinned, momentarily forgetting who else was around. "It's been too long, Sunny! I haven't seen you in ages! And you look like you've barely aged at all!"

Sunset chuckled. "Well, you won't believe the stories I've got to tell you…"

Twilight and Celestia frowned, glancing over at Solstice. "Daddy?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Sunny?"

The two gold unicorns then realized who else was around, and smiled sheepishly. Pinkie gasped loudly, only for Sherry to shove a slice of cake into her mouth. The moment the taste of the cake hit her, the pink mare slipped back into serene silence. "I think this moment is awkward enough without you interjecting," The brown Alicorn said with a chuckle.

* * *

 **Before someone points a finger at this, I have no idea if Hasbro or any of those who work on MLP:FiM ever confirmed Sunset's familial status.**

 **Therefore...**

 **Artistic Privledge.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 15: Panic at the Disco

Celestia looked between her former student and her father for a long moment. No one at the table was saying anything. It was an awkward silence, and Sherry kept Pinkie from reacting in anyway by continuing to feed her cake. She still managed to get slices of her cake to other guests at the same time, however. Finally, the Princess of the Sun spoke. "I believe I will address both issues one at a time," She said.

Sunset and Solstice shared a look before nodding towards the Princess. "Okay."

"Now. Firstly, Sunset?"

"Yes Princess?" The mare stepped forward.

"I am… surprised to see you here. Twilight did not tell me you were coming."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Twilight pointed out. "I was telling Sunset about the Gala, and we thought it would be a good time for her to meet you."

"I graduated high school in the other world, and Principal Celestia called me into her office," Sunset said, looking away with an embarrassed blush. "She asked me if I planned to come home."

Celestia frowned. "That does seem like something I would do."

"I thought the same thing. When I told her I was afraid of what would happen when I came home, she pointed out that nowhere in the story I told her was the fact that you ever officially banished me."

"You fled into the mirror," Celestia said. "I never truly banished you."

"Right. And when I told her that, she said that if she was in your place, she would want to see me again."

"And that is quite true. Ever since you left, I have wanted to see you."

"…Really?"

Celestia went over and put her hoof on the mare's shoulder. "Sunset, knowing that you left the way you did hurt me. I felt as though I had failed you. That maybe if I had done something else, or done more…"

"No Princess," Sunset shook her head. "It was my own selfishness that drove me away. I wanted power that I had not earned, and then I even tried to steal it. If it wasn't for Twilight and my friends in the other world, I would have probably gone on thinking that way. But now… I've learned the error of my ways. I want to apologize."

"I too wish to apologize," Celestia said, much to Sunset's surprise. "Once you left, I never once tried to contact you or reconnect. Instead, it took Twilight going into the other world to bring us back together."

"And your counterpart telling me I should talk to you." Sunset chuckled. "But I'm really happy you don't hate me."

"Now why in Equestria… Never mind. It is good to have you back, Sunset."

"I was wondering…" She blushed a bit. "Since Twilight is a Princess again… and I've graduated… Is there any place for me to resume my studies under you?"

"You want to… study under me again?"

"Not to become an Alicorn or anything like that, just… to learn."

Celestia frowned. "Well. Sunset Shimmer, that might be a problem."

Sunset's blue eyes opened wide with shock. "W-What?"

"Princess?" Twilight murmured, but Celestia's eyes were bright and playful.

"You will have a lot of homework to catch up on," Celestia told her. "I hope that is not a deal breaker for you?"

Sunset blinked several times before a wide grin crossed her face. "Of course not!"

Celestia and her once-again new student embraced one more time. After a moment or two, they released one another. The Princess of the Sun turned to Solstice. "Now, on to the father of my dear student…"

Before she could continue, there was a commotion from across the hall. A crowd was growing. Suddenly, a high pitched wail keened through the air. "Betrayed! We are betrayed!" It was the duchess of Maretania, her son cradled in her forelegs.

"What in the name of Equestria is going on?" Luna demanded, coming over. Celestia and the group with her moved to join as well. The duchess's son was clutching at his throat, which had begun to swell. "Oh my…"

"What happened to him?" Sherry asked. At the sound of her voice, the duchess's eyes snapped to her. One hoof pointed her way accusingly.

"Her! She poisoned my son!"

"Wait, what?"

"That cake! It had poison in it! Seize her!" The duchess's guards drew their weapons.

"Do not lift one hoof against my daughter!" Luna roared, wings flaring as she intercepted the guards moving towards Sherry. The Princess of Dreams narrowed her eyes. "What madness is this, that you would threaten Sherry this way?"

"She poisoned my son!" The duchess continued. "He's going to die!"

Luna scowled, but turned her head to the side. "Grace! Come to me at once!"

A couple seconds later, and the red-maned unicorn arrived at her Princess's side. "Did you need something, Princess Luna?"

"The duchess's son is… reacting to something. Can you help?"

Grace didn't respond, instead moving to the slightly convulsing colt. The duchess looked like she wanted to stop her, but the look on Grace's face made her think twice. The unicorn glanced around. "…You said the last thing he ate was cake?"

The duchess scowled. "Yes, that cursed Princess of yours poisoned it!"

"I didn't poison anything!" Sherry countered.

Pinkie, recovered from earlier, popped up at her side. "Yeah, I've eaten like eight pieces of that cake! It's not poisoned at all!"

Grace frowned. "Sherry. There are nuts in the cake, right?"

Sherry blinked. "Ah, yes there are."

"…Wonderful." Grace sighed. "He's having an allergic reaction."

"Can you do anything for him?" Celestia asked.

"Well… I don't have anything on me. I can trache him for now, if that helps…"

"Do… what now?"

"Stick a pipe in his throat so he can breathe," Grace said flatly. She frowned. "I'd need a pipe though."

"Will this do?" Solstice came over and pulled out a slender pipe. Sunset immediately rolled her eyes.

"There's my dad, always carrying random objects," She said with a shrug.

"Always prepared, Sunny," Solstice pointed out. "Plus, a client of mine actually needed this pipe. But this is probably a better situation to use it."

Grace frowned as she took the pipe from him. "Are you sure?"

"Nah, it's fine. I can find another pipe."

"If you say so."

The duchess frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna jam this pipe in his throat.," Grace said bluntly, taking off her glasses. A set of needles and knives flew out of her cloak as she knelt down beside the stricken colt.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"A choking colt on the floor surrounded by a crowd and I'm the only one who can help him? No anesthesia, no sterilized tools…" Grace smirked. "If we were in a back alley instead of a castle, I'd say I was right back at home."

–x–

"Chrissy, wait up!" Tyr called out, trailing his Changeling. He knew she heard him, but she was focused on getting to her daughter as quickly as possible. He let out a heavy sigh. [Cori, where are you]

[Here] Came the reply, and suddenly Cori collided with him, throwing her forelegs around him. He blinked several times at her sudden appearance, but then he noticed the side hallway they had begun to pass. Up ahead, Chrys slid to a stop.

"Cori…" She murmured, coming over. There were tearstains on the little filly's face as she tried to wipe them off using Tyr's jacket. "What happened, little one?"

Tyr gently rubbed her back, before noticing the changes that had happened to his daughter. "Chrys look. Her mane and tail are brighter now, and she has fangs like you."

"She does?" Chrys frowned and moved closer, with one hoof, she tilted Cori's head up so she could look. "…Why, she does indeed. Show me what happened, Cori."

Suddenly, Tyr felt the connection between him and his Changelings grow. He could see the event that had just happened from Cori's perspective. It finished, and they all found themselves sitting on the ground. "That was… vivid," The man said.

"Indeed," Chrys said with a frown. "Cori, where are the others?"

"I don't know," Cori replied, pulling away from Tyr. "But… I don't care. I want to go home."

"Go home? What's wrong love?" Tyr frowned.

"I don't want to be here anymore…"

The sound of hooves caught their attention, and Tyr looked up to find his kids and their friends coming towards them. They were followed by a quartet of guards. Chrys jumped to her feet immediately, eyes narrowing. "What is the meaning of this?"

"We were on our way to report to Captain Ace that there was a thief on the premises," One of the guards said. "We were escorting these children to their parents. Is… is something else happening?"

"I don't think so," Tyr said, standing and placing a hand on Chrys's head to calm her. "Go about your business, we'll take care of them."

"As you say." The guards trotted past, while the children came over to Tyr. The man stood in silence for a moment, looking over them all. Bramley was keeping Golden Grove a significant distance away from Cori, while Vibrant and Evie were watching the young Changeling with obvious worry. Aleron, Aurora, Jubilee and Ancè were avoiding their father's gaze.

"So," He said finally. "It should be obvious I know what happened already."

Aleron let out a sigh. "I was afraid of that…"

"Dad…" Aurora began, but her father raised a hand to stop her.

"We'll talk about it on the way home," Tyr said softly. He glanced over the group. "The rest of you go find your parents and explain to them that you need to stay with them for the rest of the night. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Vibrant replied. He led the others off, almost in a hurry.

"Go find Rarity and stay with her," Tyr told Ancè and Jubilee. "Aleron and Aurora, go with them."

Aurora spoke up. "But Dad, we didn't—"

"It would be best if you simply did not speak," Chrys snapped. Tyr tightened his grip on her once more and she calmed down immediately. She sighed. "…Just go, children."

"…Yes Chrys." The twins left, only Aurora sparing a glance back at them. Cori didn't move a muscle until they were all alone. She slowly turned to her mother.

"Am I a monster?" She asked, eyes brimming with tears. Chrys and Tyr shared a quick look before the older Changeling folded her daughter against her in an embrace.

"Not in the slightest, my little one," Chrys said softly. "You are only a monster if you choose to be."

"I… I don't want to be a monster."

"But sometimes you have to be," Tyr said, kneeling beside his daughter. When Cori looked at him in shock and confusion, he simply put a hand on her head. "Think about it. If you hadn't done what you did, Goldie might have gotten hurt. Sure, what you did was harsh. But you didn't kill the stallion or harm him physically. And you certainly didn't hurt your friends."

"Uh huh…"

"So do not beat yourself up," Chrys said, following Tyr's train of thought. "Give them time. They will understand."

Cori glanced down at her hooves. "…If you say so."

"For now…" Tyr glanced back the way they came. "We should rejoin the others. Will you be alright with that, Cori?"

The little Changeling thought long and hard. "Can I… stay with mommy this time?"

He smiled. It was an innocent request. "Of course. As long as that's alright with Chrys?" He posed the question to the older Changeling, only to receive a look that told him he shouldn't have bothered asking.

"Let's just go back," Chrys said with a roll of her eyes. "I sense a lot of distress, so something must be going on."

"Oh? Sounds interesting. Let's go then." The three of them made their way back through the winding castle halls back to the main hall. They arrived just as a crowd was beginning to make way for a team of medical ponies. On a stretcher between them was the duke and duchess's son, a pipe jammed in his throat. Grace followed the team out, giving Tyr a noncommittal shrug as she passed. Tyr, Chrys and Cori moved over to where Celestia was standing. "…What did we miss?"

"Shh," Celestia said quickly. "It's not over yet."

"I still say you planned this," The duchess was saying, facing down Sherry. To her credit, the young Alicorn was not backing down. "You tried to kill my son!"

"These accusations are outlandish and pointless," Luna said sharply. "I order you to cease at once."

Sherry held up a hoof. "No, it's alright mom. Apparently the duchess has a problem with me."

"A problem?" The duchess chuckled. "My dear, you are no problem. You are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. A Princess you may be, but in name only."

"Even if my title was given to me simply because I became an Alicorn, better me than you."

"W-what?" The duchess wasn't the only one caught off guard. Everypony still in the little crowd gasped in surprise.

"You heard me," Sherry said, narrowing her eyes. "A mother worth any measure would know what allergies their child has. The very fact you let your son eat something without making sure what was in it proves that point."

"You expect me to go around checking everything my son eats?"

"Nut allergies are actually quite common," Tyr said. "And nuts are pretty common in cakes."

The duchess gave him a dark look. "I do not wish to hear a beast like you speak about what _I_ should know."

The reply that was expected to come from a statement like that did not leave Luna's lips. But instead, Sherry spoke again. And the venom that dripped from her tone was lethal. "If you speak of my father in that way again, you will be joining your son in the hospital."

The duke finally made his presence known. He let out a huff and stood up as straight as he could muster. "Child, you forget yourself—!"

"No, you forget _yourself_." Sherry faced him down with no hesitation. She flared her wings in an intimidating gesture. "I am still a Princess, but before that I am a daughter. I will _never_ allow you to speak of my father as if he is some sort of lesser being. He is the most noble man I have ever met, and I have him to thank for the mare I have become. He saved my life, and I will always be proud to call him daddy."

Silence fell. Tyr felt his chest swell with pride at his daughter. He wanted to walk over, sweep her into his arms, and squeeze her as tight as he could, but that would detract from the moment. So he stood in silence while the Duke and duchess tried to figure out what to say. Instead, Celestia stepped lightly in. "Well. It seems my young niece has made her position known. Now as much as I would love to continue this debate, it seems the excitement has gone to all of our heads. Perhaps it would be best for you to go with your son?"

"I…" The duchess began, but Celestia's friendly smile suddenly vanished, replaced by a scowl.

"It was not a suggestion."

The duke cleared his throat hard. "Why yes, you speak truth, Princess. Shall we go, my dear?"

The duchess glanced between the Alicorns. "I… yes. Yes we should. Guards! We are leaving!"

With a bit of a hurry in their steps, the duke and duchess left the gala hall. Silence held firm until the moment the doors closed behind them, before erupting into thunderous stomping. Tyr and Sherry looked completely confused. "The hell?" The man murmured.

"It is how we 'applaud' here, Tyr," Celestia said, smiling. "Sherry stood up for herself in such a steadfast and respectable manner. She is truly deserving of her title."

"Thank you aunty," Sherry said with a blush. Before anything else could be said, Tyr had strode over to her, picked her up and hugged her tightly. "D-Dad!?"

"Every day you remind me to love you more," Tyr said, chuckling. Sherry giggled as well, hugging him back.

"Don't ever ask me to stop," She replied.

"Well, I do believe we are done with all the issues at hand," Celestia said, smiling. "I suppose we are now free to enjoy the night?"

"I wholeheartedly agree," Luna said. She smiled over at Tyr. "And perhaps now I can spend some time with my beloved?"

"I'd love that," Tyr said.

Luna turned to the crowd. "I know many of you wish my audience tonight. But I must spend some time with my beloved." There were a few murmurs, but no outright objections. Luna, elated, turned to Tyr. "Shall we, my love?"

"Of course," Tyr said. He knelt down beside Cori. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be okay," Cori assured him. She gave him a weak smile. "I'll see you later, sir."

Giving her one last pat on the head. Tyr went over to his wife. The dark blue Alicorn gave him a soft smile before gesturing to one side door with her head. He followed her out, a bit of curiosity cropping up as he thought about where she wanted to go. Well, he thought, anywhere with her would be great no matter what. As they crossed through the garden, he placed a hand on the back of her neck, gently running it down her back. "I was wondering when your hands would begin to wander," Luna said softly, smiling. She leaned into his touch.

"You know I can't keep my hands off you for long," He replied, sliding his hand up to caress her ears. They twitched slightly, but she giggled. "What? Does that tickle?"

"Indeed."

A thought occurred to Tyr then, and an evil smirk crossed his features. "Oh really… so how about this?" He asked, and closed his hand around her horn. Almost immediately, Luna froze up. She was almost completely still, just like the stature Tyr had made of her. Her voice came out in a soft, even whisper.

"…Release my horn, Tyr."

Having never heard her speak like that, Tyr obliged immediately. There was no emotion on Luna's face, and she didn't look his way. For a moment, the man feared he had upset her. "Um… Moon? Sorry I—"

She cut him off, not with words but with a spell. Luna's horn lit up instantly, and suddenly Tyr found himself in Luna's private quarters. Before he could even form a coherent thought, she had locked the door, soundproofed the room, and had shoved him onto the bed. She climbed up on top of him, magic quickly stripping off her dress. Her lips came down and claimed his, and Tyr simply returned the gesture, pulling his arms around her body. There was a hunger in the action that didn't escape Tyr's notice. "I warned you," She told him softly, pulling away momentarily.

Tyr simply smiled slightly. "…Indeed."

"We will not be missed at the Gala for some time. Shall we… indulge?"

"I was looking forward to dessert anyway," The man said, leaning up to nibble on one ear. Luna let out a content sigh. "Hopefully you can sate my sweet tooth."

"Then eat your fill of me," Luna said, cerulean eyes meeting his silver ones. "I am yours to do with as you wish."

Tyr let out a soft growl. "You better be glad I have to drive us home. You never tell a man that."

"Have I… taunted a wolf?"

"Not just taunted." He gently bit down on her neck, eliciting a purr of pleasure. "You showed him his favorite food, Moon."

–x–

Fenrir's ears twitched and she slid out from under her acquired blanket. The main room was mostly quiet, only the soft sound of Cindy's typing audible. So what had bothered her and woke her up. Oh. The fact that Cindy was actually floating upside down near the ceiling came to her attention then, the poor machine girl attempting to hold her skirt up in some form of decency. The small wolf girl frowned. Her eyes scanned over to the console where Cindy normally stood. The most peculiar creature was there, vainly trying to activate the console. "This normally works," it muttered, tapping at the keys. "This always works…"

It was part goat, part lion, part eagle, part serpent, and probably part pony. A pair of mismatched wings was on its back, not even sharing the overall gray and brown coloration of its body. Fenrir let out a soft sigh. "…Discord."

"Oh?" The Spirit of Chaos looked up from his inspection to eye the other spirit. "Why what do ya know! Fenrir, is that you?"

Fenrir let out a soft yawn and sat up. "What are you doing, Discord?"

"Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that… By the way, how does all this stuff work?"

"It's DNA locked!" Cindy whined, floating past. "Now please, put me down!"

"Why isn't my magic working on it though?" Discord asked, pulling out a comically large magnifying glass and examining the console. "Normally this place would have been Swiss cheese by now."

"Um… hello?" Fenrir snorted softly. Discord gave her mostly a bored look. The Spirit of Chaos chomped on his magnifying glass like it was a piece of candy.

"I already said hello. Which is much more of a cordial greeting than I am used to, don'cha know?"

Fenrir narrowed her eyes. "I am a being of Chaos as well as you, Discord. Do you not think I would do something to prevent your tampering of my erstwhile home?"

Discord stared at her. "…You expected me to show up?"

Fenrir facepalmed. Hard. "You of all people should know that we Spirits of Chaos are well aware of each other's habits." An evil smirk crossed her featured then, and she looked at Discord with malicious intent. "Or do you forget how young you truly are, _little brother_?"

"Little?" The other creature guffawed loudly, slithering out from behind the center controls and around Fenrir. "I can't take you seriously when you look like this, Fenny-poo."

Silver wind erupted from the small wolf girl, and in a flash Fenrir became a tall, muscular woman in fur clothing, her wild silver hair cascading about her in rough waves. A long silver wolf tail curled around from behind her, and her feral eyes met Discord's golden ones. "Call me Fenny-poo again and I will rip your tongue out and eat it."

"Ooh, would you eat it with hot sauce? Cause I tried that once, and it was pretty good."

"You ate your own tongue!?" Cindy gasped, bumping into the far wall.

Discord chuckled at the machine girl's continued plight. "Why yes dear, I did! It was quite the odd sensation, tasting one's taste buds but quite enjoyable."

"Fascinating…"

The remark even made Discord raise an eyebrow. He leaned down close to Fenrir's wolfish ears. "…She's a weird one, isn't she?"

"Her whole existence is to learn and record," Fenrir pointed out dryly.

"Hm. I know a particular purple pony that would love to pick her brain."

"Twilight Sparkle? We are already aware of her."

Discord gave his fellow being of Chaos a look. "You've met her?"

"Of course I have. My Alpha is a friend of hers."

"Ah, your jailer."

Fenrir glanced over at him, eyes narrowing. It was well known among all the Chaos Spirits that Discord saw their need to find Contractors in order to exercise their power as a sign of weakness. However, Discord was a being of Chaos born alongside a plane. He had never had a concept to connect to, a legend to form around. He was pure Chaos. She called him brother, but in a sense he was more of a cousin. With this knowledge, Fenrir's response was a bit more subdued. "Do not call him that."

"But that's what he is. Why would I want to be restrained by the whims of some other being? I'm a free dragonequus, baby!" He struck a pose, fake firing his hands like guns.

"You keep telling yourself that," Fenrir muttered, scratching the back of her neck. "So what brings you here, Discord?"

"I saw this ship of yours flying by not too many days past," Discord said, pulling Fenrir into a one armed hug. "And then I sensed you. And I thought to myself 'what's one of my old kinfolk doing in town? And why hasn't she come to visit?' Heavy questions, mind you."

"Enlighten me: Why would I bother coming to see you?"

Discord gasped theatrically. "My lady, you wound me!"

An axe of pure frost manifested in Fenrir's hand, and she had it against Discord's throat in a second. "I can wound you for real, little brother. True Ice hurts quite a lot I'm told."

The dragonequus chuckled and pushed the weapon away. "Now, now, we have no need of weapons, do we?"

"I'll be the judge of that."

"…Anyways, I decided that tonight was a good time to see you, Fenny—"

"Discord," Fenrir said evenly. The Spirit of Disharmony chuckled nervously.

"—Fenrir. Your 'Alpha' is off with his mares and having fun. While you sit here like a pet curled up under their master's coat waiting for them to come home."

"I am no pet."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself, doll."

Fenrir let out a weary sigh. "I don't know why I bother with you."

"Because all the other Chaos Spirits are old cranky dudes?"

"They are better company than you."

"Why did you go femme anyway?" Discord asked, looking over Fenrir's body. His eyes stopped on her breasts, and he reached one claw out to them. "Are they real?"

Fenrir's axe came down and severed it at the wrist. Discord gasped loudly, before simply picking up his claw and screwed it back on. The wolf woman scowled. "I am free to make my own choices."

"Okay, okay, a simple yes would have done nicely."

"Your limbs are detachable!?" Cindy asked, floating past again.

The two Chaos Spirits spared her a glance. "…Fix her," Fenrir said.

Discord rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers and letting the machine girl crash to the floor. "Oops."

"Is gentle not a word in your vocabulary?" Fenrir snapped.

"Oh please! I spend my time with Fluttershy! I can be gentle!"

Cindy got up, only for her arm to dangle uselessly at her side. "Oh dear. I think my arm is broken." She went back over to her post, activating a console and typing on it with one hand.

"…I said she was strange, right?"

Fenrir sighed. "Yes, you did. So was this visit for any other purpose than wasting my sleeping time?"

"Mm… yes."

"…Leave."

"Oh, you're no fun." Discord vanished but then reappeared a distance away, suitcases by his side. "Fine! I'll go then. You will miss me when I'm gone!"

"Doubt it," Fenrir reverted to her mini-form and crawled back under Tyr's cloak. "And I warn you, little brother, do not torment my Alpha. I have little patience for your antics."

"No promises," The Spirit of Chaos said with a smirk, before vanishing. Fenrir huffed a bit but settled down to go back to sleep.

Cindy was silent, obviously processing what had happened. After a minute, she spoke. "…Is he really your brother?"

Fenrir groaned and went completely under the coat.

–x–

Jury Review paused outside the door to the villa. He frowned slightly before knocking. Silence. He waited for a few minutes, before the door finally opened a crack. A pair of light green eyes looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I'm here to see the stallion of this house," Jury replied evenly.

"…Lord Elegance is not seeing anyone this evening."

The former council pony narrowed his eyes. "Tell him it's about his aunt."

The maid blinked, and suddenly closed the door. Jury stayed there for a time, before the door opened fully. A young mare with a dark green coat and a gold mane and tail stood there before him, dressed in a maid's outfit. Her dark blue eyes seemed devoid of any happiness. "…Lord Elegance will see you now."

Jury nodded shortly, pushing past her. The inside of the villa was extravagantly designed, although not overly done. He went to the bottom of the main staircase and looked up at the stallion waiting there. "…You're calling yourself Lord Elegance now?"

"It fits me. I cannot go by my old name any more, you understand," the former Prince Blueblood said with a scowl. "And what does one of my _beloved_ aunt's advisors want with me?"

"Your aunt dissolved the council," Jury said matter-of-factly, walking up the steps. Blueblood watched him in silence, meeting him with an even gave from behind his blonde mane. "Apparently she took offense to he council attempting to do what is best for Equestria."

"Oh, let me guess, you offended her precious student or one of her friends?"

"Actually, have you heard the name 'Tyr Winter' before?"

Blueblood paused. "…I have heard of a 'Tyr' before. Princess Luna's human husband, correct?"

Jury nodded. "He appeared at the castle not too long ago. His presence has brought back the Queen of the Changelings, and the Princesses move Equestria itself to not paint him in a bad light."

"A bad light?" Blueblood chuckled. "They revere the man as a saint. Even all the way out here I have heard of him."

"I see."

"So what did you want from me? As far as I know, I am still banished from my aunt's sight. I am quite comfortable here, simply doing small export trades. I am in no rush to get back into the social light."

The moved into one of the other rooms, a lavishly decorated sitting room. Jury took one seat while Blueblood took another. The former council pony let out a slight sigh. "…We have a plan."

"A plan, you say? And what would that be?" Blueblood used his magic to pick up a glass of wine, no doubt left there before Jury's intrusion. "Please, I have been looking for some entertainment all day."

"To remove Celestia from the throne."

Blueblood paused, glass halfway to his mouth. He looked over at the other stallion. "…You're not joking, are you?"

"Would a pony joke about this sort of thing?"

"But that's… that's treason. You could be imprisoned, or executed, or banished!"

"Only if we do not succeed," Jury said evenly. "And when Celestia is gone, it would be easy to incite the populace against Princess Luna and the two new princesses. Princess Cadance is in the Crystal empire and she would not be able to take over the duties of Canterlot as well."

Blueblood blinked. "And… you need me to…?"

"Despite being disowned, you still have royal blood and upbringing. No one would dispute your claim to the throne."

"But Princess Luna has children," Blueblood pointed out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Both not yet of age."

"Celestia would never step down."

"What if there was a way to… force her?"

"…Force?" The white stallion looked over at his guest, interest masked by confusion on his features. "How would you manage that?"

"…Tell me, Blueblood. Have you ever heard of the Solar Cult?"

* * *

 **More behind the scenes machinations. Is it an immediate threat, or a long term one?  
**

 **...Long term. Cults don't move that fast, you know.**

 **But as usual, I hope you enjoyed these two chapters, and are looking forward to the next. Until then, Read, Review, and Return, for the Library accepts all.**

 **And the Library will be waiting patiently for your return.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Greetings again, dear readers. Hopefully you are all looking forward to both these chapters and the Fourth! And happy new month, by the by. I think we're officially in summer now.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Hey, if my provider doesn't cover it, I can't do much about it. And as a side note, I am indeed a sadist. Your torment fuels me.**

 **R3active Paladin: Glad my story has grabbed your interest. For the mythology perspective, I was using the more well known story of Tyr and Fenrir, during the mentioned chaining event for the relationship between them, and the dream sequence for their Contract. Fenrir is not the 'original' Fenrir, but she is a spirit of Carnage that identifies with that mythical figure. Tyr's mother is a big Norse buff, so when it relates to her and the Jotunheim there will be many more references.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: On top of just natural fear of Changelings, Cori was almost visibly radiating the emotion of fear. And in the throes of panic, we don't always think through the things we feel or say. And I was thinking of that one cult in Skyrim that was attempting to summon that one demon. Can't remember the name of it for the life of me. If old Blue holds a grudge against anyone, it's more than likely Ace.  
**

 **Chaddmychal: Thanks as usual!**

 **DragonLord Kyukizoku: You would probably not be alone in that thought process.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Point taken. I had originally planned for Blue to show up early, but why would he be anywhere near a man/pony that threaten to kill him on sight (Ace)? Him being a pawn in a coup scheme seemed more interesting, and more in character. And I am planning a very... interesting death for him.**

 **And that's enough for me. Here is the next pair of chapters, beginning with:**

* * *

Chapter 16: A Changeling Definition of Fear

There were quite a few unhappy parents on the way home from the Gala. Chrys had given them all a concise version of what had occurred with the children, and no one had appreciated the treatment of Cori. No matter what she was, the kids had promised to look out for her. But no punishments or words of frustration were given then. It was an almost unspoken decision to wait until they were home. Given the situation, Celestia had also allowed Flash and Ace to go home with their families. Sunset Shimmer had stayed behind, no doubt to catch up with the Princess of the Sun.

So Tyr took the Ranger around to the homes of all his friends, dropping them off. From what he could see, Rainbow and Ace were the most frustrated, but even Twilight looked disappointed in her daughter. But Tyr only had four to worry about, namely Aleron, Aurora, Jubilee and Exuberance. It wasn't until they got back into the Jötunheim that Tyr finally spoke up. "Aleron. Aurora. Jubilee. Exuberance. Sit."

He gestured to the semi-circle couch. Fenrir had vacated the space long ago, settling into a corner with a blanket. The four children did as they were told, waiting on their father's judgement. Chrys and Cori stayed over near the bar, while Rarity, Pinkie and Luna stood behind Tyr. They waited in silence. Even Cindy was quiet, no doubt sensing the mood in the room. After a couple minutes, Aurora had had enough. "Aren't you going to say anything?" She pleaded, looking up at her father.

"I'm disappointed in you," Tyr said softly, although from Aurora's reaction, he had yelled at her. She shrunk back immediately, eyes shrinking to the size of pinpricks. A little whimper escaped her lips, and she dropped her gaze to look at the floor. Even the rest of the children winced at that.

"Dad, we—" Aleron spoke up, but a sharp glare from his mother silenced him.

The Princess of Dreams stepped up beside Tyr. "I am quite ashamed of you all. We gave you our trust to look after Cori. I would say like your own sister, but she is in fact your sister."

"And yet you turned your back on her," Rarity agreed. Her eyes fell on Ancè, who winced. "I expected better from you."

Pinkie let out an uncharacteristically gentle sigh. "Not cool guys. Not cool."

Ancè cleared her throat carefully. "I… I believe I speak for all of us when I express my humblest apologies…"

"Not to us," Tyr said. [Cori? Come here.]

The young Changeling trotted over, standing beside her father. Ancè looked like she wanted to speak, but whatever she wanted to say died in her throat. Aurora spoke for them all this time. "We're sorry Cori…"

"Really sorry," Jubilee said quietly.

"I accept your apologies," Cori said evenly. "But… I don't think I want to talk to you all for a while. You broke my trust, and that really hurt."

There was a shocked silence from the children as Cori walked to the door that led to the personal rooms, and left. "Can you blame the poor filly?" Luna murmured.

Tyr turned back to his other four kids. "Alright. So now it's time for punishments."

"Punishments?" Jubilee whined.

Rarity frowned. "You can't possibly think you'll get off easy for hurting your sister like that, do you?"

"Aleron," Tyr said, starting with his son. To his credit, the blue unicorn sat up straight, prepared. "No access to Cindy for two weeks."

His son had been spending a lot of time probing the A.I.'s mind for information, and the knowledge that he was being denied that hit him hard. He sat back down. "…Yes sir."

Tyr glanced at Ancè. "You'll be helping Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner for the next two weeks."

"Must I?" Ancè couldn't help but protest. She glanced over and saw her mother looking at her, so she let out a defeated sigh. "…Yes father."

"Aurora. Jubilee." Tyr rounded on his last two daughters. "You two will not be doing any afterschool activities. You will come straight home and do your homework. And then your mothers will have something else for you to do."

"There's plenty of cleaning to be done in my work room," Rarity offered.

"Perfect."

"Now, off to bed with you all," Luna said. The three fillies and one colt headed off to their rooms, heads hung low. The four adults watched them go in silence. It wasn't until they were gone that they all let out heavy sighs. Luna looked particularly disappointed. "I did not enjoy that."

"I didn't either," Tyr admitted. "But what they did to Cori…"

"It was quite cruel," Rarity agreed.

Pinkie sat down on the floor. "But I thought I taught Jubilee and Ancè to be nice to everypony no matter what…"

"It was a moment of weakness, Pinkie-winkle."

"Well, that moment of weakness made my little filly a meany-pants! Why would she be afraid of Cori?"

"She used the fear of a pony in order to mentally traumatize him," Luna pointed out. "And that change of hers… is permanent."

Rarity blinked. "You mean her mane and tail will stay that way?"

"Indeed," Chrys said, coming over. "She has used her ability to control emotions for the first time, although I do not know why that has caused her to change…"

"So you don't know why that happened either?"

"No. Perhaps her father's magic is to blame?" The four mares looked over at Tyr. The man looked thoughtful, but he shrugged.

"I have no idea," He said.

"Chaos Magic," Fenrir pointed out, lifting her head up from her blanket. "Perhaps since Alpha had full access to my powers at the time of conception, young Cordelia has a bit of Chaos magic in her?"

Luna groaned and rolled her eyes. "Trying to understand Chaos magic always gave me a headache."

"Let's just go to bed," Tyr suggested with a laugh. "I think we've all had a long day."

The sentiment was shared by the four mares, and they all headed off to their respective rooms. Tyr and Luna entered their room, the man almost immediately pulling his wife into an embrace. One that Luna was not against in the slightest. "Oh my, already? We've not been home for that long, beloved."

"Can you blame me? I have a beautiful mare in front of me—how could I help it?"

"Oh you," She giggled. But then her horn sparked a bit. "Oh. Oh dear."

"Is that normal?"

"A spell I cast to alert me to somepony having a particularly bad nightmare. I… have to go, my dearest."

She looked a bit nervous, but Tyr gently cupped one cheek with his hand. Her cerulean eyes looked up at him expectantly. "It's alright Moon. You've got a job to do, so go do it. I can go one night without you."

Luna raised one eyebrow, a smirk growing on her lips. "Are you sure, darling? You'll be able to sleep soundly without your Princess of Dreams?"

"I should be able to manage," Tyr told her, kissing her forehead. "Now get going."

"Very well love. I shall see you soon." With a flash of azure light, she teleported away. Sighing at the prospect of spending the night alone, Tyr changed clothes and slid into bed. He could feel Chrys suppressing her own senses so that he couldn't feel Aurora crying.

–x–

Dreams were a funny thing, Tyr thought. His wife was Princess of Dreams, and had some control of the sleeping world. So maybe it was her fault his dreams followed a set pattern these past few nights. He was dreaming about Luna—as usual— and embracing his beloved wife. She was warm, no doubt because of her fur. Also quite soft. Luna in his dreams was almost as good as the real thing. Even in a dream she felt real. Plus, those eyes of hers… so blue and full of wonder…

"Tyr…?"

He leaned in and kissed her passionately, pulling her tighter into an embrace. As he kissed her, he noticed something a bit off about what was happening. Luna tasted like… cotton candy? Tyr snapped to wakefulness, eyes opening wide. There was blue in front of him, although it was only the eyes. The rest was pink. "…Pinkie Pie?" He whispered, shocked. The pink mare in his arms was staring at him, almost unable to process what was going on.

"G-Good… good morning?" She tried, smiling nervously.

"Pinkie… what… what are you doing here?"

"I came in to wake you up and then you pulled me into bed with you…" She blushed and looked away. "I thought you were using me like a pillow, so it was okay, but then you called me Luna and kissed me…"

"You didn't wake me up? Or anything?"

"I… um…" She blushed even deeper and tapped her front hooves together. She spoke no louder than a whisper. "…I kinda… liked… it…"

"What?"

"I liked it!" Pinkie squeaked. "When you kissed me, I really liked it, just like when Rare-Bear kisses me but not the same since you did it!"

"Pinkie I'm so sorry…" He let her go, pulling back into a seated position. Pinkie was slower to get up, still avoiding looking at Tyr. The man didn't know what to feel. Logic dictated that since Pinkie was a member of his herd, he was free to kiss her at any moment. But his heart—and no doubt Pinkie's—felt like what just happened was wrong. But suddenly Pinkie moved towards him and wrapped her hooves around him in a gentle hug. "Pinkie?"

"You don't have to apologize," She said. She hugged him a little tighter. "I'm just really confused about this whole herd thing…"

"Seems we all are."

Tyr and Pinkie broke the hug and turned to the door, finding Rarity standing there. "R-Rare-bear?"

"I believe we should talk in the common room," The white unicorn said. "…Cindy's made breakfast."

She turned on her hoof and left the room. Tyr and Pinkie followed a moment after, the man changing into more appropriate clothing. When they entered the main room, they found Luna, Rarity and Chrys waiting on them. The former two were eating, while the Changeling was using her magic to brush out her mane. "Ah, good morning Master," The Changeling said, smiling at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Beloved," Luna muttered. She frowned. "Did you sleep well?"

There was a bit of an accusation in her tone, and her eyes were fixed on Tyr. But instead it was Pinkie who reacted. Her mane deflated and she began to cry. "Tyr kissed me in his sleep because he thought I was you so please don't be mad at him!"

Chrys broke out into raucous laughter. Luna shot her a glare, but once she looked at Pinkie again, she sighed. "I did expect this to occur. We are a herd, after all."

"Simply put, we are not upset with you, darling," Rarity said. She tossed her mane slightly, revealing that she was still wearing her collar. She noticed Tyr glancing at it. "…Yes, I am still wearing it Darling. I believe I will wear it around town today."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tyr asked. He knew what collars meant in his world, but here was a different story. Hopefully nopony thought he was turning them into slaves.

"I wear this collar as a sign of my commitment to you, Luna, and Pinkie. I also have grown to enjoy wearing it."

"I knew you would come around to that understanding," Chrys giggled.

"I still want one," Pinkie said, sitting down at the table. Tyr did as well. He glanced over at Luna, who was pointedly focusing on her food.

"Love…" He let out a sigh.

Luna simply leaned over and rested her head against his side. "I suppose I should at least be happy you thought it was me…"

"Um…" Pinkie looked up at them. "Is it okay if Tyr ever kisses me like that again?"

"I want a passionate kiss too!" Rarity proclaimed.

Chrys added her two cents in as well. "I want master's affection as well."

"Being in a herd is hard," Tyr and Luna muttered simultaneously.

–x–

Ancè was okay with customer service, but working in the kitchen? Not her forte. Not that she was a stranger to cooking. Her mothers were both decent cooks, usually alternating dinner duty. Learning from them was almost expected. She had managed to get herself put in charge of the muffin baking, and flour was already getting into her mane and tail. She had it tied back, but it was going to need some serious work to get back to its former state. She brushed a bit of dough dust from her tail. "Ugh… "

"Ancè?" Mrs. Cake peeked into the kitchen. "Can you watch the counter for a bit? I need to run some errands."

"Of course," Ancè said, happy to pull off her apron. Hanging it on a nearby peg, she left the kitchen and came out in the front part of the store. She found Mrs. Cake standing beside a small stack of boxes. "Although I have to ask, where are Pound and Pumpkin?"

"Out with their friends," Mrs. Cake said, stacking a few boxes onto her back. "I must admit, I was a bit surprised when Rarity showed up with you in tow. I didn't think you got in trouble like that."

"I try to keep it to an absolute minimum," Ancè muttered sadly, moving to sit behind the counter. The blue mare gave the filly a warm and empathetic smile.

"Well, today won't be so busy. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Of course."

The blue earth pony left with her boxes, leaving the young unicorn behind the counter. Ancè let out a sigh and laid her head down on the counter. She didn't want to be here right now. What she really wanted to do was go find Cori and apologize, since the Changeling filly had not spoken to her or her other siblings this morning at breakfast. She didn't even walk near them when Father walked them to school. Aurora and Jubilee were the most affected by that, the former in a depressive state herself. She felt a bit responsible, since she had not done anything during the moment their friendship had been damaged. She was trying to figure out a way to fix the whole mess when Vibrant walked in. "Vibrant!" Ancè exclaimed, a bit surprised to see him.

"Oh, hey Ancè," He said with a nervous smile. "You got stuck helping out the Cakes?"

"Yeah," The fashionista's daughter mumbled. "What did your parents do?"

"Well… we were going to see the Wonderbolt Derby coming up this weekend, but now I don't think I'm getting to go."

"Oh, Vi…"

"Heh, it's really no big deal." Vibrant rubbed the back of his neck. "I got a big lecture from my mom about staying true to your friends, no matter what. One of those days it's hard being the child of the Element of Loyalty."

"We seriously wronged Cori," Ancè asserted. "She trusted us."

"I know. And I know she only did what she did to save Goldie. We were all just… scared."

Ancè let out a sigh. "…You are correct. Have you seen any of the others?"

"Bram and Goldie are stuck doing chores at Sweet Apple Acres," Vibrant said, sighing. "And I think Evie's getting 'friendship lessons' from her mom."

"So you are the only one free to roam about?"

"Actually… I'm supposed to be picking up something for my mom."

Ancè glanced behind the counter and found a box labelled 'Rainbow Dash' sitting there. "Ah. Here it is." She used her magic to lift it and set it on the counter.

"Thanks Ancè. I'll see you later then?" He picked it up by the string around it.

"Hopefully." The white pegasus colt took the box and left then, leaving Ancè alone—for all of a minute. Her father entered then, causing her to jump. "F-Father!"

"Hello Ancè," He said with a smile. "Startled you?"

"Um… yes indeed, Father. I wasn't expecting you to come by…"

"I came to check up on you." He came over to the counter and gently patted her head. For some reason, his touch seemed to calm her. "Are you doing alright?"

Ancè was silent for a moment, wondering if she should just tell him that she was doing perfectly fine. But then she let out a sigh. "…The flour is getting in my mane and tail, and I feel like I'm getting really dirty. The spices and cinnamon are irritating my nose, and I really want to wash my mane…"

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle at that. He reached out to gently stoke his daughter's mane. She seemed happy at the show of affection. "I understand your discomfort, Ancè."

"But I am not upset," Ancè clarified. "I feel my punishment is completely deserved."

"Oh?"

"I stood by and did nothing while I could clearly see Cori's distress. I could have spoken up, defended her or something, yet I did not. And after the courage she mustered in just asking me to teach her how to read, that is unacceptable. So if after this I can atone for what I've done…" She trailed off. After a moment of thought, she let out another sigh. "I just wish she knew how apologetic I am about this whole ordeal."

A slow smile grew on Tyr's face. "Well, I suppose hearing all that would prove that she's truly remorseful, wouldn't it Cori?"

Ancè's head snapped up at that, and she gasped. Standing beside her father was the young Changeling, tears in the mismatched eyes. "C-Cordelia?"

"I heard everything you said," Cori said softly, rubbing at her eyes. "And I can taste…well, sense your feelings. You really regret what happened."

"Of course I do!" Ancè said immediately. "Cori, I wish I had spoken up. But I did not, and this is my penance."

Cori was silent for a moment. Then, she glanced up at Tyr. [Sir… if I may?]

[Yes, my dear?]

[Can Ancè's punishment be shortened to just one week?]

[I suppose so…]

[In exchange, I will help out at the cake shop too]

Tyr smiled. "Such a kind girl."

"Um…" Ancè looked confused. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, sorry about that. Ancè. Because of what Cori suggested, I will be shortening your punishment to only one week."

The surprise on the gray unicorn's face was priceless. "What? Whatever for?"

"I'll be helping you," Cori said, going over and joining her sister behind the counter. She hugged the unicorn tightly. "As a way to say thank you."

"Oh… Cori…"

"I think I'll leave you two then," Tyr said with a soft smile. He turned and went to the door.

"Um, thank you sir!" Cori called after him. Tyr simply waved and left the shop. Once he was gone, Cori turned to Ancè. "So… Can you teach me how to bake a cake?"

–x–

Bramley entered the barn to find his little sister, Golden Grove, struggling with a bag of seed. He watched her attempt to drag it, then lift it, before letting out a frustrated sigh and dropping it. She stayed still for a bit, breathing heavily. "You need some help, Goldie?" He asked finally, chuckling. Goldie had never been very strong, her frail body only adding to her frustrations. The brown pegasus glanced over in his direction, frowned, and turned away with a huff. Bramley was understandably confused.

"I got it," The pegasus filly told him, trying to lift the bag again.

"Now Goldie, you know that's too heavy for you…"

"I can handle it!" Goldie asserted, managing to flip the bag over and make a little progress. "I don't need you fawning all over me, Bramley."

"I'm just telling ya that that bag is too—"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Goldie yelled. Her brother took a step back, caught off guard by the outburst.

"Uh…"

"…Just let me do this, Bramley."

"I don't want you to hurt yourself, Goldie."

"I can take care of myself."

Bramley frowned. "I'm just trying to protect you, like a brother should."

Goldie fixed him with a cold stare. "…So you had to protect me from Cori?"

There was silence in the barn. Neither pony said anything, not looking away from each other either. After a moment, Goldie went back to trying to push her bag of seeds out of the barn. She was almost to the barn doors when Bramley let out a sigh. "She's dangerous."

"Technically, so is Evie. I don't see you protecting me from her."

"But I trust Evie."

"And I trust Cori!" Goldie countered. "She would never do anything to hurt me or anypony else!"

"How can you think that when we all saw what she did?"

"Because she didn't lose control."

"And how can we be sure she won't lose control in the future?" Bramley asked pointedly. "You know that she's a Changeling, and Changelings feed on emotions. She might turn on us one day—!"

"She won't turn on us if we don't turn on her," Goldie countered. "You saw how our fear hurt her. She trusted us."

"She's a monster."

"No she's not!"

Bramley narrowed his eyes. "I don't want you anywhere near her, and that's final Goldie. I'm your brother, and it's my job to protect you."

"WELL I WISH YOU WEREN'T MY BROTHER!" Goldie screamed, and galloped out of the barn. Bramley stood there in pure shock, unable to completely process what had just happened. Goldie… didn't want him as her brother? But all he was doing was looking out for her, wasn't it? Keeping her from harm was a big brother's job after all.

"Was I… wrong?"

"Nope."

"What?" Bramley turned to see his uncle Big Mac enter the barn, his trademark harness around his neck. The smaller colt had always looked up to his stoic uncle, respecting him for his strength and wisdom. But at the moment, the colt felt a bit scared. Was his uncle going to admonish him too? "Uncle Mac?"

The red stallion stopped a few hoofsteps away from his nephew. "…Goldie giving ya trouble?"

"Yeah." Bramley sat down and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm just trying ta look out for her…"

Big Mac was silent for a long minute. When he finally spoke, it was almost like Bramley could hear the years of experience in his voice. "…I've been a big brother for a long time now, Bramley. Unlike you though, I had two sisters ta look out for. Though Applejack didn't need me that much after a while, I still had ta do all the stuff she couldn't." He paused, thinking for a moment. "And Applebloom looked up ta Applejack, so I was mostly working the farm."

"But Mom and Aunt Applebloom still looked up to ya for help, right?"

"Of course." Big Mac chuckled. "I am still their brother. I may not be an Element like Applejack, but if either of them needs my help, I'm always there for them."

"Right…"

"But when they were younger, I always let them have a little freedom. I'd watch out for them of course, but I'd never try ta tell them what they could or couldn't do."

Bramley frowned. "So… Telling Goldie she couldn't be friends with Cori…"

"Ain't nopony around that likes being told who they can be friends with," Big Mac said. "And Goldie is a tough little filly, despite how she looks. And if I know anything about that filly, its that she don't want ta be smothered."

"Smothered?"

Big Mac nodded. "She trusts you Bram, but you got ta trust her to make her own judgement sometimes."

"…I guess you're right, Uncle." Bramley sighed. He glanced out the barn doors, wondering where his little sister had gone. "I hope she forgives me."

The red stallion patted the green colt's shoulder. "She will, don't worry. Family always sticks together. Now, we still got chores to do, so come on."

–x–

The day was mostly over when Twilight finally let Evie go outside. She had spent most of the morning getting a lecture on 'treating friends responsibly' which ended with her promising to find Cori and apologize for her actions. But before that, she had to help Spike catalogue a new shipment of books. A large shipment of books.

But now she was in town, hoping to find Cori somewhere. As far as she knew Cori wasn't disguising herself, so finding her shouldn't be that hard. After all, there were only two Changelings in the entirety of Ponyville. But even as she passed several stores, not one glimpse of the Changeling filly. She was halfway through town when she almost collided with Golden Grove. The purple unicorn blinked. "Goldie! I wasn't expecting you here."

The brown pegasus rubbed her face. "E-Evie? I didn't see you, I'm sorry."

"I'm alright," Evie assured her. "I'm sure if I ran into you, it would have been worse."

Goldie frowned. "Because I'm weak?"

"What? No, I'm a unicorn, remember?"

"Oh… oh! Right. Of course." Goldie blushed and looked away. Evie frowned at her.

"Is… something the matter?"

"…I had a fight with Bramley."

"What? You and Bramley are really close. What happened?"

"…He thinks I'm weak and that he has to protect me from everything!"

Evie frowned a bit. There was only one reason for Goldie and Bramley to disagree like that. "Let me guess, it had something to do with Cori?"

"Yes! He says he doesn't trust her, but she only did what she did to save me!"

The unicorn nodded slowly. "I agree with you there. Cori was only doing what she could to make you safe. Us reacting the way we did is understandable, but we shouldn't have driven her off like that."

"You… you mean it?"

"Yes. I wish I didn't have to sit through a whole lecture for it, but what's done is done." She let out a sigh, but gave the other filly a smile. "So, have you seen Cori?"

"No, but I've been looking for her…" Goldie looked down at her hooves, shame filling her expression. "I… want to ask her to forgive me. I want her to be my friend again."

Evie smiled. "So do I, Goldie. Want to look for her together?"

"Yes please!"

With the brown filly at her side, Evie continued to search the town. But almost as if by fate, they spotted the young Changeling minutes later, being crushed in a hug by Jubilee. Ancè was there as well, watching with mild amusement as her sisters reunited. She glanced over and spotted the unicorn and pegasus as they approached. The two newcomers noticed that the normally well-kept Ancè looked a lot dirtier than she normally did. "Evie, Goldie! Your parents let you go?"

"My mom said she was done for the day," Evie said.

Goldie glanced over at Cori for only a split second before sighing. "Bramley is finishing up on the farm."

Ancè nodded. "I see. The cakes just let me go a little while ago as well. Bibi, can you let Cori go?"

"Sorry!" Jubilee said sheepishly, letting the young Changeling go. Cori simply giggled. But her amusement was short lived as she looked over to see Evie and Goldie.

"I wasn't expecting to see you two," Cori said softly.

Evie let out a sigh. "I know we may be the last ponies you want to see Cori, but I just want you to know that we're sorry."

"…Why would you think I didn't want to see you?"

"Because we called you a monster!" Goldie cried, sniffling a bit. "We called you a monster and didn't even thank you for saving us!"

"I think Bramley was the one to call her a monster," A voice told them. They all looked up to see Vibrant landing nearby. The white pegasus blinked at all the confused looks he was getting. "…What? I wanted to apologize too."

Cori looked around at the five ponies. "You all… wanted to see me again?"

"Of course!" Ancè said. She gave the Changeling a bright smile. "You are our sister and friend. We all felt horrible about how we treated you."

"All of us except Bramley apparently," Vibrant muttered.

Cori shook her head. "No, that's fine. I don't think I'd be that happy to see him anyway."

Evie blinked. "Cori…?"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't hate him. But being called a monster…" Cori shivered. "…It'll just take longer to forgive him."

"…I see."

"But Goldie…" Cori glanced over at the brown pegasus. Before she could say anything however, Goldie had flown over to her and thrown her hooves around her neck in a hug.

"Can you forgive me?" She asked, almost whispering.

The Changeling filly nodded. "Of course. You know you're my closest friend, Goldie."

"R-Really?" She pulled away to look at her, shock on her face. "You mean it?"

"You're really my first true friend. Ancè and Jubilee and Aurora and Aleron are my family, but you're special to me."

Goldie stared. Then she began to sniffle, and then she started to cry. "You're s-special to me too!"

Cori simply hugged her tightly, letting her cry into her mane. The other children moved in as well, joining into a group hug. They got a few strange looks from ponies passing by, but they were too happy to notice. It wasn't until Rarity and Fluttershy walked by that they broke the hug. "Oh, isn't that adorable?" the yellow pegasus mare said.

"Mom!" Goldie said, as the kids broke their group hug. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Today was our spa day," Rarity explained. She brushed her mane back. "See how shiny our coats are? Such a relaxing experience."

"Congratulations," Ancè muttered. "I'm jealous."

Fluttershy frowned slightly, looking at her daughter. "Goldie, aren't you supposed to be helping Bramley back at home?"

Goldie looked away. "…I had to see Cori."

Rarity and Fluttershy shared a look. "…Well, alright then. It seems you all are friends again."

"Although I don't see Bramley anywhere?" Rarity murmured, looking around.

"That dummy is probably still on the farm," Vibrant said with a sigh.

Cori shook her head. "It's okay Vibrant."

"If you say so…"

Rarity smiled. "It's wonderful to see everything is better between you all."

"Maybe Cori is just good at bringing ponies together," Jubilee said with a giggle.

Cori was silent for a long minute. "Um… Miss Rarity?"

Rarity blinked several times at that. Cori had never really talked to her, so she didn't know what the Changeling filly thought of her. "Ah, yes darling?"

"Would it be alright if we went by Sweet Apple Acres? I need to talk to Bramley."

"But why?" Goldie was the first to protest. "He doesn't even want me to talk to you, so why should we bother?"

"I don't think one day is enough for him to get over what happened," Vibrant pointed out. "I mean, honestly I'm not even over it."

Evie nodded. "I have to agree with Vi. Sure, we wanted to apologize for our actions, but Bramley…"

Cori shook her head, determination in her eyes. "This isn't for his benefit," She told them. The other children looked at her in confusion.

"It's not?" Ancè asked.

"This is for mine," the Changeling asserted. The others in the group were both surprised and confused at the sudden confidence from the filly. Something had changed in her after the Gala. And now, it was like an entirely different filly.

Goldie stared at Cori for a minute. Something about Cori's confidence and determination was even inspiring her. In her eyes, the Changeling even _looked_ more mature. She glanced around, seeing the same sort of recognition cross over the expressions of the other children. Finally, Vibrant spoke. "Well, I guess all we have to do is go do it."

"Oh dear," Rarity murmured. "I was going to do some shopping today…"

Fluttershy smiled. "I can take them Rarity."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"It's no trouble, honestly. I was going home anyway."

"Alright then…" Rarity turned to the children, or more specifically Jubilee, Ancè and Cori. "You girls be good, alright?

"Yes ma'am!" Jubilee said with a wide smile.

Ancè nodded. "Of course Mother."

Cori simply nodded. Rarity gave her two daughters one last hug, kissed Cori lightly on the forehead, and trotted off. The young Changeling looked surprised, but Rarity was already gone before she could say anything. Deciding to save her questions for later, she turned back to the group. Fluttershy gave her a smile. "Ready to go?"

"Yes ma'am," The Changeling said.

–x–

"Jackie!" Fluttershy called out, entering the Apple family home. She was trailed by the rest of the kids. Cori in particular looked in awe at the inside of the house. The yellow pegasus giggled. "Oh, I just thought about it. This is your first time here, isn't it Cori?"

"Uh huh," Cori replied, blushing. "This house is… warm. You can feel the love."

Goldie smiled at her. "It's really cozy here."

"We've all been here plenty of times!" Vibrant said proudly, flying up above the group.

Evie rolled her eyes. "Of course. We always stay over here if we can't stay at the castle."

The kids went into the living room while Fluttershy went looking for her wife. "I'm a little nervous," Ancè muttered.

"I'd expect Cori to be more worried," Evie said, glancing over at the Changeling filly. Cori was silent, focused on the floor between her hooves. She was obviously deep in thought.

"Maybe if this all works out we can have a party?" Jubilee offered. "A party would be a really good idea, I think."

"Totally a mini-Pinkie Pie," Vibrant said with a chuckle.

Goldie moved over beside Cori. "Um… Cori? Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure," Cori said evenly. She glanced over at the window. "…I have to be."

"O-Okay…"

The front door opened. The kids all turned to look, and found Big Mac entering, Bramley following behind. The two male ponies paused once they noticed all their visitors. Silence ruled the room for a long minute. Finally, Ancè spoke up. "Ah, are you… both done with all your chores?"

Big Mac blinked. "Ah… Eeyup."

Bramley's eyes fell on Cori. The Changeling drew back almost instinctively. "…What's she doing here?"

"Bramley…" Goldie began, rising from her seat. Big Mac slipped off wordlessly, choosing to not be part of the situation. But before the brown pegasus could speak, Bramley held up a hoof.

"I thought I said I didn't want you anywhere near her?" The colt said roughly. "She's a monster, and I don't trust her."

"Oh come on Bram!" Vibrant complained, but suddenly the room fell silent. Cori had stood up and walked over to the larger colt. Bramley watched her warily as she approached, standing his ground. He had several inches on the filly, but the Changeling stared him down.

"I forgive you," Cori said simply. Bramley stared at her in shock.

"…What?" He managed to mutter.

"I said I forgive you." The filly repeated. "I know you just want to protect Goldie, so I forgive you."

"Forgive me?"

"But that doesn't mean I approve of your methods," Cori continued, eyes narrowing. "Goldie loves you, but she doesn't appreciate you smothering her. You mean well, but you aren't taking her emotions into account."

"How would you know—!"

"I'm a Changeling. I can taste every emotion like you taste different kinds of ice cream. I can easily see the love between you and Goldie. And no matter how angry you get with each other, you'll still be family, and you'll always have that bond." Cori took a breath. "So I forgive you, for thinking of me as a monster. But at the same time, I want you to know I don't like you."

A stunned silence held sway over the room. No one could find anything to say to Cori's quiet speech. Even Vibrant had landed beside Evie in shock. Ancè was the first to find her voice. "Cori…?"

"So I will continue being Golden Grove's friend. Regardless of how you feel. I'd like for you to be my friend, but I don't need you to be. I'll go now, since I know you don't want me here."

She turned on her hoof and left the house. No pony moved. Finally, Vibrant spoke up. "…What the buck?"

That seemed to bring Evie back to life. She whirled on the all-white pegasus with a harsh glare. "Vibrant Spark! Language!"

"I believe I am inclined to agree with Vibrant," Ancè said slowly. "I am stunned at the backbone Cori just showed…"

"I reckon she just put Bramley in his place," an amused voice said. The children looked up to see Applejack and Fluttershy coming down from upstairs.

"Mom," Bramley muttered, still confused.

Applejack walked over to Bramley and put a hoof on his shoulder. "That filly just taught you something, Bram."

"What would that be?"

"How to treat someone who you think you need to protect." Applejack cast a knowing glance back at Fluttershy, who smiled. "Protect, don't smother. Celestia knows I learned that lesson with Applebloom."

"So what Jackie is trying to say, you don't have to try and control Goldie's or anypony's life," Fluttershy said. "Just the fact that you're looking out for them will be enough. I know your mother will come help me whenever I need her."

Bramley let out a sigh. "…I guess you're right." He looked over at Goldie. "Can you forgive me?"

Goldie frowned, but walked over to her brother. She hit him lightly in the leg. "…You're my brother, and I love you. So of course I forgive you."

"Oh!" Ancè suddenly stood. "Speaking of family, we need to go!"

Jubilee blinked. "What? Why?"

"Cori just left, Bibi! We have to catch up to her!"

"Oh! Right!" As she and her sister hurried to the door, Jubilee waved at the others. "Bye everypony!"

The two sisters left then, chasing after their half-sister. They caught up to her just outside of town. "Cori! Cordelia!" Ancè called.

The Changeling filly glanced back, relief showing on her face. "Oh, thank goodness it's you two. I thought Bramley was going to chase after me."

"Bramley?" Jubilee frowned. "Why would he come chasing after you?"

"Um… cause he wanted to hurt me? He thinks I'm a monster, right?"

Ancè giggled. "Well, regardless of what he thinks, you surely did let him know how you felt. And that is commendable."

Jubilee nodded. "Yeah! And you weren't mean or anything!"

"I don't think a pony can be mean and forgive someone…"

Cori smiled. "Thanks you two. I'm glad to have you as sisters."

The other two fillies got up beside her to hug her. "Of course, Cori. Family sticks together, right?" Ancè smiled warmly.

"Right!"

"CORI!" A voice cried. The three fillies turned to see Goldie galloping towards them. They separated just as the pegasus reached them. She was quite out of breath. "I'm… glad… I caught up to you."

"Goldie, did you run after us?" Cori asked, confused.

"I did…" Goldie sat down, still breathing heavily.

Ancè frowned. "Well, catch your breath, dear!"

Goldie did so, the three fillies waiting for her to speak. It took her a minute, but once her breathing had slowed, she looked over at Cori. "I wanted to thank you," She said softly.

"Thank me for what?" Cori asked.

"For standing up for me. You really… made me happy."

Cori blinked several times. "…It did?"

"Yes! It really showed that you… um… really consider me special?"

"Of course I do," the Changeling said with a smile.

A bright smile grew on the pegasus's face. "Great! I'm so glad to have you as a friend, Cori!" She moved forward, planted a soft kiss on the Changeling's cheek, and then galloped away back to her home. The three fillies watched her go in shock.

"I did not see that coming," Ancè muttered. And from the looks on the other two fillies faces, neither had they.

–x–

* * *

 **Am I shipping my own OC's?  
**

 **Possibly.**

 **Do I feel bad about it?**

 **Nope!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 17: A Storyteller's Weave

Tyr had become a normal sight around Ponyville in short order. In only a few weeks, he was being greeted on sight by almost every pony in town. It helped that he was married to one of their ruling figures, but Tyr's easy smile and friendly demeanor had quickly endeared him to all the town's residents. Plus, most of them were present at the last stand in the other world.

Sherry and Hope had returned to Canterlot, since both of them were needed for different matters of state. Celestia also liked having them help her around the castle, on top of keeping her company. Luna, however, was allowed to stay on the Jötunheim. As her duties were mostly night related, she did not have to remain in Canterlot. On top of that, she could easily just teleport. So Tyr was allowed to keep his herd together and nearby.

Speaking of his herd…

"Tyr, Tyr, Tyr, Tyr, Tyr!" The bright and cheery voice called his name repeatedly to get his attention. The man removed his goggles and looked up from the myriad of mechanical components laid out on the table in front of him to look up at the pink pony bouncing in front of him. She was excited, but then again how different was that from normal?

"Yes, Pinkie?" He asked calmly, but couldn't help the smile growing on his face. Living with Pinkie was much different than just seeing her occasionally. She was a ball of energy almost constantly. Even while she slept she had a smile on her face. So Tyr had just decided to just roll with whatever happened.

"I—What are you doing?" Pinkie's attention was quickly grabbed by the things in front of Tyr.

"Seeing if I can repair this communicator," Tyr muttered, moving the adjustable magnifier over where he was working. "This is delicate work, so no jumping on me, alright?"

"Okay. But can you look over here for a second?"

Tyr set down his tools and glanced over. "What is…?" He trailed off, looking over the pink pony. She was grinning, which was normal, and her puffy mane was suitably puffy. But his eyes were drawn to the one section on the pony that was not pink—her neck. A collar similar to the ones Rarity and Chrys wore was situated on her neck, the symbol inside the shield a trio of balloons. Tyr blinked a couple times. "Oh."

"How does it look?" Pinkie asked, grin never fading.

"…It looks good on you," Tyr offered. He still didn't know how comfortable he was with Rarity and Pinkie wearing collars, but part of him had to admit—seeing Pinkie with a collar was kinda cute. "I didn't realize Rarity was actually going to make you one."

"She kept harassing me about it," Rarity's elegant voice pointed out. Tyr glanced past Pinkie to spot the seamstress herself as she came into Tyr's makeshift armory. More like workshop. With very little to do outside of the Jötunheim, he had taken to experimenting with the extra materials Cindy provided him. With all the extra space not being used by him and his family, there was room for him to establish a room dedicated to what Luna called experimenting.

"Well, as long as she's happy," Tyr admitted, watching Pinkie bounce around the room. He spared the white unicorn a glance. "And you? Are you alright with our… arrangements?"

Rarity let out a delicate laugh. "Oh darling, when you say it like that it sounds like _you're_ the one who's uncomfortable."

"I'd be lying if I said I was completely okay with it. I mean, you know polygamy—er, herding—wasn't common where I'm from."

"Actually Operator," Cindy's voice called out. Tyr glanced down at his wristlet, where Cindy's hologram was. "Polygamy was actually quite common amongst Observers. Both multiple wives and multiple husbands. It's said that the practice descended from charismatic individuals that gathered others around them."

Tyr frowned at the hologram. "Then why don't I remember… oh."

Rarity glanced over at him, noticing the sudden understanding and then confusion crossing the man's face. "What is it darling?"

"My Operator's mother was quite… charismatic," Cindy said. She stepped over to the side, allowing another hologram to appear. It was a small image of Tyr's mother, Aleksandra. Rarity gasped quietly. Tyr had described what his mother had looked like, but not in much detail.

"She's… absolutely gorgeous darling…"

"She also had a very high number of suitors. It was assumed that she would form quite a large group around herself."

"But she turned them all down for my father," Tyr said. "And refused any others afterwards."

Rarity glanced over at the man. "She did?"

Cindy was quiet for a bit. "Um… She confided in me that she picked your father not for his looks or skills, but for—"

"His kindness," Tyr finished. "My mother could never find another man as kind as him."

"I can only think of one pony as self-sacrificing as you," Rarity said softly.

Pinkie paused in her bouncing around the room to agree. "Uh huh! Fluttershy!"

Cindy nodded. "She is the Element of Kindness."

"Anyway," Tyr said, sighing and smiling at the two mares. "If you two are happy, I guess I can be happy as well."

"Papa…!" Almost immediately, in came Aurora. The filly flew over to her father and landed in his lap. "Can you brush my mane for me?"

"Ro, you're old enough to do it yourself."

"But I like it when you do it!" His daughter whined. Tyr chuckled, but before he could say anything else, in came the rest of his daughters.

"I wasn't that rough with your mane, Aurora," Ancè said with a frown. After the whole incident at the Gala, Tyr had noticed his children had made up almost immediately. Aurora had been waiting on Cori the moment she came home, and she and her brother had asked for their half-sister's forgiveness. Which had been surprisingly easy to get. "There was no need to go running off like that!"

Aurora didn't think so, and stuck her tongue out at her. Tyr smiled and glanced over at the other fillies, noticing something different about Cori. Her mane was braided back instead of free flowing like it normally was, and she was now wearing a somewhat large silver bow. "Changing your style, Jitterbug?" He asked.

Cori blushed slightly. "Ancè suggested it."

"And doesn't she look so much cuter?" Ancè asked, smiling.

"You're not trying to show off for anypony, are you?" Rarity asked teasingly.

The Changeling's blush deepened. "N-No!"

"Well, I suppose we don't want to give your father too many worries."

Tyr rolled his eyes as he began working with this daughter's mane. "I'm already worried about the day Sherry shows up and tells me she has a boyfriend…"

"Coltfriend," Rarity corrected. "And isn't Sherry old enough to make a good choice in colts?"

"Are you still comfortable with Sweetie dating Spike?"

"Er… fair point."

Tyr let out a sigh. "I guess that's what it means to be a parent."

"Speaking of parents, where are Luna and Chrys?"

"Princess Luna and Miss Chrissy are asleep," Jubilee said, looking over at Tyr's tools. "Hey dad, what's all this stuff?"

Tyr smiled. "I'm using it to fix something. Don't touch it, okay?"

"Kay!"

"What are you doing anyway, Father?" Ancè asked, she and Cori coming over.

"Well, let me show you," The man said.

Rarity stepped back to the door as the four fillies crowded around their father. Pinkie went over and joined her. "He's so good with kids," The pink mare said thoughtfully.

"He is indeed," Rarity agreed.

"Maybe he should be a school teacher!"

The white unicorn had to laugh at that. "Oh, I doubt Tyr would be that kind of stallion."

"I'm sure he knows lots of things though…"

Cindy's hologram suddenly glanced off to the side. "…Operator, Sweetie Bell is at the entrance. Would you like for me to allow her inside?"

Tyr sighed. "Guess I'll work on this later. Let her in Cindy." He got up, Aurora using her wings to hover near his shoulder. The other fillies followed him as he left. This was also normal, Tyr thought. The four girls were really attached to him, and to his credit he didn't mind all the attention. When they made it to the main room, he found Sweetie Bell sitting on one of the chairs. She hopped up as he came in. "I'm a bit surprised to see you coming by, Sweetie."

The mare blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"I thought you, Applebloom and Scootaloo had your own place," Tyr pointed out, sitting down on the couch. The girls ran off to go bother Aleron, who was sitting off to the side reading. He had an 'oh come on' face when Aurora landed on his back. Rarity joined Tyr on the couch while Pinkie bounced off to bother Cindy.

Sweetie Bell smiled nervously as her sister stared at her. "We do, but… Well, it's about Applebloom."

"Something is up with Applebloom?" Pinkie asked.

Rarity frowned. "And you didn't bring this up to Applejack?"

"Mainly because Bloom told me to come to you." Sweetie pointed a hoof at Tyr.

Tyr frowned. "Me specifically? Why?"

"Because she said you promised to help her if she went into the Everfree."

Both Rarity and Pinkie gasped. "The Everfree?" Rarity murmured. "Why in Equestria would Applebloom want to go there?"

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "There's nothing out there but weird stuff and nasties!"

"She wanted to go see Zecora," Sweetie pointed out. "And since we know it's dangerous, Bloom suggested Tyr went with us."

Tyr frowned. "Well, I did tell Applebloom that if she needed to go into the Everfree, I'd go with her…"

Rarity stared at her sister for a minute, scrutinizing her expression. Sweetie Bell kept her smile without flinching. "…Well… I suppose I would feel much better if you took Tyr along…"

"Perfect!" Sweetie said, almost a bit louder than she needed to. "Then let's go!"

"Go now?" Tyr muttered. "Well, fine, I guess. Rarity, can you tell Luna where I went when she wakes up?"

The white unicorn nodded. "Of course darling. Keep them safe, won't you?"

She punctuated the request with a gentle kiss to his cheek. He couldn't help but smile. "Of course. Alright Fen, up and at em!" He grinned as the wolf girl pulled herself out from under her blanket. Her dark colored eyes peered up at him.

"Are we going somewhere, Alpha?" Fenrir asked sleepily.

"Out to the Everfree," Tyr told her as several Inferus brought him his armor. He slipped into it easily, with practiced movements. He pulled his cloak on last. "You might get to hunt something."

That woke the wolf girl up. She dashed out from under the blanket, scurried up Tyr's leg, and was up to his shoulder in seconds. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

"Can we go too dad?" Aurora asked, flying over. Tyr stroked her head gently.

"Sorry Ro," He told her. "It'll be too dangerous. And you know I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay…"

"Scootaloo and Bloom are waiting for us," Sweetie said, pushing him out of the door. "Come on!"

"Rush much?" Tyr said with a chuckle, but allowed himself to be pushed out. Sweetie let him walk normally once they were outside, and they headed in the direction of the Everfree forest. They were silent for the most part, Sweetie Bell humming something under her breath while Tyr ran a mental inventory of his things. It wasn't a very long walk, but Tyr decided to question his newly discovered sister-in-law. "Hey, Sweetie?"

"Hm?" She glanced over at him, her light green eyes bright. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Just wanted to know how everything is with you," He said smoothly. "I don't see much of you, so I was curious."

"Oh! Well, I'm busy going over a new song. Coloratura wanted me and Ace's sister to do a trio piece with her."

"Oh that sounds interesting. Are you looking forward to it?"

"Yes!" Sweetie grinned. "I mean, I'm just a small name singer, and Coloratura wants to sing with _me_!"

Tyr chuckled at how excited she was. Despite being obviously a mare in her own right, she still seemed like that excitable little girl he knew back in his world. But now she was about the size of your average pony, and her pink and light purple mane was much longer yet still had those trademark curls at the end. He had a momentary line of thought where he wondered how she would look back as a human. Probably as an attractive young adult, one of those child star types. As they began to get closer to the Everfree, he noticed three ponies, not two, outside the forest. He recognized Scootaloo and Applebloom, but the third surprised him. It was Starlight Glimmer. "What's she doing here?" Sweetie murmured.

"Sweetie!" Scootaloo called out, seeing them approach. "Bout time you got here!"

"You're going with them?" Starlight asked, looking over at Tyr.

"I've been requested," Tyr pointed out with a shrug. "And you?"

"I spotted them gathering over here," Starlight said, glancing over at the other three ponies. "I wanted to know what they were doing."

"Well they're going into the Everfree to see Zecora."

"Zecora? Oh, Twilight told me she needed something from Zecora. Would it be terrible if I came along?"

"Up to them…" Tyr gestured to the three other mares. The three of them held a short meeting, before turning back to them.

"We've decided to take her with us," Applebloom said.

Scootaloo nodded. "I mean, safety in numbers and all that."

"I suppose that's smart," Starlight admitted. "Even though I've never been in the Everfree…"

"It'll be fine," Fenrir pointed out. "With my Alpha by your side, nothing will harm you."

"If you say so…"

Tyr glanced up at the sky. "Come on then, let's not take too long. We don't want to get stuck in the Everfree once night time hits."

Applebloom started at that, but said nothing. Instead, it was Scootaloo who spoke up. "Come on then ponies… and Tyr… let's go!"

As they made their way into the forest, Tyr noticed that the three Cutie Mark Crusaders—if they still called themselves that—were each wearing coats that covered their whole body. Now, he was a bit more resistant to the cold now, but he hadn't noticed anypony else starting to wear cold weather clothing. He thought about asking, but decided against it. Maybe they were wearing them to protect against things in the Everfree? Who knew. Feeling Fenrir's excitement, they pushed into the foreboding darkness of the Everfree.

It was darker than the first time, he felt. Maybe having only Sweetie and Starlight providing light with their horns had something to do with it? Regardless of the reason, the forest seemed even more stifling. And with the fear that something might jump out at any moment, no pony wanted to speak up. The silence was definitely not helping any of their worries, but for Tyr it was more familiar. The quiet before the storm was a familiar feeling. Finally, almost as if she couldn't take it anymore, Applebloom broke the silence. "…Is it just me, or did it get a whole lot creepier in here?"

"You're telling me," Scootaloo mumbled. "I don't remember the path to Zecora's ever being this… dark. Plus, we've been walking for a while now—didn't she live near the edge?"

"I haven't been in here since we got back to Equestria," Applebloom muttered. "What with helping Sweetie and getting back in the swing a things…"

"What were you helping Sweetie with?" Starlight asked, apparently grateful for some conversation.

"I was in charge of stage work," Applebloom said proudly. "Made sure everything was in tip top shape before any concert!"

"Oh, wow."

Sweetie Bell smiled. "Yeah. Without Bloom, who knows how much would have gone wrong."

"Glad to see you're staying close," Tyr said with a smile.

"Wish I could help out," Scootaloo said with a sigh. "But I'm working for the Princess."

"Princess?" Starlight frowned. "You mean Twilight?"

"No, I work directly for Princess Celestia."

"Oh… oh wow."

"Yup! Royal Messenger!"

Sweetie giggled. "I'm sure your parents are so proud."

"Hey, they are! Just cause my dad's a Knight and my mom is an Element doesn't mean I gotta be anything like that!"

"I'm just teasing!"

Suddenly, Applebloom stopped dead in her tracks, causing her friends to bump into her. "Hey, Bloom, what gives?"

"There!" The redhead said abruptly, and dashed off into the Everfree. The others stood in mute shock for only a second, before Sweetie and Scootaloo took off after their friend.

"Girls, wait!" Starlight called out, galloping after them. Tyr followed as well, traversing the rough terrain with feral grace. He repressed a smile—his movements and actions had progressively become more and more wolfish over time, especially when he was 'hunting'. The wolf on his shoulder was elated as well, a wide grin on her face. Running felt good.

He surpassed Starlight quickly, wolfish senses letting every step fall in a safe spot. However, his companion was not so lucky. Barely a minute into their chase and he heard a yelp from behind him. "Damnation!" Fenrir hissed as Tyr turned around. Starlight had tripped over an exposed root, no doubt missing it in the darkness. He made to go help her, even as he heard the hoofsteps of the CMC retreating in the distance.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, helping her back up onto her hooves. She knocked a few leaves out of her mane.

"Ugh. I hate woods," Starlight muttered.

"They're not all that bad," Fenrir protested, but Tyr simply chuckled.

"We'll take it slow," He assured the light violet unicorn. He glanced back towards the forest, a frown crossing his face. "…They've gotten quite far…"

"Can we catch up to them?"

"Through this forest? Perhaps." Fenrir was thoughtful. "But I doubt it. Even with our tracking skills, we won't catch them until night falls."

"It's an unfamiliar forest at that," Tyr muttered. "Even though we've been here before, its like the place changes whenever you enter."

"The forest is a treacherous place to be sure; hence why the number of visitors has steadily been fewer."

Tyr glanced up in surprise. He found himself looking right into the amused expression of a zebra with a well-kept mohawk in the same coloration as her coat. A number of golden rings were on her neck and front left leg, and a pair of golden hoop earrings hung from her ears. She was carrying a pair of bags on her back. "Uh…"

"Ah, is this Tyr I see? I thought a reunion between us all would not be."

"…Zecora?" Tyr vaguely remembered the herbalist, since he had only met her once before. But that particular way of speaking was memorable if nothing else. "You live out here?"

"I do indeed, my human friend; A ways away from my homeland I have been." Zecora smiled.

Tyr chuckled. "Same here."

"Pray tell, how did you end up in our land? Methinks the means must have been quite grand."

"If you would believe it, a book."

"How odd; At least it did the job."

Starlight spoke up. "Um, Zecora, have you seen three fillies run through here?"

Zecora tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. After a moment, she spoke. "You two are the only ones I have come across today; who else came with you, if you can say?"

"Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo."

"Those three?" The herbalist frowned. "Then it is good you sought to speak to me. I have not seen those young ponies in a while; ever since they found their particular styles."

"Their Cutie Marks, you mean?" Starlight inquired. Zecora replied with a nod. "Great. Now the three of them are lost in the forest…"

Zecora frowned at that. "Lost in the forest? That is… not the best. There is danger all around; my hopes is that they will be found."

"Dangerous?" Tyr noticed Zecora began to look all around them warily. "…What are you afraid of, Zecora?"

The herbalist glanced over at the man, her cyan eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she saw Fenrir. "It would be best if we spoke in my home; that way we are not standing in the way of things that may roam."

With a gesture, she directed them further into the forest. The man and mare followed her, quickly coming to a somewhat disguised hut. It was covered in tribal looking masks and other designs and built into a tree. Zecora led them inside, but Tyr had to duck down in order to get in. Surprisingly, there was enough room for him to almost stand up completely straight. He chose to sit instead. Starlight took a seat near him, while Zecora put down all her bags. One slipped and fell over, revealing a myriad of flowers and roots. "Are you… making something?" Starlight asked.

Zecora glanced back over at her bags. "Ah, those are simply ingredients for my potions and curatives you notice; I've needed to get my stock my higher, without an accomplice."

"I see…"

"I'm kinda surprised you live out here," Tyr said, looking around at her house. "You don't want to live closer to Ponyville?"

The zebra was silent for a bit. "Closer to the ponies would be a welcome change, but my job dictates that I stay at this range."

"Your… job?"

"Present company means I cannot tell this story in peace; but her attention can easily **cease**."

"Cease?" Starlight blinked, but then her eyes went totally blank. She slumped over onto Tyr. The man blinked several times in shock.

"Starlight? Are you alright?" He asked, shaking her lightly. "Zecora, what happened?"

"She will be fine for a while," Zecora said softly. "And that gives me time to explain my guile."

"An explanation would be welcome," Fenrir said dryly. "Our companion just passed out, and you obviously have something to do with it."

Zecora was silent for a while. Tyr and Fenrir didn't say anything either, the man simply setting Starlight down gently in his lap. She was still breathing, but whatever had been done to her had simply caused her to enter a sort of dreamlike trance. Other than that, she was alright. Finally, the herbalist said one word. "…Anansi."

Almost immediately, a strange sound like laughter rang through the house. Tyr and Fenrir watched in quiet confusion as a spider appeared on Zecora's shoulder, looking as though it was drawn instead of existing in reality. There was no denying what it was, for Tyr could feel the particular type of energy it radiated. "That's a Chaos Spirit," He said, a statement, not a question.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," the spider said with a bow. "I am Anansi, spirit of Mischief. So glad to meet another of my kin here."

"I had not expected to see you here," Fenrir said, slightly surprised. "I did not think I'd see another Chaos Spirit besides Discord in this world."

"I made a contract with Zecora many moons ago," Anansi said with a strange giggle. "She needed power in order to protect those she cared about."

"My downside was that I must rhyme," Zecora interjected. She gave an amused smirk. "All of the time."

Anansi laughed again. Tyr glanced from the strange spider to the zebra. "So you're a chaos mage as well?"

"Of a kind. It is not like the unicorn magic you might find. My magic does not come from the earth; A power that most of my kind give a wide berth."

"Zebras are quite the superstitious lot," Anansi said.

Tyr glanced from the still unconscious Starlight back to Zecora. "So why did you knock out Starlight?"

"I cannot allow her to discover what I do—it would undermine what I have done, through and through." The herbalist sighed.

Fenrir narrowed her eyes. "What you have done?"

Zecora looked out the window. There was a strange look on her face, like she was remembering something from a long time ago. When she spoke again, there was obvious regret in her voice. "…Sit a while my friend, and listen to my tale. You will be the first in many moons that I will regale. There is a town deep in the Everfree, where a tribe of ponies used to be. However their hearts were quite corrupt, and with me they refused to sup. But their true evil took time to reveal… once they had participated in a dark deal."

"Dark deal…?"

Anansi giggled again. "How about I tell you both a story…."

–x–

"I'm just slightly curious," Cori began, "But why are we doing this again?"

She, her siblings, and their friends were standing outside of Sugarcube Corner, gathered across the street. Since it wasn't a school day, the children were hanging out together, but at Ancè's insistence they had come over to the shop. Most of the day had passed by without them doing anything, so her suggestion was met with interest and a little eagerness. Unfortunately, the only one missing was Bramley, but no one but Goldie seemed bothered by it. Somewhere along the way, the young hairdresser had convinced her to put on a silver and black dress. But as of yet, no explanation had come from her sister. "I was wondering the same thing," Aleron said aloud. "I was in the middle of a good book."

"Recluse!" Aurora teased, getting a glare from her brother.

"Shut up."

Ancè cleared her throat. "Well, to answer your question, Pumpkin and Pound are in Sugar Cube Corner at the moment. And as we discovered not too long ago, our dear friend Pound may have a crush on Cori here."

"Ooh!" Jubilee said. "So we're gonna have Cori ask him out?"

The color drained out of Cori's face. "W-w-what!? I can't do that! I'm nowhere near as confident as you think!"

"Oh come now Coco!" Jubilee giggled. "After that speech you gave Bramley? You're plenty confident!

"T-That was a onetime thing!"

"You can do it!"

"Are you sure about this?" Goldie asked softly, looking over at Ancè. The young hairdresser laughed softly.

"My mother enjoys this sort of thing," the filly told her. "And dare I say, I think I may as well."

Vibrant let out a sigh. "I just have the feeling this will go terribly wrong."

"Same," Cori murmured as Ancè began pushing her into the shop. "W-wait…!"

Goldie spoke up just as the two fillies entered the door. "Ancè, I really don't think this is a good idea…!"

"…Wasn't Cori disguised the first time Pound saw her?" Evie murmured thoughtfully. Vibrant, Aleron and Goldie stared at her in mute shock. But it was too late for Cori, as Ancè had already pushed her inside. The cake shop was relatively busy as usual, but there wasn't a huge crowd. Which was fortunate, except that Pound was at the front counter, cleaning it off with a rag. He glanced up as the two fillies came over.

"Oh hey Ancè," He said with a smile. "Came for something to eat?"

"Not this time I'm afraid," Ancè said with a small smirk. "I'm here for a friend."

Pound glanced over at Cori, who couldn't help but flinch a bit. The colt stared at her for a minute, no doubt wondering if he knew her. But there was little recognition there. Finally, he spoke. "…Do I know you?"

"Ah, right," Cori said with a nervous chuckle. "You wouldn't recognize me…"

"Cori," Ancè said firmly. "Show him."

At the sound of her name, Pound's eyes narrowed. But it wasn't until Cori's body was enveloped in soft green flames and she was back in her disguise that he gasped. However the change to her mane stayed. She giggled nervously. "…Is this… better?"

"You… Cori?" Pound looked confused. "How did you…?"

"I'm a Changeling," Cori explained. She blushed and shuffled her hooves nervously on the floor. "I um… I stayed disguised for a long time because I was scared…"

"So that other way you looked… that's what you really look like?"

"Uh huh."

"So you can change into anything you want?"

"Within reason," Cori said with a frown. "I can't make myself look any bigger, or anything that's not a pony. At least not yet."

"Huh. I see… Even your eyes?" Pound grinned. "I think you'd look good with just green eyes."

There was silence. Cori's answer was short and cold. "…Yes."

Ancè frowned. "Hold a moment Pound. I believe Cori looks best as she does naturally, without any change."

Pound glanced at her for just a second. "…What if I like the other way she looks?" He asked simply.

"Then this is pointless," Cori said suddenly. She transformed back to normal, and glared at Pound with her mismatched eyes. "I could accept someone not wanting to see what I look like truly. But my eyes are my heritage—one of the few connections I have to my father and my siblings. I may have only one silver eye, but that eye is as precious to me as my very soul. So I will not change that for anyone."

"So then why not change both of them to silver?" Pound asked, frowning.

"Because the green is for my mother."

"Seeing as I don't remember your eye color from before, you've changed it before, right?"

Cori was silent for a moment. "…I was scared of showing my true self for so long. I was afraid of other ponies hating me for what I am. But now I have a loving family who appreciate my looks as they are. So I will not simply change what I look like to please somepony else."

"…Whatever then…" The colt muttered as the filly turned and left. Ancè glanced between them for a moment before following after her half-sister. The others were still waiting outside for them, and all came rushing over immediately.

"How did it go?" Aurora asked excitedly.

"Are you okay?" Goldie asked.

Aleron frowned. "He didn't say anything mean to you, did he?"

Cori gave them all a small smile. "No, he was… alright. But I don't think I'm going to be looking for a coltfriend anytime soon."

"Knowing Pound he probably did something stupid," Vibrant said with a roll of his eyes.

"We weren't a good match anyway," Cori turned to Ancè. "Thank you for trying, Ancè, but I'm sorry."

Ancè let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry about that Cori. I honestly believed it would work out."

"I am comfortable in my normal appearance," The Changeling said softly. "You all accepted me as I am, and I do not wish to change for anypony."

Aleron nodded. "A fine sentiment. Something I can agree with wholeheartedly. If Pound can't accept that, then all the better you don't try dating him."

"Don't play the big brother card Al," Aurora said with a giggle. Her brother gave her a flat look.

Cori giggled. "I like it when Aleron acts like a brother."

The blue unicorn smirked. "Glad someone appreciates me."

A look of despair crossed Aurora's face and she tackle hugged her brother. "I appreciate you Al! I love you!"

"I know, I know, now get off!"

"No! Not until you say you love me back!"

Aleron rolled his eyes. After he let out an obviously tired sigh, he leaned in close to his sister's ear. "…I love you, Aurora Dawn," He whispered gently.

The result was instantaneous and quite pronounced. A strange look crossed the dark violet Alicorn's face and her wings snapped out wide. She blushed heavily and let her brother go, moving away a couple steps. As Aleron got up, he noticed everypony looking at them. "Dude," Vibrant muttered. "What did you do?"

"I told her I love her," Aleron said simply.

When they looked at Aurora, she avoided their gaze. "H-He doesn't say it that often…"

"I see," Ancè muttered. "That reaction was adorable, darling."

"S-Shut up!" Aurora whined, covering her face with her wings.

Aleron sighed again and went over to his sister. He gently rubbed her head with one hoof. "Sorry about that Ro."

"It's okay…"

Jubilee glanced over at Cori, whom she was standing beside. To her surprise, the Changeling was blushing lightly. "Are you okay, Coco?"

"I'm… fine," Cori said softly, smiling. She leaned up against her pink half-sister. "…I love you, Jubilee."

"I love you too, Coco!" The happy filly was too oblivious to care that her half-sister was acting weird. She just liked being loved.

"Well, this got all sorts of weird really quickly," Vibrant muttered, averting his eyes from Aurora. Her embarrassed look was way too cute. He let out a forced cough. "So can we move on with whatever we were going to do today?"

"What did we have planned?" Goldie asked. In response, Evie pulled a notepad out of nowhere. She scanned it for a bit, before locating what she wanted.

"Actually, we didn't have anything planned it seems," The unicorn pointed out. "I think Ancè was the only one with an idea of what to do."

"Yeah, and that blew," Vibrant pointed out. Ancè glared at him.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what a catastrophic failure that was," She snapped. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Jeez, sorry."

"Yeah, no need to get all snippy," Cori said quietly, but Ancè didn't hear her.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" Goldie suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Aleron said. He glanced over at his sister. "You hungry Ro?"

That made the young Alicorn brighten up. "Mm-hm!"

The unicorn couldn't help but smile. "Alright then, it's decided. Let's go to the Hay Burger, shall we?"

A chorus of agreements came with that decision, and the group headed off into town. Aurora stuck close to her brother, but he didn't seem so put off by it like he normally did. Instead, he uncharacteristically nuzzled her lovingly. Surprised by this, the other children dropped back a bit, letting them walk ahead together. "Dude, what's up with Al?" Vibrant muttered, seeing the unusual display of sibling love.

"I think he's just showing Ro love because of how she reacted earlier," Cori said softly. The others looked at her. "I mean… you saw how she reacted when he hinted she didn't appreciate him."

"That's true," Goldie said thoughtfully. "Aurora looked really hurt."

"She loves him dearly," Ancè agreed.

"And he loves her," Cori continued. A small smile crossed her face. "Being around them… Sometimes I don't even need to eat food, their love fills me up so much…"

"…Cori?"

A loving gaze crossed the Changeling's face as she looked at her two siblings. "Knowing that they love each other makes me feel loved."

Goldie blinked. "Cori…?"

Suddenly, the changeling filly looked sad. "I… I guess I'm just happy to be near them…"

The sudden mood shift caught them off guard. Ancè made to ask what changed, but she noticed something nearby. A little foal was crying about an injury, while their mother tried to comfort them. "Hold on one moment," the young unicorn murmured. But Cori had already switched emotions again. This time, she was more protective, almost motherly.

"So if I do anything with my life, it is to protect the love I share with them."

"Cori!" Ancè said sharply. Her half-sister blinked rapidly, snapping out of her trance.

"Huh? What?"

Vibrant frowned. "You totally went bipolar on us for a moment there, Cori."

Even Aleron and Aurora had stopped to look back at her. "Is something going on?" Aleron asked.

"Cori seems to be experiencing erratic emotional shifts," Evie said. She glanced over and noticed the clueless look on Aurora's face. "…She's changing emotions randomly."

"Oh!" Aurora grinned. Then, she looked thoughtful. "Why would that happen?"

Everyone looked to Evie. Surely their studious friend had an idea of what was going on. The violet unicorn thought for a minute. As a Changeling, Cori was quite attuned to the emotions of others. She fed off them, after all. But the black filly was able to eat normal food like them, and never required specific attention like her mother did from Tyr. That could easily be explained away as her passively absorbing emotional energy. So then why was Cori having these weird emotional shifts? Suddenly, Evie's head snapped up. "Cori!"

The Changeling stood at attention. "Y-yes?"

"Look at me." The two of them locked eyes. "…How are you feeling?"

"I feel… confused." Cori blinked, and then frowned. "…And now I feel… understanding?"

"Just as I thought," Evie said with a nod. "She's not having random emotional shifts. Cori is connecting to the emotions around her."

"Doing what now?" Vibrant asked.

"She feels the emotions of those around her and makes them her own," Goldie murmured. She looked over at her friend, who looked surprised.

"I…I'm an empath," Cori said softly. "How is that unusual for my species?"

"You're amplifying the emotions that you connect with," Aleron said, catching up with Evie's line of thought. He gestured over to the mother and her son. The mother was holding her child even more closely than before, giving him a very loving nuzzle. "I thought I felt a little different when Aurora reacted to what I said."

Aurora pouted. "Aw. I was hoping you'd say it again."

Cori panicked a little. "I-I didn't do it on purpose!"

Aleron went over to his half-sister and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Then that means you have to learn, right? No worries, we will always be there to help you."

The smile that grew on Cori's face was contagious in more than one way. Even as she nodded her head in response, the happiness almost radiated visibly off of the Changeling. "Wait a second!" Jubilee cried suddenly. "Coco's glowing!"

"Why, so she is!" Ancè remarked. "But whatever would be causing that?"

Vibrant stared at her. "You know, you sound so much like your mom…"

"Oh stop."

The faint light receded, and Cori put a hoof to her head. "I… suddenly have a headache."

"You've got more than that," Vibrant muttered, circling around her. "Check you out…!"

Ancè tugged on Vibrant's tail roughly. "Have some curtesy, Vibrant!"

"Not what I was looking at, Ancè!"

"Then what—oh."

Cori looked around to see all of them staring at her. "Um… is there something I'm missing?" She asked timidly.

"Well…" Goldie began, before biting her lip. "We'd have to show you…"

"I got it," Aleron said, horn lighting up. A circle appeared in the air in front of him and took on the appearance of a mirror. He angled it so that Cori could see what they all were looking at. Her eyes widened in confusion.

"W-What is _that!?_ "

Nopony spoke for a second. Ancè swallowed heavily. She never thought she'd be saying this to a Changeling, but the words had to be said. "…That, my dear Cordelia, is a Cutie Mark. You've just discovered your talent."

–x–

Fenrir and Tyr sat in silence after Anansi finished his tale. Neither really knew what to say—the story the drawn spider had told them was dark, and highlighted the evil that lurked in the places away from Celestia's sun. Tyr was no stranger to horrible acts, but there was a lot wrong with what he had just heard. "…So let me get this straight," He said after a long moment. "…These ponies chopped up a filly and burned her body simply because she got her Cutie Mark?"

Zecora nodded sadly. "A sad fact, tis true; and to my chagrin, there was naught I could do."

The man was silent for a long while. "I… I can't believe that. Killing a filly because of superstition? How could anyone do that?"

"Evil lurks in the hearts of all; it is only through our own wills that we do not fall."

"So these ponies were not punished?" Fenrir asked, frustrated.

"No, they got their comeuppance, somepony cursed them!" Anansi said, rather happily. "A misfortune for a tragedy, a tragedy for a misfortune! For as long as they do not repent their deed, they will forever roam the night as zombie ponies."

He ended his explanation with his usual laugh. Fenrir stared at him with a deep frown crossing her brows. "So these ponies… will live forever?"

"They cannot leave the forest no matter what they wish," Zecora interjected, "And I would be alerted if anything went amiss. They are contained in their town for better or worse, allowing the ponies of Ponyville to stay safe at their hearths."

Tyr frowned. "…So they're cursed to live forever?"

"A partial immortality to be fair; to preserve such evil I would not dare." Zecora nodded. "To relive their final day forever, until the day the curse may be severed."

"I doubt that will happen," Anansi said with his usual laugh. He skittered over to Zecora and perched on her head. "That would mean they honestly regret what they did!"

"So the entire town is still there?" Fenrir asked. "Living out the same day no matter what?"

"Somewhat. Obviously, if anything comes in from the outside, they would notice and react accordingly."

"Came in from the outside…?"

Zecora moved over to a cabinet and began looking through its contents. She picked out two vials and took them over to a large cauldron. She poured the contents in. "Applebloom ignored my warnings once before, but luckily for her she was not done for. She escaped with her life intact, which I thought would deter her from going back."

Anansi looked over at Tyr. "…She and her friends were intending to come here, correct?"

"I'm starting to think that wasn't the case," Tyr said with a frown. "Applebloom's zombie talk is starting to make a lot of sense…"

"Then that is where she has gone—something must be done." Zecora stirred at her concoction for a moment, before taking in a deep breath of it. She nodded to herself. "This will do for the time being, to aid in you leaving."

She scooped up a bit in a cup and carried it over to Tyr. She set it in front of Starlight, letting the scent waft into her nose. It only took a second before the light violet mare was blinking her eyes back into focus. "W-What…? Where… what happened?"

"Something Zecora was making knocked you out," Tyr said with a smile. "It took her a moment to make something to wake you back up."

Starlight looked around at Zecora, finding the herbalist smiling at her. Anansi was nowhere to be found. "I… what did I miss?"

"Well… To be perfectly honest, there's a cursed town of ponies in the Everfree that turn into zombies at night."

"O…kay that sounds terrifying."

Tyr nodded. "And seeing as the girls are still lost…"

"We should go now," Starlight said in response, getting back up to her hooves. "This place doesn't sound safe at all, and those fillies are lost in the forest!"

"How do we get there?" Tyr asked the herbalist. Zecora was silent for a minute, almost as if she didn't want to tell him. But after a moment, she sighed. Going over to the wall, she retrieved a gray cloak and pulled it around her shoulder before speaking.

"I will lead you to this place, for it seems we require speed in this race."

"We're back on the hunt!" Fenrir said happily, perching on Tyr's shoulder again as he got up. A thought occurred to her then, and she nudged his cheek. "Alpha, why don't you use that spell to hasten our steps?"

"Ah, right," Tyr nodded. "I haven't done that in a while, have I?"

Starlight looked at him in confusion. "You can do magic?"

The man gave her a grin before letting his arm glow with silver light. Tiny shields of a similar color appeared near the shoulders of the two mares. "Of a kind. Follow my lead, alright?"

The left Zecora's home then, quickly plunging themselves into the dark forest. They were moving quickly, attempting to make up for lost time. To the surprise of Zecora and Starlight, they felt their hooves landing in every safe spot as they ran, not catching any roots or tangles along the way. Not a single misstep as they went. "How is this possible?" Starlight murmured, moving past a tree she hadn't even seen coming.

"My Alpha's magic guides you," Fenrir called out. "Under his guidance, you won't make one wrong step!"

"Certainly an impressive way to travel," Zecora murmured, ducking under a low branch. "Truly, one can only marvel."

A silver construct materialized in front of Starlight, slicing apart a large mass of vines to let her run through. The unicorn stared in shock, but still kept running. She looked over at Tyr. "I have so many questions—!"

The man grinned. "You and Twilight both, I believe."

Zecora spoke up again. "You will have to save them, I fear; For Sunny Town is near."

They slowed to a stop, ending their run in front of a noticeable archway made by trees. Tyr noticed strange markings on the trees that looked like runes. They were similar to runes etched on the talismans he carried, mostly used for warding an area. "…You put these here?" He asked, glancing back at Zecora. Wordlessly, the herbalist nodded. Starlight herself walked up to the runes, reaching one hoof up to touch them.

"I can feel magic in these," She murmured softly.

"Words and intentions carry power too," Zecora pointed out. "Those runes I inscribed will let none escape through."

Starlight glanced down at the ground below her, noticing three sets of hoofprints going through the makeshift gate. "…Seems it's doing a terrible job at keeping ponies out…" She deadpanned. Zecora gave her a flat look.

"My magic is deception and misdirection; I cannot do much more than deflection."

"Perhaps we should simply raze the place?" Fenrir suggested. "Get the cubs from danger and destroy the place."

"It would avail you naught, for these ponies will not die as they aught." Zecora frowned. "The magic that holds them is much stronger than ours combined—unravelling that would take way too much time."

"…I don't know which bothers me more; the fact you constantly rhyme or that this hardly fazes you," Starlight muttered.

Zecora narrowed her eyes, but simply turned to Tyr. "Retrieve the girls before night falls Tyr; or there will be many horrors to come I fear."

The man blinked. "You're not coming with us?"

"I cannot pass through this gate, you see," She explained. "Such a thing cannot be allowed to be."

"No problem then," Starlight said. "We go in, find the girls, and leave."

"We should still be careful," Tyr pointed out.

"I suppose you're right. But we still need to hurry."

Deciding to not waste any more words, the man and mare passed through the gate. It was almost like walking into a another world. A quiet, cozy town sat in the open clearing, and there were several ponies walking around. Several stopped to look over at them as they entered. Given the reactions of the ponies, Tyr was certain about them being completely isolated from the outside world. […Fenrir, don't come out] He thought slowly.

[I wasn't planning on it] The wolf spirit thought back.

"Howdy stranger!" One pony said, coming over to him. "Welcome to Sunny Town! I reckon I ain't never seen anything like you before!"

"I'm from far away," Tyr answered shortly. Having this pony talk to him was a bit irritating. He was focusing his magic into his ears, taking advantage of Fenrir's gift of advanced hearing. As the pony kept going on about how unusual it was to see a pony like him, he was listening for one thing in particular—A voice.

"But we haven't done anything!" A specific whine. A small smile grew on the man's face.

"Sweetie Bell," Tyr muttered, pushing past the pony and going further into the town.

Starlight followed behind him, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about that."

The pony blinked several times. "I guess it's not that big a deal… wait a second…"

But the man and mare were already moving, heading to the town center. They drew some stares as they went along, but the main crowd was already circled around some event at the center. Tyr, being taller than all of the ponies present, could easily see that the three CMC members were facing off with some pony in a somewhat Victorian era hat. None of them looked happy. "I just want to see Mitta!" Applebloom demanded.

"And I told you that Mitta is not allowed visitors," The pony in front of her frowned a bit. "She's dangerous."

"She doesn't need to be locked up, Gray Hoof!" The redhead continued. "If you don't want her here, she can come with us!"

"You made such a big deal about not wanting her around in the first place," Scootaloo murmured.

Gray Hoof made to reply, but out of the corner of his eye he finally spotted Tyr. "…Who are you?"

"Currently? The guardian of those three." Tyr stepped forward, making sure all of them could see him. "Are they causing you trouble?"

"Not particularly. It's who they are asking to see that is the problem. Mitta, the pony they want to see is… a trouble maker. She's trying to ruin our party."

"…Party?" Tyr glanced around. Indeed, there were tables full of food and other party favors, and there were a few decorations here and there. Not as extravagant as the parties Pinkie typically threw, but it was a party nonetheless. "I see. Well, I'll take the girls and get out of your mane…"

"We can't leave without Mitta!" Applebloom asserted.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from behind them. Tyr glanced back to find Starlight pulling away from a group of ponies. They were in turn recoiling in fear from her. "Excuse me!" The unicorn murmured.

"She's got the mark!" One of the townsponies cried out. A look of deathly fear came across Gray Hoof's face.

"The… the mark?"

"They've brought the curse to us!" A mare cried out. "And she's a horned one!"

"Horned one?" Starlight repeated, almost incredulous. "I'm a unicorn…"

The crowd was growing into a panic. Tyr noticed then that the entirety of Sunny Town was populated by only Earth Ponies. Starlight moved closer to Tyr as the ponies around them began crying out to Gray Hoof, calling for him to protect them. A voice cried out above the crowd, catching Tyr's attention. He looked down the street to a nearby building that looked something like a cross between a house and a warehouse. The face of a gray pony with a blood red mane could be seen through one of the windows. She was screaming at him. "RUN!"

[I believe we should take the hysteric pony's advice] Fenrir thought. But she was a moment too late. Something seized hold of Gray Hoof then, and he suddenly yanked the cloak off of Applebloom, revealing her own apple themed Cutie Mark.

"You… you have the mark now?" He asked, terror on his face.

"It's not a bad thing, Gray Hoof…!" Applebloom started to say, but other ponies stole away her friend's cloaks while she was speaking.

"This one has a horn too!" A stallion cried. "And the other one has wings! They both have marks!"

The screaming mare was still yelling for them to run, but the crowd was closing in. That and the sun was about to cross below the horizon. Time was running out.

"T-Tyr?" Sweetie Bell moved over near the man, worry on her face. "W-What do we do?"

"…All of you, stay close," Tyr murmured, hand on the hilt of his sword. He didn't want to resort to violence to get out of here, but these girls weren't going to get hurt under his watch. Maybe a show of force would be enough to buy them safe passage?

Then the sun set.

The change was almost immediate. Where there had been a crowd of normal Earth Ponies now stood an army of undead. Flesh slid loosely off their bones, their blood red eyes like lights in the darkness. Their teeth were bright white with the moonlight as well. Gray Hoof looked more or less kept together, but every one of the ponies in the town was now a zombie, some even barely staying in one piece. Scootaloo and Sweetie screamed. "Z-Z-Z-Zombies!"

"Just like last time," Applebloom murmured, backing up beside Tyr.

Starlight frowned. "…Guess Zecora wasn't kidding."

The zombie horde slowly creeped forward. "They have the mark… kill them… they can't hurt us…" They hissed.

"Tyr!" Sweetie cried, clinging to him.

"You got any ideas?" Scootaloo asked, trying her best to look brave in the face of danger.

"Following your lead here," Starlight said quietly, horn lighting up. Tyr could tell—the mare was ready to fight for her life if need be. "I don't think I'm ready to be eaten."

"Mitta still needs our help!" Applebloom pointed out softly.

Tyr felt time slow down a little bit. It had become a bit more common whenever he got in a combat situation, giving him ample time to examine the situation. He was in the center of a crowd of pony-zombies, with four mares to protect. Well, at least three. Starlight seemed like she could handle herself well enough. Applebloom would be worried about that Mitta mare, so seeing if they could break her out was on the priority list. As he drew his sword and readied himself to face the horde, he let out a sigh.

It was going to be a rough night.

* * *

 **And now we delve into the events of The Story of the Blanks. I had been debating about involving another piece of fanart into my story, but as far as I can tell a lot of the more 'epic' stories written in the MLP universe tend to either reference or involve it. Credit where credit is due, I had nothing to do with The Story of the Blanks, and I own none of the characters involved. I don't anything but my OC's anyways, but that goes without saying.  
**

 **And Zecora's a Chaos Mage! Bet ya didn't see that coming, did ya? I had the idea of Anansi, Concept of Mischief in the back of my mind for a while, and what better companion than our local rhyming mystic?**

 **Tyr has his work cut out from him, with at least two panicking mares by him. But that will be continued next week, so please Read, Review and Return for the next 'installment'. All comments and criticisms are welcome, for the Library accepts all.**

 **The Library will be waiting, ever patiently.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, dear readers! A happy belated Fourth to you, and I have returned once more in order to provide you with my two chapters for the week. I had a wonderful holiday with my darling girlfriend, and we went to go see fireworks. But I didn't forget my writing, and here are the chapters for the week!**

 **Kevin Lapse: Not disappointed, of course not!**

 **Guest: Well, other than Fenrir being a child of Loki and a wild, untameable wolf, there really isn't much to go on for personality. I like to think my depiction is pretty good though.**

 **Chaddmychal: The names of Chaos Spirits are pulled from random mythological figures. For example, the Spirits of the Striate family (Izanagi, Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Kagu-Tsuchi) are all Japanese deities. The other Chaos Spirits like Fenrir and Anansi are not deities as much as they are notable figures. Chaos Spirits embody a particular Concept more than the figure their name comes from, however.**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Apologies, but I didn't know! But you have to admit, the CMC are the most likely to go on a dangerous mission into the Everfree and stumble across/search for Sunny Town.**

 **Acsvf: Starlight before reformation would no doubt ascribe to the Zodiac Knight's idea of order-at-all-costs. New Starlight not so much.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I'm of the belief you meant Emperor of Man. If that is what you meant, then hopefully he doesn't deploy a Space Marine strike force to cleanse the town. If not... Well, They'll get dealt with in time.**

 **Well, I've gone on a spiel long enough. Here are the chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Once Bitten…

The quiet night was shattered by the howl of wolves. Silver wolves surged into the horde of zombies, momentarily ripping open a hole for Tyr and his group to flee through. At Applebloom's insistence, they made a beeline for the warehouse. Mitta, still in the window, seemed completely confused. "What? When I said run, I didn't mean come over here!" The pony snarled. Tyr was only slightly surprised to see that the mare had also been zombified. As he was taller than the others, he could see where her stomach was torn open and weeping blood. But she was still more concerned than hostile.

"Why aren't you like the others?" Starlight asked, almost completely voicing Tyr's thoughts.

"There isn't anything controlling them except their own desires," The mare in the window said. She narrowed her eyes. "You're wasting your time talking to me, I'm stuck in here. After I helped Applebloom escape the last time…"

"You've been here before?" Scootaloo demanded of her friend. Sweetie Bell looked horrified.

"You… you _knew_ about all this?" She asked.

Applebloom sighed. "…Yes. I've been here before, when I was younger."

Scootaloo looked furious. "And you didn't tell us!?"

"You could have told us there were zombies!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed, voice breaking slightly.

Their red haired friend was quiet. "…The same thing happened the last time."

Mitta frowned. "And I told you then to never come back!"

"I couldn't just leave ya here! Y'all ain't so bad, Mitta, and you don't deserve this!"

The mare in the window was quiet, looking away. "Yes I do. I stood by and let them murder Ruby…"

"But—!"

"I know this is all quite interesting," Fenrir said, appearing on Tyr's shoulder. "But we really must be going. The Pack can only hold an undying enemy off for so long."

Tyr glanced around at that comment, seeing his magic wolves being slowly forced back. Every zombie pony they killed simply got back up a couple moments later, sporting their new wounds without slowing. At the rate they were going, they'd be breathing down their necks in moments. "Fen is right. We need to go. Sooner, rather than later."

Applebloom glanced back at the mare in the window. "B-But Mitta…!"

"Break me out," Mitta said finally. "I can help you escape."

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Speak quickly."

"I can distract them. Give you more time to get away."

"Fair enough." Tyr placed his hand on the closest wall, letting his ice magic flow free. Both Mitta and Starlight stared at him in awe as the wall froze solid. "Starlight, can you blast this?"

The unicorn in question let her horn light up. "Just stand clear," She ordered, before directing a beam of energy at the frozen wall. It shattered, creating a neat little hole in the wall. Mitta slowly made her way over, blinking several times.

"I've never seen… so that's what magic is like…" She murmured, stepping out into the street. "Such power…"

"Admire later!" Fen called out. "Run now!"

The zombies were creeping ever closer, barely held back by the magic wolves. With a grimace, Tyr dismissed the wolves and summoned his soldiers. As an added thought, he armored each of them in ice for added durability. Armed with spears and shields, they formed a wall between the zombies and their controller's group. Following the wolf spirit's demand, they made a break for the town gate. Tyr hung back, making sure that none of the zombies could catch up to them. It seemed their escape was going to go better than he thought. Almost as if fate demanded recompense for his assumption, a scream from behind him caused him to turn and look. A zombie had burst out of a nearby house, surprising Scootaloo and making her trip. "Scootaloo!" Applebloom cried out.

A precise blast of magic tore the head of the zombie off its shoulders. Scootaloo winced as dark blood spattered all over her coat. "Come on, get up!" Starlight said, pulling her back up onto her hooves.

Tyr winced as he felt one of his soldiers overwhelmed and broken apart. Whatever magic had turned these ponies into zombies was just as effective at damaging his constructs. Ahead of him, Starlight kept the way forward clear with accurate shots of magic from her horn. "How far!?" He called out.

"Just a bit more!" Starlight replied, repulsing another ambush with a barrier. "These things are all over the place!"

"This is so not cool!" Scootaloo yelled, ducking under the decayed hooves of a zombie pony.

They rounded a corner, and the gate to the town came into view. Tyr felt a wave of relief from all the members of his party, right before a dozen undead literally rose up in front of them. Starlight lowered her head, aiming her horn at them and launching a powerful blast. But to her horror, the zombies in front of her moved much faster, dodging the attack. Starlight stared in surprise, obviously not prepared for them to avoid that attack. The lead zombie leapt at her, only to be sliced in two by Tyr's frost sword. "T-Tyr!"

"Don't get flustered," He told her, summoning a construct to cut down another zombie.

Sweetie Bell screamed suddenly, catching the man's attention. His eyes widened in horror. One of the faster zombies had gotten past him while he helped Starlight, and had borne down on the nearly defenseless young mares. Before Tyr could even react, the creature buried its teeth into Sweetie Bell's side. "NO!" Applebloom cried.

Mitta was there in an instant, barreling into the zombie pony and knocking it away from Sweetie Bell. She pinned it to the ground, and with one heavy hoof strike, smashed its head in. "Sweetie!" Scootaloo called out, rushing to her friend's side. The white unicorn was hurt badly, the bite almost taking a chunk out of her side. Her normally clean white coat was stained with blood, and a weak whimper escaped her lips.

Applebloom looked stunned. "I… Sweetie, no…"

"This is your fault!" Scootaloo cried, whirling on her friend. "You didn't tell us this would happen!"

"I thought we could leave before night fell…!"

"But now Sweetie is hurt and we're going to die here!"

"That's enough!" Tyr yelled, cutting them off. They all looked to the man. He didn't want to be so harsh, but he had to be firm. "We need to focus on getting out of here."

"We have to get past the fast ones," Starlight pointed out. "Tyr, can you slow them?"

"Pretty sure I can," Tyr replied evenly, feeling the cold gather around him. Sometimes, he did feel like this came way too natural for him. But that's a thought for another time. However, before he could direct his magic outwards, Mitta moved in front of him. "…Mitta?"

"Take the fillies and run," The mare said softly. "I will deal with them."

"What?"

"Just go!" She yelled at him, before charging into the group. They rushed her, but her superior strength tossed them aside. "Please, just go!"

She didn't have to tell Tyr twice. He ran forward, scooped Sweetie Bell up into his arms, and bolted for the gate. Starlight, Scootaloo and Applebloom followed close behind. The zombies tried to keep up, but Mitta held them at the gate. "Mitta!" Applebloom cried. The zombie pony tried to follow, but suddenly was forced to stop right at the gate.

"The gate's magic," Starlight muttered. "Zecora wasn't kidding."

With their prey escaped, the horde began to disperse. All except Mitta. "…I guess this is good bye," She said sadly.

"But Mitta, we can go!" Applebloom said, but the gray pony simply shook her head.

"The magic of the gate keeps us from leaving, Applebloom. As long as this curse is in effect, I… I can't leave."

"Oh…"

"So this whole trip was for nothing," Scootaloo said harshly. Applebloom winced at that, but Tyr, setting Sweetie Bell down, stepped forward. He moved to just outside the gate, far enough that he could reach inwards to place a hand on Mitta's head.

"You don't want to live like this, do you?" He asked softly.

Mitta shook her head. "Of course not. But we deserve this curse for what we did. All Ruby did was discover what she was good at, and she was murdered for it."

Tyr could both hear and feel the remorse in the undead pony. Sparing a glance back at his group, he reached into his cloak. His hand reemerged with the vial of Isabel's blood in it. "I have a proposition for you, Mitta. In this vial is a potion that will break your curse."

The gray mare stared at him in shock. "Break… the curse?"

"Precisely. All you have to do is drink this."

"But… I…"

"It's entirely up to you," Tyr pointed out. He handed the vial to her. "If you choose to drink it, the curse will be broken and you can leave this god forsaken town." Mitta glanced back at her town as Tyr said this, a conflicted look on her face.

[Alpha] Fenrir thought. [We should tend to young Sweetie Bell]

"Right," Tyr said, straightening back up. He lifted Sweetie back up into his arms, unfortunately drawing a small whimper of pain from the poor filly. "Mitta. There will be a silver wolf waiting here outside the village for exactly one week. If you drink the potion, find the wolf. It will take you away from here."

Mitta looked down at the vial, and then back up at the man. "I…"

"One week, Mitta. Don't forget. After that… well, that's it."

"We should go now, Tyr," Starlight said.

"Right. Let's go!" Tyr glanced over at Mitta, nodded once, and headed off into the forest, the others following.

Scootaloo moved up beside Tyr as they made their way through the forest, away from the zombie town. "Um… Tyr?" She spoke up after a minute of silence. "Is… Sweetie isn't going to turn into one of those things, is she?"

The man frowned at that. Without immediately replying, he let his magical aura cover the mare in his arms. She shifted slightly, unused to the feeling. As Tyr was concentrating, Starlight noticed what he was doing. "What are you doing, Tyr?"

"Trying to see if the curse on those ponies has been transferred to her."

"You can tell?"

"It's a particular kind of magic that I could sense before," Tyr told her. "So if I sense it on her…"

Starlight let out a frown, but the man could tell it was more out of concern instead of frustration. After a minute or so, she spoke up again. "Well?"

"The worst that can come of this is an infection," Tyr said, setting Sweetie down. "But it's worse than I thought."

"That can't be good," Applebloom murmured.

Tyr reached into his cloak, extracting a small pouch. He pulled it open, and reached inside, his arm going into it further than the size seemed to allow. When he pulled it back out, he had a bottle in his hand that was full of a syrupy liquid. "Those zombie ponies have been dead for a long time. From what I can see, the one that bit Sweetie was probably carrying any number of diseases."

They all watched in silence as the man quickly uncorked the bottle, poured a generous amount onto Sweetie's wound, and gently wrapped it with a piece of cloth he pulled out of the pouch. Starlight watched in quiet amazement. "How do you fit those in that small pouch…?"

"Special kind of enchantment," Tyr replied tying the cloth around Sweetie. She winced a bit, but offered him a weak smile in thanks. "And before you ask, this is a liquid made for treating injuries. I've used it on myself before."

"How are you feeling?" Starlight asked, leaning down to look at Sweetie. "Does it still hurt?"

The young white mare frowned a bit, and tried to sit up. It made her wince, however. "I… I think I'll be okay… It stings and aches a lot."

"It'll get better with time," Tyr assured her with a gentle pat on the head. He looked up at the others. "I'll carry Sweetie, so we can be on our way."

"Thanks Tyr," The white unicorn told him, lifting up her forelegs. For a split second, Tyr remembered the moment when he had needed to carry Rarity. If not for the mane and tail, it was almost an exact recreation. He smirked and lifted her into his arms. For Sweetie's part, she seemed a lot happier than Rarity had been when he had carried her. It rubbed off on the man as he lifted her up and began walking again.

"Twilight's gonna love this when I tell her," Starlight mumbled, moving ahead. Her horn lit up in order to light their way. "Zombies, ancient curses, mystic runes… She might just move out into the Everfree with any luck…"

Tyr chuckled. His studious friend's voracious appetite for knowledge was to be expected. "Well, maybe try to keep her from doing that. As wolfish as I'm getting, I'm not fond of this place."

Fenrir nodded at that. "This forest is just plain creepy."

"I agree with you there," Starlight said, looking around. "I just have the feeling something is going to jump out at me…"

A howl broke the silence of the forest, and they all froze on the spot. "What now!?" Scootaloo demanded. Applebloom's eyes widened slowly.

"Timberwolves," She murmured, backing up beside Starlight.

The light colored mare glanced over at her. "Timberwolves? What are those?"

"Insolent cubs!" Fenrir cried, standing up on Tyr's shoulder. She glared out into the forest, almost as if daring the Timberwolves to attack.

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "Starlight. If I say so, I want you to take the girls and run."

"Wait, what?" Starlight glanced back at him. "Why would—?"

"Please don't question it," Tyr said pointedly, drawing the hilt of his weapon. The blade of frost materialized, and he gently set Sweetie beside Starlight. "Can you walk?"

"I… I think I can," The mare told him, stepping forward on shaky legs. "But Tyr, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing at the moment, come on."

They moved closer in a group, the soft bluish light coming from Starlight's horn illuminating the dark forest. They kept walking, Fenrir hopping off Tyr's shoulder to transform into her wolf form. She gently moved beside Sweetie Bell to keep her steady. The man's eyes were more focused on their surroundings, his nose searching for that particular smell of rotting maple. He could sense the fear from the others in his little group, along with the determination of Starlight. A second howl pierced the silence, making all of the mares jump. Fenrir, eyes narrowed, began to growl. [They smell blood] She thought.

[Wonderful] Tyr thought back. [We'll need some back up, it seems]

No sooner had he had that thought than the attack began. Starlight caught the first of the Timberwolves with a blast of magic, tearing it in half. She drew back as the next pair came charging at her, only to have them intercepted by two frost-covered constructs. She glanced back at Tyr, eyes widening at the silver aura around his arm. The man simply gave her an amused smile before whirling on the spot and beheading a Timberwolf that was leaping towards him. He yelled one word. "GO!"

Starlight bit her lip, but quickly grabbed Sweetie Bell. "Come on, we need to run!"

"But what about Tyr?" Scootaloo asked, she and Applebloom moving over to them.

"I'm pretty sure he'll be fine," Starlight replied evenly, glancing back to where Tyr and Fenrir fought. Constructs had quickly formed a defensive perimeter around them, and Tyr himself was slicing apart the wolves that attacked him with relative ease. "So come on!"

Tyr glanced back as the four ponies moved to escape. Constructs covered them as they ran, keeping the Timberwolves focused on the much more dangerous wolf and elemental in their midst. "Yeah, come on you rotted wanna-be shrubbery, focus on us…" He growled, tightening his grip on his sword.

There were a lot more Timberwolves than Tyr had accounted for, as they came rushing out of the trees in the dozens. He could slice, cut or just outright dismember them, but his frost blade was not enough to keep them down. In response, he focused his magic into the weapon, turning his strikes into killing blows. A victorious grin split his face as he felt the determination of the Timberwolves degrade into fear. They stopped rushing at him, instead warily prowling around him. Fenrir let out a victorious howl. But just as they were celebrating their victory, a cry of distress caught their attention. [That was Scootaloo] Fenrir thought.

Tyr didn't hesitate, taking off in the direction after the four ponies. Fenrir followed after, with the pack of Timberwolves nipping at their heels. With their speed, it didn't take them long to overtake the four ponies. They were in a small clearing, surrounded by Timberwolves. Tyr scowled. The Timberwolves were smarter than he gave them credit—they had distracted him while they went after the weaker members of the group. "Tyr!" Applebloom cried out, seeing the man arrive.

One of the Timberwolves let out a howl, and then several of them suddenly ran towards one another, combining into a much larger wolf. [Well, that was certainly unexpected] Fenrir thought.

The giant Timberwolf advanced on the four ponies, snarling and dripping sap from its maw. "Move!" Tyr yelled at them. His voice spurred them into motion, with Starlight, Scootaloo and Applebloom rushing away from the giant wood creature. Sweetie tried to run, only to cry out in pain and stagger to the ground. The giant Timberwolf growled and moved forward for the easy kill. Tyr flung his arm forward, a quartet of ice soldiers forming to shield the young mare from harm. "Fen, get her!"

[As you wish!] The wolf shot from his side over to the white unicorn, picking her up with ease. With a twist of his wrist, the ice soldiers thrust their spears upwards into the Timberwolf. The attack forced it back, giving Fen enough time to carry Sweetie to safety. Tyr didn't have any time to celebrate, for a Timberwolf chomped down on his shoulder, managing to draw blood despite his armor. With barely a grunt of surprise, he grabbed it, flipped it over his shoulder to the ground, and pinned it to the ground with his blade.

"What do we do?" Starlight said, coming over to Tyr. "We can't fight our way through all of them…"

[They seem to be galvanized by something] Fenrir thought, setting Sweetie down. [They are not afraid to attack us]

"I was thinking that same thing," Tyr murmured, glancing around. Despite the number of Timberwolves he and Fenrir had taken apart, it seemed like more and more of them were still coming after them. "We scared them off with no trouble last time, so what's different now…?"

"Are we gonna die, Tyr?" Applebloom asked weakly. The man glanced over at her and simply gave her a smile.

"Not if we can help it."

"We?"

Two beams of magic scythed into the crowd of Timberwolves, one a dark blue and the other a vibrant green. The wooden wolves caught by the attack were destroyed immediately, and the rest of the Timberwolves drew back as two more figures landed in the clearing. "I hope we are not too late, Master," Chrys said sweetly, as she and Luna alighted gently in front of the group. "I had to take some time in waking your dear wife."

"I value my rest quite a bit," Luna snapped back with a frown. She glanced over at Tyr, only to do a double take when her eyes fell on his shoulder. "Beloved! You are injured!"

Tyr glanced over at his shoulder, gently touching his hand to it. "Hm. So it seems. It's not deep though—"

He didn't get to finish, for Luna had flown over to him immediately, nose almost poked into his shoulder. "Hm, it doesn't look life threatening. But you must be more careful, my love!"

"Luna," Chrys said, frowning. "We have other matters to attend to?"

"Ah, you are correct," the other mare mumbled, turning back to face the pack of Timberwolves. "…There seems to be quite a few of them."

"They break easily enough," Chrys said, surveying the few they had destroyed upon entry. "I believe this to be no issue."

The two moved forward, Tyr and Fenrir stepping forward to assist. But no sooner had they prepared for combat that a voice cried out. " _ENOUGH_!"

Everyone froze. The Timberwolves froze, before their ears fell back on their heads. They began to draw back. "What in Equestria…?" Applebloom murmured. "They're… running away?"

"Not exactly," Fenrir said, reverting to her small form and hopping onto Tyr's shoulder. "…They've been ordered to stop."

"Ordered?" Luna repeated, confused. "Somepony actually controls the Timberwolves?"

"I think we're about to see," Tyr murmured, pointing with the tip of his sword. A figure was indeed coming towards them. From this distance, they could barely make out the outline of what looked to be a pony.

Starlight came up beside them, a frown on her face. "That's not… That isn't Zecora is it?"

"No," Applebloom said. "That pony is too tall…"

Indeed, the pony coming from the forest was not Zecora, and was almost as tall as Chrys. Where the pony would have had fur, they instead had dark green skin covered in sections of bark, like armor. Her mane and tail were made up of leaves curled in a semblance of style. A twisted horn made of wood jutted out from the pony's forehead, and it glowed with a dark green aura. For all intents and purposes, the pony looked more like a tree. Luna stepped forward, a small frown on her face. "I would like to know your name," She said slowly.

"I should ask you that," the pony said, with a decidedly feminine voice. Her dark red eyes narrowed. "Who dares trespass in my wood?"

"Your wood?" Luna frowned. "You are the first pony I have ever heard claim ownership of the Everfree."

"I am more of a protector than an owner," the wood-pony said evenly. "And you have come into my home, laid waste to my pets, and simply been a nuisance."

"Your… pets?" Scootaloo frowned, glancing around at the Timberwolves that still remained around.

The wood-pony scowled. "I demand you identify yourself."

Luna frowned. "You are not in a position to demand anything of me."

The Timberwolves gathered around growled, moving forward menacingly. The wood-pony smiled slightly. "I believe I am."

Tyr let his aura free then, light blue radiating off his form. The temperature of the area began to drop rapidly, and ice began to form on the Timberwolves. "I think not," The man said with a smirk.

The wood-pony glanced around in shock, before letting her fearful gaze fall on Tyr. "W-wait! Stop that!"

Luna gave her husband one short nod. Tyr's ice magic stopped then, and the normal temperature of the area came back. The ice rapidly melted. "So will you give your name now?" Luna asked.

"…Very well." The wood-pony drew herself up in order to at least seem somewhat dignified. "I am Sycamora, Root Warden of the Everfree."

"Well met then, Sycamora. I am Princess Luna Winter, Princess of Dreams."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at that. Luna was using his last name, and that hadn't gone unnoticed. Only Chrys wasn't looking at the Princess with any confusion on her face. All the other ponies were looking at her oddly. [Such a declaration] Chrys thought with the hint of a laugh. [Will Rarity or Pinkie be claiming your last name in the future?]

[I'm surprised you haven't] Tyr thought back pointedly. His Changeling's head whipped around in shock to look at her master.

[I… I can?]

[I never said you couldn't]

Luna coughed loudly, keeping Sycamora's attention away from the suddenly beaming Changeling. "As it stands… you control the Timberwolves?"

"I lead them," Sycamora said, frowning. She gently rubbed the head of one near her. "They help me protect the forest from those who would do it harm, as well as protect me."

"Your pets attacked us for no reason!" Starlight said with a scowl.

"You trespassed in my area of the forest!" Sycamora countered.

Tyr stepped forward, holding up his hands. "Hold on a moment. I doubt this sort of argument is necessary."

"My husband is correct," Luna said, giving Starlight a pointed look. "We can solve this situation diplomatically."

"Husband…?" Sycamora began, but shook her head. "…No matter. Why have you come to this part of the forest?"

"I was protecting these three young ones," Tyr said, casting a glance back at the CMC. Applebloom looked a little sheepish, but Scootaloo was looking away. Sweetie was sitting down, keeping her breathing even. Moving about still seemed to cause her pain. "They came into the forest to visit a friend."

"Visit a friend? I know all who live in the Everfree."

"Well, we had gone to Sunny Town…" Applebloom murmured.

Sycamora scowled. "That cursed place? You would do well to avoid going back."

"Seems that's a running theme here," Tyr said with a frown. "Did you curse them?"

"That curse is much, much older than I am."

"Speaking of which," Luna said, frowning. "I have been to the Everfree many times. Why have I never encountered you before?"

"Because the one with which you converse, still requires a nurse," An amused voice said. Everyone looked over to see Zecora arriving, a smirk on her face.

"Zecora!" Sycamora cried, surprised. "I… what are you doing here?"

"Making sure you are not making a fool of yourself, Mora," The herbalist said, coming into the clearing. The Timberwolves respectfully made way for her. "I know how protective you are of your flora."

"You know her, Zecora?" Applebloom asked. The zebra nodded.

"I do indeed, little one. I have known of her since she was young."

Starlight frowned. "Young?"

"Sycamora has lived in this forest only a few years hence; Born upon my arrival here and living here since."

"So you have only been here as long as Zecora has," Chrys said with a nod. "Makes sense."

"So she's still young?" Scootaloo asked. "Like us?"

The herbalist nodded. "That's… surprising," Chrys murmured.

Sycamora scowled, but it was obvious she was embarrassed. "D-Does it matter? I still hold some control over the forest."

"If that is true, then we have much to speak about," Luna pointed out. "Is it possible for you to leave the forest?"

"I can if I wish. Why?"

"I would like to promote a more cooperative relationship between my ponies and your forest. And I know of a certain Princess back in Ponyville that would love to speak to you."

"Would love to… speak with me?"

Sycamora glanced over at Zecora. The zebra gave her a small smile. "You need not my permission; you are free to go to Twilight Sparkle for a session."

The wood-pony coughed. "Hm… very well then. I will speak with this… Twilight Sparkle if I must. How will I find her?"

"I will go with you," Zecora said. "To ensure you know what to do."

Luna nodded. "Now that that is out of the way, we shall take our leave."

"Yes…" Chrys said slowly, looking around. "I believe we've all had a long day."

Tyr noticed a strange feeling coming from his Changeling, but her thoughts were far enough away so that he couldn't grasp what it was. Upon feeling him probing, the Changeling gave him a small smile. Giving up for the moment, Tyr simply shrugged. "Yes, we still need to make sure Sweetie is alright."

"Then let us be on our way. A pleasure as always, Zecora," Luna said.

"A safe trip for you all," The herbalist said, casting a knowing glance Tyr's way. "Perhaps I will see you… next fall?"

"Perhaps. Beloved, please gather up Sweetie Bell. We will take her back home and treat her there."

Tyr did so, sparing a glance at the other two CMC members. "What about you two? Heading home?"

Scootaloo looked over at Applebloom. "…I think I'll go stay with my parents today."

"Oh."

There wasn't more to be said, so the group started the long walk home. Tyr could feel the frustration from the orange pegasus, and the sadness from the yellow mare. Sweetie was more focused on enduring the pain she was in, although the salve Tyr had used had done much in lessening her suffering. Chrys seemed to notice something was up, for her thoughts suddenly sounded in Tyr's mind. [Did something happen between those three?]

[Somewhat] Tyr thought back, adjusting his hold on the white unicorn. He sensed a slight pang of jealousy from his wife, who spared him the barest of glances. [Nothing happened at home, did it?]

[You didn't sense anything?]

[…Did something happen?]

[You will see when you get home] Chrys assured him. [So… the girls?]

[The zombie village. Applebloom knew about it, but didn't tell the others. Sweetie got bitten]

[Explains the angry glances]

[Give them time. Hopefully this doesn't sour their relationship]

Chrys nodded, glancing over at Sweetie. [Well, time will tell, as they say]

They managed to find the forest's entrance with little incident, and they all parted ways in silence. Starlight headed back to the Castle of Friendship, no doubt to report to Twilight about what happened. Applebloom headed off to Sweet Apple Acres, while Scootaloo flew off to what looked like a huge cloud in the sky. Sweetie had fallen asleep in Tyr's arms, so he simply carried her back to the Jötunheim. Upon his arrival, he spotted Rarity sitting on the couch, hard at work on a design. Pinkie was beside her, sleeping with a wild mess of confetti in her hair. The seamstress glanced up momentarily when she heard them enter. "Oh, welcome home darling. I was beginning to worry—Sweetie Bell!"

The white unicorn in Tyr's arms stirred at the sound of her sister's voice. "Ruh… Rarity?"

"Sweetie Bell, what happened to you?" Rarity tossed her work aside to get up and see her sister. "By the Two Sisters, what caused this?"

"She was bitten by a creature in the Everfree," Tyr offered, not entirely willing to recount everything they had seen just yet. Plus, it was still mostly true. "I've already treated the wound with what I had on hand, but…"

Rarity gently removed the wrapping that Tyr had put around Sweetie's wound. She winced once she saw it. "Oh my…"

Tyr glanced around. "Cindy?"

The automaton walked over then, her usual smile on her face. "Yes Operator? You have need of me?"

"Take Sweetie to the infirmary. Run a check to make sure she isn't infected with anything."

Cindy tilted her head ever so slightly, and two white Inferus came over to retrieve the mare. They carried her off to the infirmary. A third began to work at Tyr's shoulder, quickly taking off the pieces of armor and treating the wound. "Is there anything else you require, Operator?"

"Not at the moment, Cindy. Thank you."

The machine-girl bowed slightly. "I am happy to serve, Operator."

Rarity looked concerned still. "She will be alright… won't she?"

"Of course. Our medical bay is well equipped to deal with any kind of infection."

"If you say so…"

Luna moved over and put a comforting wing around Rarity. "Your sister is in good hands. She will be fine."

Rarity didn't reply, but simply nodded. Her worry was plainly written on her face. Despite that, she still managed to get a smile on her face. "Well, Tyr, you've had a long day. Perhaps it is time for you to get some rest, dear."

Tyr was about to agree, but suddenly he felt Chrys tugging on his sleeve. He glanced over at her. "…Something the matter, Chrissy?"

"One last issue for you to attend to, Master," the Changeling said.

"An… issue?"

"Your daughter needs you."

Tyr glanced around, finding that Luna and Rarity had snuck off, no doubt to get some rest. "Well, if Cori needs me, I don't mind at all. Where is she?"

"Our room," Chrys replied. She and Cori normally shared the same room, except for the nights Chrys would sneak out sleep beside Tyr. Luna didn't mind, except for the nights the couple wanted to be… intimate. Brushing off those thoughts and mild frustrations, the man nodded once and headed towards Chrys and Cori's room. When he entered, he found his daughter seated on her bed, playing with what looked to be a silver ribbon. He stayed silent; watching as she slowly yet deliberately tied her mane back into a pony tail. Finally, he spoke.

"Changing your style again, Jitterbug?"

Unlike the usual reaction he got whenever he caught her off guard, his youngest daughter simply glanced up and over at him. "Oh… hello sir."

He frowned. "…Something bothering you, Cori?"

"Look." She turned slightly, showing off her flank. To Tyr's surprise, there were the outlines of two white hearts interconnected. For a minute, he was at a loss for words.

"You… you got a Cutie Mark?"

"First Changeling to ever do so, Mom tells me."

He moved over beside her, sitting on the bed. "So… what seems to be the problem?"

"…Ponies think I'm faking it," She said softly. "I thought it was supposed to be a really happy occasion when somepony gets their Cutie Mark. But all the ponies in town think I made it up."

"And you didn't, obviously."

"I can't change it," Cori said, glancing back at it. "When I got home, I kept changing my appearance to see, but no matter what form I took it was always there."

Tyr gently reached out and began stroking her head. "So do you know what it means?"

"I think I'm able to share my emotions with others and vice versa," Cori said thoughtfully. "And through that connection I can amplify the emotions we feel. Or I can force someone else to feel what I want them to feel."

"Hm. That sounds impressive. Are you going to learn how to control it?"

"I want to. Aleron and Aurora promised to help me."

Tyr smiled softly. "…For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."

That got the young changeling to look up in surprise. "You… you are?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You're the first of all of my kids to get their Mark." He pulled her close, hugging her gently. "And you've grown quite a bit from when I first met you, Cori."

"I had to. I couldn't be a blubbering little girl when Aurora and Aleron were so… mature." She looked up at him. "And… I wanted to be somepony that you'd be proud of."

Tyr smiled, feeling a surge of both pride and love course through him. The sudden smile that crossed his daughter's face showed that she felt his emotions and that only heightened the feeling. He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "I am proud of you, Cori. And as long as you never give up in yourself, I'll always be."

She hugged him back tightly. "I love you, papa."

"I love you too, Cordelia."

"You should get some rest, Master," Chrys called from the door. "I'm sure both Cori and I can sense how tired you are."

Cori frowned at that, and directed her attention to her father. After a moment of examining his face, she sighed. "Papa… Go to bed."

Laughing quietly, Tyr kissed her once more on the forehead before getting up and walking to the door. Chrys was waiting on him out in the hall way, a small smile on her face. "Thank you," The Changeling said softly.

"For what?" Tyr asked, frowning.

The sincerity in the mare's eyes was pure. "For being her father."

"I'm more than happy to be."

"If I might impose, Master…?"

"What is it?"

Chrys blushed ever so slightly, glancing away. "Your beloved Changeling requests… a kiss."

Tyr smiled. "You know I don't mind, Chrissy."

She smiled then, lowering her head and closing her eyes. Tyr leaned over, but instead of kissing her forehead like she expected, he took hold of her chin with one hand. He lifted up her face, and kissed her squarely on the lips. When they broke apart, he was greeted by a pair of surprised green eyes. "M-Master?"

"What, you think I'd deny you that?" He chuckled, gently running a hand through her mane. "Goodnight, Chrys."

"Goodnight… Tyr."

One last hug, and then the man went to his own room. When he entered, he found Luna in bed already, a book open in front of her. She looked up as he started changing clothes. "Done for the night, beloved?" She asked softly.

"Yeah," Tyr said. "It's been a long day."

"Considering that you spent most of it in the Everfree that does not surprise me. Your shoulder is alright, is it not?"

Tyr worked his arm around. "I believe I'll be alright. It didn't go too deep."

He sat down on the bed, and she lifted one hoof over to touch his chest. "Good. I would hate to see you hurt."

"I could say the same to you, love." He lay back on the bed, stretching out beside his wife. She smiled, put away her book, and lay down next to him. One foreleg draped over his chest as she snuggled up beside him. She took a deep breath.

"I missed this," She murmured, running a hoof along his chest.

Tyr frowned slightly, wrapping his arm underneath her. "Missed what, exactly?"

"Being in this moment. With you. I missed you so much, beloved…" She was beginning to tear up, and Tyr pulled her closer. "I was… I was beginning to fear that I would never see you again…"

"I understand. While I was staying with Jehu, I had begun to fear I'd never find a way to come to Equestria. And when I did… Well, I knew I had to come immediately." Tyr smiled. "I missed you, my children, Chrissy, my friends… I couldn't stay away."

Luna smiled as well. "I'm glad you didn't. My life is so much more full now that you are back in it. Those five years without you—"

"Are in the past," Tyr said softly, yet firmly. "I'm here now, and I'm going to stay right by your side."

She was silent for a long minute. Then she spoke, her voice quiet and far away. "…You don't know how much that means to me."

He pulled her to where he could kiss her, reveling in the warmth of her body against his. She returned the kiss hungrily, almost desperate for a reminder that the man was real. It wasn't until he felt tears on his cheeks that Tyr forced her off. "…Mani?"

"I just love you so much," She whispered, burying her face in his chest. She paused then, tilting her head up to look at him. "…What did you call me?"

Tyr blinked several times before simply chuckling. "Old Norse word for Moon. Sorry, if you don't like it—"

"It's alright." She said, allaying his fears almost immediately. She smiled. "Memories from your mother, I assume?"

"Hm?"

"I asked Cindy about your mother. She told that Aleksandra was big on the Norse culture. So now that you have her memories, I'm not surprised at your choice of nickname."

Tyr chuckled. "Think Tia will be cross if I accidentally call her Sol?"

"More confused than anything," the mare told him, laughing quietly. She settled back into her position at his side. "…I think she'd be more happy than anything. She's never had a 'brother in law', anyways."

"That is true, I suppose." Tyr let out a yawn.

"Tired?"

"You better believe it. "

"Then sleep, Beloved. I will be awake for a while longer."

"I'd tell you to not stay up too late, but the night is your domain after all, huh?"

She simply smiled as her husband settled back against the bed, quickly falling asleep. She settled into a spot where she could simply look at his face, feeling his chest rise and fall with easy breaths. She watched him sleep in silence, thankful that what was beside her was not an illusion.

* * *

 **Don't worry, more Tyr and Luna scenes will come.  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 19: Father Knows Best

Unsurprisingly, the only one up early in the morning was Tyr. The man didn't count Cindy, for the machine-girl didn't sleep, as far as he knew. So it was with little surprise that she was the only one to greet him as he came into the common room. "Good morning, Operator!" She said, as bright and cheery as could be. Tyr couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning, Cindy." He took a seat at the central bar. Without even being asked, Cindy poured him a hot cup of coffee and sat it in front of him. "Thanks."

"Of course, Operator. I am always happy to serve."

Sipping lightly at his coffee, Tyr eyed his Controller curiously. "…Cindy, a question."

That made the machine-girl's face brighten up. "A question? From my Operator? I would be honored to answer any question!"

"Can't fault your enthusiasm," Tyr said with a chuckle. His face took on a serious expression then. "…Cindy. What can you tell me about my father?"

Cindy's wide eyes blinked twice. "Your… your father?"

"Yes. Is that difficult?"

"No, I… I just didn't expect you to ask about Lysander…"

Tyr frowned. "Well, from what I've discovered, my memories of my mother are much stronger than those about my father. So I thought to ask you to help clarify things."

A warm smile crossed Cindy's face. "I am always happy to help. Is there anything you wanted to know specifically?"

The man looked down at his arm, willing his silver magical aura to come to life. "Can you… give me any information on my father's style of magic?"

Cindy looked thoughtful, information running across her eyes. "Well. Your father specialized in multiple target engagements, and was particularly skilled at fighting large crowds."

"He used his constructs like I did?"

"Actually, your father never used his magic to create 'armies'. His constructs provided additional mobility or defense in a pinch, or the capability to attack at a distance. I do not believe he ever managed to create constructs on the same level as you have."

"I see…"

"But, your father was quite skilled in sword fighting," Cindy continued, "Along with having a talent in potion and salve mixing."

"I think I got that from him," Tyr said with a chuckle. "Anything else?"

Cindy smiled. "Your father was also a very kind person, despite his seriousness. He always worried about your mother, although she was a veritable unstoppable force on her own. Amongst Elemental Observers, your mother was one of the strongest, even before she went into the Long Dark. And… now you carry that power with in you."

"Yeah, being able to combine ice magic with construct creation is quite useful."

"I would love to get data on that one day, Operator."

Tyr chuckled. "Well, one of these days you will."

"Indeed."

"One last question… why don't my children have the same issue with their memories as I do?"

"Well that would be because the mental block your mother placed in you, in order to protect you. If you knew of your powers from the start, the humans she left you with might have done terrible things to you."

Tyr thought momentarily about his adoptive older sister, Nanna. The woman had been so focused on learning what magic was and did that she was willing to experiment on her own brother. "…I understand completely."

"So because of that mental block, they were not privy to the same memory inheritance that you went through."

Soft hoofsteps caught their attention, cutting their conversation short. Tyr glanced around to spot Aurora coming into the common room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "…Daddy?" She mumbled, spotting him at the bar. She trotted over and climbed into his lap.

"Morning Ro," the man said with a chuckle, patting his daughter's head. "I'm actually a bit surprised to see you up so early."

"Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie were being loud," Aurora complained, nuzzling up to her father. "And Aleron was kicking in his sleep."

"Kicking? You two have separate rooms."

"Young Miss Aurora tends to slip into her brother's room at night to share the same bed," Cindy said. "I believe she is not comfortable sleeping alone?"

Aurora shook her head. "…Al… He tosses and turns in his sleep. But when I'm with him, he calms down…"

"Nightmares?" Tyr asked. If it was nightmares, Luna could help their son. But as soon as he asked, his daughter shook her head.

"No. I can't sleep well unless I'm near him either, so maybe we just have a connection like that…"

"It is scientifically proven that twins share an emotional bond that other siblings may not," Cindy said thoughtfully. "Perhaps such a bond exists between Aurora and Aleron?"

"Probably," Tyr said, stroking his daughter's head. She giggled lightly. "Maybe you two should share a room then?"

"If he's okay with it. I wake up early enough so he doesn't know I was sleeping with him, but I worry."

"You're a good sister, Aurora. If anything, your brother would be upset that you're not telling him about it."

"I guess I should tell him, huh…" She smiled. "Thanks daddy."

"Of course love."

Cindy smiled. "Little Aurora, do you want breakfast?"

The filly perked up at that. "Ooh! Can you make waffles?"

"I believe I have the ingredients on hand. One moment!" Cindy went over to another part of the bar. Despite having the ability to fabricate food, Cindy actually preferred to cook with actual ingredients. She claimed it tasted better with real materials. How she knew? Tyr didn't bother asking. Cindy had a lot of human-like traits despite being essentially a robot.

Aurora looked up at her father. "Hey, daddy?"

Tyr glanced down at her, noticing the curiosity in her eyes. No doubt she was about to ask for him to explain something. Not that he minded. "What is it, Ro?"

"What's sex?"

"…Huh." Tyr frowned at that, willing his hand to loosen up on his cup of coffee. "What made you want to ask about that?"

"I overheard Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie talking about it."

"Of course." Either them or Chrysalis, Tyr thought ruefully. "And you decided to ask me?"

"Mommy is still asleep," Aurora said.

"Well… Well Ro, sex is something two adults who care a lot about each other do when they want to show more affection than just hugging or kissing."

"More?"

"It usually only happens between people—er, ponies—that love each other. Or, I guess I should say it should."

Aurora tilted her head to the side cutely. "Why?"

"Because two ponies having sex can make a baby." Tyr smiled at his daughter. "Your mother and I loved each other, and we had you and your brother."

"Then, what about Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie? Do you love them?"

This girl sure knew what questions to ask, Tyr thought. But it did cause some thought on his part. Did he love Rarity and Pinkie? Well, he did care about them a bit more than his other friends. Plus, he did feel some kind of connection to them, if only because their children bore his genes. "Well… I can't really answer that honestly. The feelings I have for Rarity and Pinkie aren't like the feelings I have for your mother. I would move heaven and earth for Mani."

"Oh…"

"That doesn't mean I don't love Rarity and Pinkie. It's just… complicated."

"Adult stuff is complicated," the dark violet filly said. Tyr simply chuckled.

"Yeah, it is pretty complicated."

"Your waffles little miss!" Cindy said happily, coming over with a plate of waffles. "And syrup if you need it."

Aurora grinned. "Thanks Cindy!" After getting a fork and knife, she began to eagerly dig into her food. Cindy gave her a warm smile before going to the other end of the bar and opening up a console. Tyr sat and watched his daughter eat, slightly entertained by her fervor. After a moment, the filly looked back up at her father. "Hey Daddy?"

Despite being somewhat worried about what his daughter could possibly ask, he had to at least humor her. "Yes, my dear?"

"Are you good at sex?"

"…I'm afraid to ask, but why do you ask?"

"Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie were wondering if you were. I think Aunt Rarity thinks you're good at it."

"Hey Ro; you stop asking questions about sex, we spar this morning."

"Deal!"

"I would think you did all this on purpose, but I know you well enough."

His daughter simply smiled before going back to eating. [Such an interesting conversation this morning] An amused thought slipped into Tyr's mind. He smirked.

"Good morning, Chrissy."

The Changeling came over and nuzzled her master. "Good morning, Master. I see you are enjoying your morning with your daughter?"

"Morning Kissy!" Aurora said with a giggle. Chrys shot her a glare just before she bopped the filly on the nose. "Ow!"

"I told you not to call me that, little beastie," The Changeling said with a smirk.

"I'm surprised to see you up," Tyr said, hugging Chrys.

"I sensed your wakefulness and woke up as well," Chrys replied, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Plus, your discomfort…"

"Right…" Tyr chuckled.

"So I can assume everything is quite alright?"

"It is now. Although I may need to talk to Rarity and Pinkie later…" He shook his head. "But that's for another time. How is Cori doing?"

"Oh!" Aurora spoke up at that. "Is Cori happy she got her Cutie Mark?"

Chrys frowned ever so slightly. "I believe she was more confused than happy."

"Why?"

"That's your favorite word today, isn't it?" Tyr muttered, poking his daughter in the forehead.

"And to answer your question," Chrys said, "Changelings normally don't get Cutie Marks."

"Why not?" Aurora pressed.

"We are not the same species. Therefore, it stands to reason that we would not get Cutie Marks like the ponies."

"I see. That sounds sad."

"Ignorance is bliss, little one. We do not miss what we do not have."

A soft yawn caught their attention, and they looked over to see Jubilee, Ancè, and Cori coming into the common room, followed by the ever energetic Pinkie Pie. It had been Cori that had yawned. "Still tired, Jitterbug?" Tyr asked.

"A little," Cori admitted with a smile.

"You really do get up very early, father," Ancè noticed as the group all came over to the bar. Without losing a beat, Cindy had served them all plates of waffles. "Oh, thank you Cindy."

"I live to serve," The machine girl intoned.

Pinkie bounced over to Tyr. "Morning Tyr!"

"Hello Pinkie," The man replied, smiling. "Cheery as usual, I see."

"I'm always happy!" Pinkie told him with a grin.

"Guessing you shared that happiness with Rarity this morning, I see?" Tyr lifted his cup of coffee to his lips, trying to hide his smirk.

"Uh huh! She was super surprised!" Pinkie suddenly looked thoughtful. "…Did you want to join us?"

"Whoa!" Jubilee cried, seeing her father spit coffee. "Dad, you okay?"

"Pinkie, what the hell!?" Tyr spluttered, wiping his face while Chrys died of laughter beside him. "Why would you ask that?"

The pink mare shrugged. "I mean, you asked, and I didn't want you to feel left out…"

"Oh god…"

"Seems it is lively as usual this morning," Luna said dryly, coming into the common room. Rarity followed on her heels, looking as impeccable as always.

"Morning mom!" Aurora called out. Then she caught sight of her brother following behind his mother and Rarity. "Al!"

"Morning to you too, Ro," The colt muttered, coming to where everyone was sitting. Cindy had formed a large table for them all to sit at, and they shifted over to it. "Waffles this morning?"

Cindy tilted her head ever so slightly. "I can prepare something else, if you so prefer, little Aleron."

"No, it's fine. Thank you regardless, Cindy."

"So what does everyone have planned for the day?" Luna asked, leaning up against Tyr while using her magic to feed herself.

"Daddy promised to spar with me this morning!" Aurora called out happily. Luna shot a curious look over at Tyr, who simply shrugged.

"She twisted my arm, so to speak," The man told her.

"That sounds interesting," Rarity said thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, there is an order I need to fill… Bah. I suppose I can take a break."

The violet filly turned to her brother. "Oh! You should come watch, Al!"

The colt nodded almost half-heartedly. "Is dad using his ice magic?"

"Ooh!" Aurora beamed over at her father at the suggestion. He placed a firm hand on her head to keep her from getting too excited. "Can you daddy?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "I suppose I can, Ro. But finish breakfast first."

"Yes sir!"

Ancè chose that moment to speak up then. "Father, if it is no issue may I watch as well? I've seen your ice magic only the one time."

"I wanna watch too!" Jubilee said.

"I'd like to as well," Cori said softly.

Rarity laughed softly. "Seems you'll have quite the little crowd watching, darling."

"I should make popcorn!" Pinkie squealed. She turned to Cindy. "Can we make popcorn?"

The machine girl smiled. "I would be happy to assist you."

–x–

"You have to go back already?" Evie complained, seeing her father packing his saddlebags. The orange Pegasus smiled at his daughter sadly.

"Sorry Star. I have to." Flash rubbed her head gently. "Princess Celestia needs me back. I am her knight, after all."

Twilight, standing nearby, let out a sigh. "It's times like these I wish you were _my_ knight."

Flash chuckled. "I'll always be your knight, Twi. But in this case, I have to go back to work."

"Ugh. Almost makes me want to move to Canterlot…"

A shocked voice spoke up. "You're moving to Canterlot?"

The family glanced over to see Starlight passing by, books held in her magical aura. Twilight couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not moving, Starlight. I'm just going to miss my husband while he's gone."

Starlight made a face. "It's still weird hearing you call him your husband…"

"You'll get used to it."

"I gotta get going," Flash said, catching their attention. "I gotta meet Ace at the train station, and he'll throw a fit if I'm late."

"You don't think Ace will be held up by Rainbow?"

"Unless they decided to take the long way of saying goodbye…"

Okay, that's enough," Twilight said hurriedly, pushing Flash out the door. "Quit trying to make me embarrassed, and go already!"

Flash twisted around just long enough to plant a kiss on Twilight's lips. "I'll make sure to send a message your way once we're in Canterlot."

"You better." The Princess of Friendship smiled warmly.

"See ya, Star," Flash said, getting one last hug from his daughter. She hugged him tightly, before letting him go so he could fly off to the train station. Just before he got out of sight, they saw a white figure join him in the air. Together, the two pegasii flew off towards the train station.

Starlight, Twilight and Evie stood quietly for a bit, watching them fly away. "…There he goes," Starlight murmured. The young filly with them chose to head back inside.

"Yeah," Twilight murmured. She sighed. "I miss him already."

"You're okay with him going back and forth to Canterlot like that?"

"Of course. He is Princess Celestia's personal knight."

"And you're not… worried he might cheat on you or something?"

Twilight glanced over at Starlight. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I trust Flash, Starlight. He is not only my husband and the father of my daughter, but he is my friend, and I know he would never betray me."

"I wasn't trying to insinuate anything," Starlight said nervously, laughing awkwardly. "I just… Well, I never had the greatest of luck when it came to stallions…"

"You didn't? Not trying to assume anything, but you're not bad looking…"

"I… kinda scared a lot of them away. You know, becoming a dictator of a small town doesn't really make good conversation…"

"…Good point."

"Although… Did Tyr ever…?"

"He's married, Starlight. To Princess Luna."

The light violet unicorn blinked several times as Twilight headed back inside. She chased after, almost galloping to catch up. "What? I wasn't suggesting asking him out!"

"Then what were you asking?"

"If you ever… told him about what I did."

Twilight gave her a soft smile. "Tyr has only been in town for a little less than a couple of weeks. And why would I lead off with something like that? You're turning over a new leaf, right?"

"Right…" Starlight sighed. "Although sometimes it feels like the whole town already knows about me…"

"Believe me Starlight, besides my friends and the Princesses, no one knows what you did in your town."

"If you say so…"

"Hey, I have an idea." Twilight paused and turned to her apprentice. "How about we go over and see Tyr? Maybe he'll give us a demonstration of his magic?"

"You think so?" Starlight perked up at that. Just like her newly appointed mentor, the unicorn had a voracious desire to understand magic. Of course she couldn't pass up going to see the town's only human use his magic.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Twilight smiled. "So let's go!"

Starlight nodded. "Okay!"

"Can I come too?" Evie peeked around a corner, almost losing her glasses before catching them with her hoof. "I wanted to ask Aleron for help with something."

Twilight and Starlight shared a look, before the Alicorn smiled. "Sure Evie. You can come too."

The three of them left the castle then, headed for the outskirts of town. Ponyville was always a warm town, with a number of ponies waving hello as they passed. It was to be expected—Twilight was the local Princess, and had saved the town on a number of occasions. Although one pony caught her off guard when they passed by town hall. "Princess Twilight!"

Twilight paused and glanced over, seeing a worried Mayor Mare coming towards her. "Is something wrong, Mayor?"

"Just a bit of… bureaucratic business." The earth pony mare said nervously. "In regards to the… airship parked outside of town."

"Tyr's ship?" Twilight frowned. "What about it?"

"Well… there was a bit of dispute about whether or not he is allowed to keep it there."

"Why would there be a dispute?"

"I believe I can answer that question," A gruff voice said. The group turned to see a well-dressed and rather large green stallion coming over towards them. He made a slight bow once he reached them. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Princess Twilight Sparkle. I am Tangle Vine, owner of the largest grape plantations in Equestria."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Vine," Twilight said somewhat warily. She hated dealing with business owners, since most of them were only interested in expanding their business or maximizing profits. "Was there something you needed?"

"Ah yes. I believe Mayor Mare was just informing you about the land outside of town?"

"The one with the airship parked on it?" Starlight asked.

"Yes." Tangle Vine frowned. "I'd like to speak to the owner of that ship."

Twilight let out a sigh. She really didn't want to bring Tyr into this. "…May I ask why?"

"That ship is currently sitting in the perfect valley for a new vineyard," Tangle Vine said with a nod. "A natural river flows just out of the nearby mountain and passes through there. If that ship moves, the productivity would be wondrous!"

"I don't know…" Twilight frowned. "Is another vineyard, especially one outside of Ponyville necessary?"

"It would bring quite a few jobs, Princess. On top of untold profits for the town."

"…Well, I was headed out that way anyway. Care to join us?"

Tangle Vine and the Mayor shared a look. "Well, I suppose a walk would not be so bad."

With that said, they were on their way. Truly, Tyr's airship was not that far out of town. But no sooner had the Jötunheim come into view than a massive wave of cold washed over them. "Oh what in the name of Celestia!?" The mayor remarked, shivering.

"Look!" Evie called out, pointing. They all looked, jaws nearly dropping from the scene before them. A small crowd was seated on the grass outside the silver airship, while two figures squared off across one another.

Starlight squinted. "Is that…?"

"Tyr and Aurora," Twilight managed to say, just before the Alicorn filly in question shot towards her father, magic lancing from her horn. A shield of ice formed to deflect the attack, before it shattered and sent shards of ice flying at the filly. Aurora reacted quickly, wings flapping once to give her altitude over the attack. A quick retaliation forced Tyr back onto the defensive, but there was a wide grin on his face.

"Never let up, Ro!" He called out, a torrent of ice shards flying towards his daughter. She turned her magic on them, destroying many of them before they could hit her. No sooner had she defended against that attack a giant snowball came flying up from the ground, smacking her out of the air and dragging her to the ground with a muted thud.

Aurora's head popped out of the snow a minute later. "Hey!" She complained.

"I told you not to let up."

"Snow is not ice!"

"Actually it is," Aleron called out from the sidelines. "Snow is just piles of tiny ice crystals."

Aurora shot her brother a look, but a snowball hit her in the side of the face. "Ow! Hey—Dad!"

"Never take your eyes off your opponent," Tyr admonished with a chuckle, tossing a snowball up and down in one hand.

"Okay then dad!" Aurora blasted herself free of the snow. There was a determined smile on her face. "Game on!"

Tyr abandoned his snowball for a more practical defense, calling a squad of ice soldiers up in a semicircle in front of him. Aurora's magic lanced through one, cutting it in half. The rest charged her, but she easily flew between their spear thrusts and made a beeline for her father. The man simply opened his arms and caught her, the impact sending the two of them spinning over into the grass. Loud laughter rang out as they slowed to a stop, revealing Tyr burying his fingers into Aurora's sides. "Give up yet?" The man demanded, tickling his daughter relentlessly.

The poor filly tried to respond in between giggling fits. "Okay! Okay—I give up—haha—I give—haha—up daddy! Stop!"

Tyr finally relented, leaving his daughter breathless on his chest. "Looks like I win."

Aurora giggled softly, nuzzling up to her father. "Fingers are cheating."

"Use all advantages, my little cub. Never fight fair."

Pinkie suddenly pulled her head up out of the giant tub of popcorn she was eating. "Oh, Hey Twilight, Starlight! Why's the mayor with you?"

That caught Tyr's attention, the man glancing over and noticing the newcomers. "Twilight?"

"Hey Tyr," the violet Alicorn said. "You busy?"

He stood up, Aurora hanging from his neck. "Depends on what you need me for."

Tangle Vine stepped forward, clearing his throat. "You must be the human man I have heard so much about," He said cordially.

"I suppose word would have gotten around about me by now," Tyr said with a shrug.

"I am Tangle Vine, foremost grape grower and wine exporter," The green stallion said proudly.

"I recognize that name," Luna said, frowning. "My sister enjoys the wine made from your grapes."

Tangle Vine smiled widely. "Ah, Princess Luna! Always wonderful to be recognized by royalty."

"Mm," Luna turned away, disinterested. The grape pony winced at her disinterest.

Rarity cleared her throat. "May I ask what seems to be your business with Tyr, Mr. Vine?"

The stallion stared a bit overlong at Rarity before nodding several times. "Ah, yes. Well, I was seeking to expand my business here to Ponyville. There is good land for a vineyard in this area."

"Expanding to Ponyville?"

"Yes."

"As much as I do enjoy a good glass of wine from time to time—Tyr, quit it with that look, darling..." Rarity giggled softly. "May I ask where you wanted to put this vineyard?"

Tangle Vine made a broad gesture with his hoof. The motion encompassed the entire valley they were in, along with the hills nearby. "Here! This valley is perfect!"

"The valley?" Luna blinked, tuning back into the conversation. "This valley here?"

"Yes, Princess Luna. My surveyors tell me this is the optimal area for a vineyard. Gentle land for growing, good hills surrounding, there's a river nearby…"

"So… what did you need from me?" Tyr asked, pulling his daughter off his neck to hold her in his arms. "Can't see why you'd need to talk to me."

"You are the owner of this airship, correct?" Mayor Mare said, stepping forward.

"That's right."

"Mr. Tangle Vine wishes for you to move your ship to another location so that he can put his vineyard here."

"Move?" Tyr frowned ever so slightly. He raised his communicator up to where he could speak into it. "Cindy, a question if you will?"

The controller's voice came through clearly as her hologram appeared. As usual, Cindy looked elated to have Tyr asking for her assistance. "Yes, Operator?"

Tangle Vine moved closer to Tyr, looking at the wristlet. "What kind of technology is that? I've never seen anything like it…"

The man gave him a look before pointedly shifting a little bit away. "Cindy, are there any other places near Ponyville where we can set the Jötunheim?"

"Setting the ship down somewhere else…? One moment, Operator." Cindy's eyes flicked back and forth rapidly as if she was going through a lot of information at a rapid pace. A frown crossed her face a moment later. "…I have given my map a thorough check, Operator."

That frown didn't sit well with Tyr, and he frowned as well. "…Something wrong?"

"Considering the size of the Jötunheim and the layout of the surrounding areas…"

"Yes?" Chrys frowned. "Get on with it already!"

Cindy cleared her throat. "There are other suitable places to land the ship, where we would not disturb any surrounding wildlife. However, the locations are all quite a ways away from Ponyville."

"How far?" Pinkie asked, surprisingly concerned. "We won't be too far away from our friends, will we?"

"Well…" Cindy gave an awkward smile. "If you call an hour and a half by foot not too far…"

Luna blinked. "That far? We would have to use that transport just to go into town!"

"That would pose a problem," Tyr said, glancing over at the mayor and the grape pony. "Is this the only place to put this vineyard?"

Tangle Vine nodded. "It is the best place for it."

"So we are to be evicted simply because this stallion wishes to make money?" Luna frowned. "How quaint."

"Tyr technically holds no ownership over this land," Mayor Mare pointed out. "It still belongs to the town."

"I could always change that with a royal decree," Luna muttered, but Twilight quickly spoke up to cover her comment.

"Ahem!" She smiled nervously. "So Mr. Vine, you're planning to buy the land?"

"That's why I wanted to speak to Mr. Human here," Tangle Vine said.

"Winter," Luna corrected. "Our last name is Winter."

Twilight shot the Princess of Dreams a look, but Tangle Vine was already pressing forward. "As I was saying, I would like for you to move your airship, sir. To make way for a new source of income for Ponyville!"

Tyr's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "…Does Ponyville need a new source of income?"

"It would be most beneficial—"

"I've run the numbers," Twilight said, cutting him off. "Since Ponyville's main exports seem to be apples and other products, I do see an increase in profits for those involved. However, the costs of constructing this vineyard will no doubt be high."

"Well, that is to be expected. But the returns will no doubt outweigh the costs."

"I have an idea," Tyr said, seeing the beginnings of an argument cropping up. "A simple solution. Why don't we ask our local agriculture expert her opinion?"

Twilight blinked. "Applejack? That's a perfect idea!"

Mayor Mare frowned, but looked more thoughtful than confused. "I suppose that is a good idea… she would know about planting new crops."

"So I guess that's where we're headed next," Tyr said.

Tangle Vine shot the man a dark look. "This would have been so much simpler if you simply moved your—"

"This airship is also our home," Luna said, standing. She scowled. "You will go through the proper channels or I will royally decree that this land belongs to the crown."

"You… you can do that?"

"I believe so," Mayor Mare murmured.

Luna looked proud of herself. "And if not, I will tie up your purchase with so much legal tape that it would not be worth it."

Twilight simply shook her head. "Let's just go see Applejack."

–V–

Sweet Apple Acres was on the other side of town, so it was a bit of a walk from where the Jötunheim was situated. Luna had come along with Tyr, while Twilight had left Evie back at the airship. Starlight was still tagging along, if only to see the conclusion of this whole ordeal. Chrys was the only one of the group who didn't really have a reason to come along, citing 'personal entertainment' instead. Her presence was a source of discomfort for Mayor Mare and Tangle Vine, which she found quite amusing. The group must have looked pretty out of place because Applejack gave them a strange look as they approached the farm's front gate. "Well, I reckon I've gotten stranger visitors to the farm," the orange mare muttered, wiping at her brow.

Tyr glanced around at the buckets of apples sitting around. "Looks like you're hard at work, cowgirl."

"I ain't one ta laze about," Applejack countered with a chuckle. She glanced around at the other members of the group. "Judging from the company ya got, I'm guessing ya needed me for something?"

"Sorry for disturbing you, Applejack," Mayor Mare said. "But we had a couple of questions about farming cycles."

The farmer pony frowned, adjusting her hat. "…And something tells me ya ain't here ta ask about apples."

"Unfortunately, no."

"We actually wanted to ask about grapes," Twilight said. She gestured to Tangle Vine. "This stallion here is looking to put a vineyard in the valley Tyr has his airship."

Tangle Vine nodded. "It is prime land for it. All we need is for the human to move his ship."

Luna frowned. "You mean our current home, don't you?" She asked pointedly.

Applejack frowned. It was obvious she could sense the irritation in the air. "And uh… just what did ya need me for?"

Tyr let out a sigh. "We wanted to know if putting up a vineyard there would be worth the cost. Like, when would it actually start making a profit."

"I guess I can at least help out with that." Applejack admitted. "But you gotta remember, I ain't a grape farmer."

"But you are a farmer," Starlight said. "And you know this area well."

The orange mare nodded at that. "I suppose that is true. Well… from what I know, y'all would need ta bring in lot more ponies ta work a vineyard like that. Plus, there ain't any ponies in this town sides me and my brother who know how ta run a farm in the first place. Ain't gonna be a local job."

"I have plenty of experienced ponies who can transfer," Tangle Vine said immediately.

Tyr frowned. "Sounds like this would be completely self-contained then."

"Well…!" The stallion seemed to think for a bit. "New ponies means more customers at Ponyville shops, am I right?"

Twilight shrugged. "I suppose that is true…"

There was an aggravated sigh from the elemental man. "How about this—Mayor Mare, how much are you selling the land for?"

The light brown pony seemed a bit surprised at the question, taking a moment to adjust her glasses and clear her throat. "Um… well, I believe the price was about eight thousand bits…?" She glanced over to Tangle Vine, who nodded the affirmative.

Tyr nodded almost to himself. "Right then. Cindy?"

"Yes Operator?" the machine girl's voice came from the wrist communicator.

"Prepare ten thousand bits and have it transported to town hall."

"What!?" Both Tangle Vine and Mayor Mare stared at the man in shock.

Tyr looked at them pointedly. "I'd like to keep my home where it is. The vineyard can go somewhere else. So unless you plan to outbid me?"

"That's more than setting up the vineyard would cost!" Tangle Vine protested.

Applejack chuckled. "Well, I reckon that Tyr's gonna keep his airship right where it is then."

Luna nodded. "That also means my husband has direct ownership of the land now. It is his to do with as he wants."

Tangle Vine looked shocked. "But…! But…! My vineyard…!"

"You'll just have to put it somewhere else," Tyr said flatly. "I'm not moving my family just because you want to make a profit."

"You're making a mistake," Tangle Vine said with a frown. "This vineyard would have brought so much income to this little town!"

"And how much of that would have gone into your own pockets?" Chrys asked lazily. "Are you upset because you cannot increase the town's revenue, or your own?"

The green stallion scowled. "I will not be questioned by a Changeling—!"

"Watch your tone," Tyr warned shortly. "This Changeling is mine. I will not have you speaking ill of her."

Tangle Vine looked like he wanted to say something, but a pegasus pony came flying over to them. "Mayor!"

"Swift Note?" Mayor Mare seemed surprised to see her assistant. "What is it?"

"Some weird machine thing dropped a huge bag of bits off at the foot of the town hall!"

The light brown mare blinked several times before shooting a glance over at Tyr. "Um… Swift Note? About how much was in the bag?"

"I dunno, I didn't look—but one of the other ponies was saying it should be around ten thousand bits or so."

The mayor nodded very slightly. "Very well then. Head back to Town Hall and get some proof of ownership documents written up for Mr. Winter here. He just purchased the valley below the mountain."

"A veritable 'king under the mountain'," Fenrir mumbled, pulling herself out of Tyr's pocket. With a yawn, she climbed up to his shoulder. "Perhaps I should take to sleeping on the Jötunheim instead of your pocket."

"You know you like hanging around me," Tyr responded, rubbing her head. The wolf spirit gave him an irritable look but that was the extent of her discontent. Tyr glanced over at Tangle Vine. "Well, since we're done with all of this, I believe my family and I will be going home."

"Have the documents brought to the Jötunheim," Luna told the mayor. "I personally will be making sure all is in order."

"Come on love," Tyr said, reaching out to pat Luna's head. "You don't have to terrorize the mayor anymore. Let's go home."

Luna nodded, smiling. "As you say, Beloved. Let us go home."

"We'll come too," Twilight said. Seeing Tyr confused look, she smiled. "We wanted to see more of yours and Aurora's magic."

"If that's okay," Starlight added with a smile.

Tyr shrugged. "Not bothering me. Come on then." They began walking, leaving an irate Tangle Vine and Mayor Mare behind. Applejack had already gone back to work.

"Try not to expand your herd too much, Master," Chrys teased, only for Tyr to grab her ear and pinch it. "Nyah!"

"Quit it with that," Tyr ordered.

"Y-Yes Master…"

Starlight blinked a couple of times. "So you really do own her?"

"That I do," The man replied.

"Hm. Most ponies would be a bit… put off by being owned."

"I know two that would disagree with you," Tyr murmured, just loud enough for only Luna and Chrys to hear. Both of them giggled. Twilight and Starlight both looked confused, but didn't say anything. Conversation was more or less small talk until they reached the Jötunheim. There was a light show going on, surprisingly curtesy of Aleron and Evie. The two young unicorns were having a sparring match of their own, magic spells shooting back and forth. From what Tyr could see, Aleron had the upper hand in terms of strength, but Evie had more finesse. Every spell the blue unicorn threw at her was deflected, not absorbed. Aleron was able to simply block Evie's attacks, so they were sort of at a stalemate.

"Look out Tyr," Twilight grinned. "Seems my daughter is as strong as your son."

Tyr smirked. "Yeah, she does, doesn't she?"

Suddenly, Evie stopped. "Hm. Your shield spell is way too strong for me," She said.

Aleron smiled. "I guess so. Your deflection spell is pretty good."

"Your stamina is much greater than mine, so I think you'd win in the long run."

"Seems you two are evenly matched," Luna said, coming over with Tyr and the others. "But I expect nothing less from my son."

Aleron smiled. "Thanks mom. But I think Evie's just giving me more credit than I'm due."

The violet-blue filly frowned. "I can always be more critical, Aleron."

"Please don't."

"I dare say you're only afraid of Evie's opinion," Ancè said with a sly smile. Her half-brother sent her a sharp look, but it seemed Evie hadn't noticed the comment.

"Hey, hey!" Aurora suddenly bounced up and flew over to her dad. "Dad, dad! Show Evie your ice magic!"

Tyr chuckled at his daughter's insistence. "Alright, alright little cub. Everypony step back." They all obliged, giving the man clear space. Letting his magic flow to life, he momentarily considered what he wanted to make. Inspiration struck him then, and he formed a circle on the ground in front of him. Moving his arms like an orchestra conductor, he shaped and formed ice inside the circle until a statue of Aurora and Aleron took shape in front of him. It depicted a happy Aurora embracing her brother, the colt seemingly both amused and annoyed at the same time. Tyr stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Rarity joined him, her red work glasses on her nose. Seems she had been working up until a few minutes ago. "This is quite excellent work, darling."

"Mother was into ice sculptures," Tyr said with a smile.

"So cool!" Jubilee said, bouncing over to her father. "Ooh, ooh! Do me and Beri next!"

"Seems you've got a lot on your hooves," Twilight said with a smirk. "We'll head on home."

Tyr frowned. "You could stay if you wanted…"

"No, no, it's fine," Twilight said, smiling. "I mean, it's not like you're going anywhere…"

"Yeah," Tyr said with a soft smile. "I'm staying right here."

"Good! Come on Evie, let's head home."

"Okay mom," the young filly said. She looked over at Aleron and gave him a small smile. "See you later, Al."

"R-Right," Aleron said, caught off guard by the use of his nickname. "See you around, Evie."

A strange look crossed Twilight's face then, and she chuckled. "Hm… Evening Star, you know you are free to come over here whenever you like."

"I am?" Evie blinked.

"She is?" Aleron sounded just as surprised.

Twilight nodded. "Of course. But for now, let's head home."

"Okay mother," Evie said, going over to join Twilight and Starlight. "Bye everypony!"

"Bye Evie!" Jubilee said, waving. Ancè, Aurora and Aleron waved back, and the group left then. Tyr and his large family went back inside the Jötunheim, his kids crowding around him. All except one. "Something bothering you, son?" He asked, catching Aleron off guard.

"Huh?!" Aleron jumped slightly, before composing himself. "Oh. Well…"

"Girls?" Tyr said, cutting his son off. The four fillies around him all looked up at his voice. "Mind giving your brother and I some room?"

"Of course, father," Ancè said. "Come girls, let's allow our brother some 'father-son' bonding time."

Aleron shot her a look, but the girls were already retreating, turning their playful attitude towards Chrys. To her credit, the Changeling did attempt to flee, but Jubilee and Aurora caught her right as she left the room. Still in the common room, Tyr gestured for Aleron to join him on the large semicircular couch. "So, what seems to be bothering you, Al?"

His son let out a heavy sigh. "Well… Dad, what was it like when you first started liking mom?"

Tyr thought for a moment. "Hm. Now that is a question. Well, to put it simply, it felt right. Like fate had destined the two of us to be together. I realized that I was willing to do anything to protect your mother, and after that, it didn't feel right to be apart from her."

"So… you knew you loved her right away."

"Pretty much."

"Huh. So what do I do if I never meet some filly that makes me feel that way?"

"Well, sometimes it doesn't happen like that. Sometimes, the ones who are most special to us are those we can spend time with like a friend. And those who simply make us happy by being near us." He put a hand on his son's back. "It doesn't always happen immediately, Al. Sometimes it takes a little while."

"I see."

"So if you do find a filly you like, and one that you care enough about to risk your life over, hold them tight and never let go." Tyr smiled. "The ones who stand by you no matter what—those are the most special people."

"Ponies, dad."

Tyr laughed. "Right, right."

His son gave him a smile. "So… what if it's my own sister?"

Tyr blinked, but he knew his immediate thoughts were wrong. "You hold your family close, Aleron. Your family are the only ones who will stick by you no matter what, and love you in spite of it all."

Aleron frowned, but nodded. "Well, I sure as sure know that Aurora loves me. She won't stop telling me."

"Your twin is the affectionate sort," Tyr said, chuckling. "But you know she means well."

"Of course I do. She's always reminding me."

"And… how are things with your half-sisters?"

"Hm? Fine I guess." Aleron shrugged. "Jubilee is crazy, but fun. Cori is really sweet, but she jumps between really shy and really confident. And Ancè is kinda like me—just making the best of it all."

"You aren't happy about it?"

"Happy? A large family isn't a bad thing, dad," Aleron smiled up at him. If it wasn't for the fact his son was a pony, Tyr felt the resemblance between them as he looked into his eyes. "We haven't known each other for long, but we're getting there."

Tyr gently rustled his son's mane. "You're much more mature than you look."

"Miss Grace used to say that about me all the time."

"Well, she was right." Tyr was going to say more, but he felt a tug on his shirt. He glanced back to see Cori behind him, looking a little nervous. "Something the matter, Cori?"

"Um…" She looked away for a moment, blushing. "Aurora and Jubilee wanted to know if Al could come and play now."

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course dear, he can go play." He glanced over at his son. "Unless…?"

"I'm done probing your mind for now, dad," Aleron joked, hopping off the couch. "But thanks for talking to me."

"Of course son. I'm always here for you." The man and colt shared one last hug before Aleron went off to play with his sisters. Tyr watched him go with a smile. His son was so much like him—calm, collected, but hiding natural kindness and a strength that would be a match for anything. Looks like he didn't have to worry about his kids at all. Well, no more than necessary. And then he had to wonder what Twilight would think if he told her his son had a crush on little Evening Star.

* * *

 **This question came up from my editor as she read this chapter: "How old are these kids anyway?" The answer is that the age range is 5 to 8, with Golden Grove being the youngest and Bramley as the oldest. Obviously, Equestrian children mature faster than human children would. They won't be getting into anything too serious.**

 **But as always, thank you all for reading, and for those of you who did, thank you for commenting. And for those of you who simply read, thanks for reading anyway!**

 **I will return next week with two chapters (I hope) and as always, Read, Review, and Return. The Library will be waiting patiently, and will accept all you have to give.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello dear Readers! Firstly, I must apologize. A storm rolled through Friday and knocked out my internet until some time around noon today. Then I had EMT class today, which didn't let out until three. Then, I have to spend just a bit of time making sure I had done all the edits I needed and that they were saved. Thus, I was late. However, I was ready! Are you?**

 **Kevin Lapse: Yes, I do have a very kind individual that I love dearly that helps me edit my work. I'm also one of those kind people, and offer my help to any that need it.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Ah, no worries! I'll be sure to include a really mushy family outing in the future!**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I believe if Tyr had those things on hand, he would have spend more time in the Everfree zombie slaying.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: I'm trying hard, and writing is what I love to do. Sometimes I actually get frustrated when I'm not able to write. However, I might be slowing down a bit soon as my classes start to get closer to the final test. Both Mitta and Tangle Vine aren't gone forever yet, and they will return, one sooner than the later. And on the top of father-child moments, I plan on having Tyr have one with each of his children, in order to really show the difference in personalities of his kids. I probably will find a way to do the others, but I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Well, enough rambling from me! Onto the Chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Moving Forward, Stepping Out

"Operator," Cindy called, distracting Tyr from the small device he was working on. Both he and Chrys—who was lying in his lap—looked over at the automaton as she approached him. "Sweetie Bell is awake."

"She is?" Tyr paused at that bit of information. Sweetie Bell had been out of it after returning from the Everfree, mostly due to the wounds she had taken. According to the medial readouts in the med bay, she had been infected with a couple of diseases one would associate with rotted corpses. Tyr had checked on her yesterday, noting the strange pod like bed she had been placed in. Cindy had explained it was a stasis chamber of sorts, restorative fluids suspending the young white unicorn inside and healing her wounds.

Cindy nodded. "Yes. I believe she is safely at the point where her life is not in danger."

Tyr let out a relieved sigh, pushing his goggles up. "Wonderful. How is she feeling?"

"A bit disoriented, but other than that, she is alright. Would you like to speak to her?"

"Yeah, I should. Chrissy, up." With a somewhat upset groan, his Changeling let him up. Setting aside his tools, he followed Cindy to the medical bay. The Jötunheim had a fully functional medical bay, although there were white Inferus stationed inside to perform many tasks that required finer control. It was pure white as most medical facilities were, with a trio of beds along one side and the other medical equipment on the other. One of the beds was currently occupied with the resting figure of Sweetie Bell. The white unicorn looked over when she heard the door open.

"Tyr!" She remarked, sitting up.

The man was pleased to see all of Sweetie's wounds had healed. He sat on the bed beside her. He accepted the short hug she gave him before holding her out at arm's length. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better," Sweetie Bell told him, looking down at her side. "That liquid bath or whatever felt really weird though."

"There are microbes in the solution that aid with mending wounds," Cindy clarified. "I have been told it feels like a full body tingling sensation."

Sweetie nodded. "Yeah, just like that!"

Tyr chuckled. "Well, whatever the process, you're doing better. That's what matters."

"Oh!" A surprised voice caught their attention. They all turned to the door to see Rarity standing there, a happy expression on her face. In the span of a second, she crossed the distance and embraced her sister. "Oh thank Celestia you're okay!" She said, hugging Sweetie tightly.

Sweetie looked happy to see her sister, but Rarity was hugging her too tight. "R-Rarity, I can't breathe…!"

"Oh, darling I'm so sorry," She let her sister go. "But you must realize knowing you were hurt was so nerve wracking for me…"

"Believe me, I can tell."

"Well, thank goodness all of this is here," Rarity said, looking around the medical bay. "You look almost good as new!"

"Well, I feel a lot better, that's for sure." Sweetie smiled up at Tyr. "Thanks for getting me out of the forest."

Tyr smiled. "Of course Sweetie. Can't let my little sister get hurt, now can I?"

She hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back. Rarity smiled warmly at the sight, glad that her sister was okay and that she was getting along so well with Tyr. Suddenly, Cindy jumped ever so slightly. "Cindy? Is something the matter?"

Both Tyr and Sweetie looked over as Cindy began running information across her eyes. "It seems we have a visitor today, Operator."

"Who is it?" Tyr asked.

"A grey pegasus with a golden mane. She has three bubbles as a Cutie Mark."

"That sounds like Derpy," Rarity said. "She's the mail mare, remember?"

Tyr nodded. "I remember. She brought me my ticket for the Gala."

"She must have mail for you then."

"Point." Tyr glanced over at Cindy. "Let her inside, I'll meet her in the common room."

Cindy nodded, remotely controlling the ship's main hatch. It still shocked Tyr how easily Cindy controlled the ship from anywhere. But she was his to command, so he didn't have to worry too much. Instead, he simply let Sweetie go and headed to the common room. Rarity took a moment longer to hug her sister again before following her herd mate. When they reached the common room, they found a very excited gray mare floating around the room. "This place is so cool!" Derpy said upon seeing them. "Do you really live here?"

Tyr chuckled at the adorable way the pegasus mare spoke. "Yes, we live here, Derpy."

"Oh, cool! When they told me Rarity had moved to the big shiny ship outside town, I didn't believe it. But now that I see it, I'm really amazed!"

Rarity had a small smile on her face as well. "Well, considering the Boutique burned down…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Rarity…"

"It is no trouble, darling. Now, did you have mail for us?"

"Oh! I did!" To Tyr's mild amusement, the mail pony managed to pull a letter out of her bag. She handed it to Tyr. "Here!"

Tyr took the offered letter, a letter opener of ice forming in his hand with a thought. He moved to open it, but something on the outside stayed his hand. "Hold on a moment… this is addressed to you, Rarity."

"It is?" Rarity blinked a couple times, taking the letter in her magic. "Huh. Why so it is. But who would send me a letter…?" Tyr offered her the ice letter opener, and she took it in her magic as well. "Thank you, darling."

"Of course."

Rarity sliced open the envelope, the opener evaporating once she set it aside. She spared it a passing glance as she pulled the letter out. Her eyes ran over the lines rapidly, the look on her face going from surprise, to shock, and then abject horror. Tyr raised an eyebrow, a little worried at the look that was crossing his marefriend's… herd mate's… 'his Rarity's'…damn. What does he call her, really? "Um… Rarity? Everything okay?"

The white unicorn took a moment to compose herself. A point of particular curiosity was the momentary hoof touch she gave the black collar around her neck. To Tyr, it seemed she was drawing a minor bit of comfort from it. "Well. In varying degrees, dear. This letter was sent from Los Pegasus."

"…Los Pegasus?" Tyr's skeptical look grew. "…Are there a lot of casinos and hotels there?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Huh. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"As I said…" Rarity glanced back down at the letter. "I've been invited for a fashion show in Los Pegasus, at the Maredelay Bay Hotel."

Tyr snickered a bit at the name. "Not seeing a bad part. That sounds like a good opportunity to show off your stuff."

"I would normally agree with you darling. But the letter states they wish for me to be there _today_."

"…Now that certainly classifies as a problem," Chrys said, poking her head up from behind the couch. "I suppose Master could rightly use the Ranger to transport you…"

Rarity turned expectant eyes towards Tyr. The man chuckled. "If you even have to ask…"

"Please darling?" Rarity asked anyway. "It would mean so much to me if you helped…"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Of course, Rarity. Sounds like a fun trip. Maybe we could take Luna, Chrissy and Pinkie with us…"

"Beloved," Luna said, coming into the common room. "My sister just sent word that diplomats from Saddle Arabia are arriving on the morrow, and she requires my presence. I was wondering if you can come with me…? It would be so much more bearable if you were with me."

Pinkie bounced in next. "Hey, Rare-bear, I got to go home to the rock farm for my sister's birthday! Wanna come with?"

Chrys immediately protested. "Oh come now! Why must I be left with foalsitting again?"

Cindy raised a hand. "Because I am a machine and can't technically leave the Jötunheim?

"…Damn you, Cindy."

"That word isn't native to this world!" The automaton protested.

"Need I remind you I was in a world where that word _was_ native?"

"Oh. A fair point."

Tyr rolled his eyes. He spared a glance over at Rarity, who was pressing her hoof to her face with an undue amount of force. "Well. I suppose it's just you and me for this one, Rarity."

Luna's mouth fell open wide. "B-Beloved…? You wish to spend time with Rarity instead…?"

"You're going somewhere with Tyr?" Pinkie asked, big blue eyes welling up. "But… But...! I told Marble all about you! And Maud was looking forward to seeing you again!"

"Okay, we're gonna catch this one before it goes way too far. Rarity?" Tyr glanced over at the white unicorn.

"I think we're on the same page, darling," Rarity said with a nod. With unerring synchronicity, they went to their lovers and kissed them—not forcefully—but strongly enough to end their protests. Luna nodded first.

"You're going with Rarity to make sure she's safe on her trip," Luna said, smiling. "Great haste is required, so you need to pilot the Ranger."

"And you wanted us to come but we had stuff come up," Pinkie reasoned. "…Aw, horse feathers. You don't get to meet my twin!"

Tyr had a momentary thought at how crazy any twin sibling of Pinkie's had to be. Scratch that, how crazy Pinkie's family _must_ be in its entirety. He shivered. "Eventually, Pinkie. Eventually. But for now, I gotta take Rarity to Los Pegasus."

"Los Pegasus?" Luna repeated the name with a frown. She gave her husband a long, worried glance as Rarity left the room to gather her things. "…Be very careful down there, Tyr. Law enforcement is particularly strained there."

"We'll be fine," Tyr assured her, pulling her close. He kissed her forehead. "I can handle anything the city can throw at us. And if not, I'll let Chrissy and Cindy know."

Cindy nodded. "You have nothing to worry about, Miss Luna. My Operator will be fine."

Luna didn't look as confident, but she let out a nod. "…Very well. I must be along as well, so I will say goodbye to my little ones."

"I probably should join you," Tyr said, smirking. "And then to my other three daughters…"

–x–

The sound of methodical yet repeated thuds greeted Bright Soul as she entered the barrack's range. To her minor surprise, she spotted a familiar red-brown unicorn lying near the far wall. It was Grace, her magic working to throw her knives into a target near the other wall. She wasn't even watching, instead focusing on the book she was reading. Bright Soul cleared her throat respectfully. "…Grace?"

"Bright Soul," Grace said in greeting, hardly looking up. "Did you need something?"

"You knew it was me?"

"You have a particular hoofstep," Grace said with a soft smile. She stopped throwing knives and looked up. "Quite rhythmic. So what's up?"

"Ace and Flash are returning today, correct?"

"That's right. Don't tell me you only came by to confirm that."

"Not at all." Bright Soul came a little closer. "I was… attempting to make conversation."

A frown crossed the other unicorn's face. "Small talk? Odd, coming from you."

"Well, I was recently told to attempt making friends with at least my co-workers…"

"Fair enough. So what's up?"

Bright Soul moved over to sit beside Grace, who sat up. "I wished to ask about Tyr."

"Oh? Surely you could ask him any questions you had about him."

"No, I wanted to know why you became his friend so easily."

Grace blinked. "Became his friend… that's what you wanted to know?"

"He is the husband of our Princess," Bright Soul pointed out. "And at one point her knight. You know him better than I do."

"I suppose that's fair." The other knight closed her book.

"So then, what made it so easy for you to befriend him?"

"Perhaps it is because I see Tyr as sort of my big brother." Grace gently ran her hoof along the cover of her book. "I was… mostly alone when I was young. I had friends who were as close as family, but none by blood."

"I remember you saying you learned surgery at a young age?"

"Indeed. I was opening ponies up and putting them back together at the same time normal ponies would be going to school. I had a very… violent childhood."

"Yet Ace and Flash told me you vomited the first time you killed a human."

"It's… hard to explain," Grace pointed out. "Killing and saving lives is much different."

Bright Soul nodded. "I will take your word for that."

"But to answer your original question, Tyr took it upon himself to help me. He was always available to help me, and was always kind. So I started looking up to him like an older brother."

"…I suppose I must admit I do see the kindness in him. And he is quite loyal to his family."

"Must be getting rather big now that you mention it," Grace said with a chuckle. "Five kids, not counting Sherry and Hope, on top of essentially four wives. Poor guy must be drowning in estrogen by now."

Bright Soul gave a rare giggle. "Not surprised. The only other male in that family is Aleron, correct?"

"Totally!"

There was a third bit of laughter, getting the two knights attention. They looked over to see Hope in the doorway, the golden Alicorn smiling widely. "Princess Esperanza? What are you doing here?" Bright Soul asked, a bit confused at seeing the younger Alicorn. Normally, Hope stayed near Sherry. Seeing her on her own was a bit odd. The young princess's white gold horseshoes made soft metallic noises as she walked over to them.

"I came to see you, Grace," Hope told her with a small smile. "I wanted to know if you were feeling better."

Bright Soul glanced over at her companion. "Feeling better?"

Grace scratched at the back of her head. "I was drifting off during status reports earlier, and Hope saw me."

"Have you not been getting enough sleep?"

"I have insomnia, Bright. I hardly ever sleep for long."

"Have you asked Princess Luna for help?"

"Her proficiency is more in helping those already asleep. And magically inducing sleep doesn't help much."

Bright Soul was thoughtful for a moment. Then she suddenly had an idea. "I think I can help. Or at least, my sister can."

"Your sister?"

"Yes, Light. She's really into medicinal teas, and I know she has one for helping along sleep. I'm sure she'd be willing to help."

"Sounds like a solid plan," Grace admitted. "Should we go?"

Grace glanced up at the sky. Along with the slight boost in magical power granted by being Knighted by the Alicorn princesses, the Lunar and Solar knights also had an uncanny sense of time even without seeing the sun or a clock. "She should be out of school by now."

"Your sister is in school?" Hope asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.

For a moment, Bright Soul looked proud. "She's a teacher."

"Oh…"

"I suppose we can spare some time," Grace said with a nod. "Hope, would you like to join us?"

The gold Alicorn scrunched up her nose. "Wandering about the city over doing boring paperwork? Not much of a choice, Grace."

"I'll alert the guards of our absence," Bright Soul said, leaving ahead of the other two mares. It didn't take long for her to find a guard walking his patrol and pass on her message. When she came back, the other two were waiting on her near one of the gates to the city. Once she joined them, they exited out into Canterlot. As usual, the capital of Equestria was alive with activity. For the most part, the young princess and the two knights did not garner much attention.

Grace made a sniffing noise. "You know, one thing never ceases to amaze me about Canterlot," The red maned knight muttered.

"What?" Bright Soul asked, glancing over at her.

"No matter what, ponies here always just look so… stuck up."

Hope nodded. "I think because they live in the capital, they think they are entranced to feeling superior."

Bright Soul blinked a couple times at the golden Alicorn, before Grace translated. "She means entitled," The other knight pointed out.

"Oh."

"What did I say?" Hope asked, confused.

Grace chuckled. "I'll explain it later."

"Okay…?"

They continued walking. The richer portions of the city gave way to the more public area, and the density of the pedestrians increase. Bright Soul immediately grew wary, her training kicking in. However, as they passed by some friendlier looking ponies, Hope suddenly scurried off to say hello. Bright Soul immediately made to protest. "Ah, Princess Esperanza…!"

"Let her go," Grace said with an amused smile. From her tone, this had happened before. "Watch."

The two knights watched as Hope went from pony to pony, making small talk and simply encouraging those she spoke to. She only lingered for a moment at a time, moving on to the next without missing a beat. Those she spoke to seemed to gravitate after her, trailing her in her wake as she spoke to others. And to the surprise of many witnessing this, it was like her entire body glowed as more and more ponies cheered up from her words. Unlike whenever Pinkie broke out into her songs and made all the ponies around smile, Hope's gentle words and comforting presence seemed to revitalize those she spoke to. Before long, there was a crowd of ponies gathered around the Princess as she played with a small group of foals. "She… is really good with foals," Bright Soul said.

"That she is," Grace agreed. "As much as I'd like to simply leave her to it…"

It was almost as if Hope had heard her, the golden pony seamlessly bidding the gathered crowd farewell and joining the two knights once more. "I'm sorry about that," She told them, a fulfilled smile on her face.

"It's no big deal. You know I'd sit here and watch you all day just so these ponies can spend time with you."

Hope looked back to the crowd, which was slowly dispersing. The foals she had been playing with waved in her direction. "I wish I could spend all day simply going around the city and speaking to ponies, but I know I can't."

Grace rubbed her back comfortingly. "Maybe we can ask Princess Celestia one day to let you do just that? I doubt she'd mind."

"Ooh, would you?"

"You know, you could just ask yourself. You are a Princess."

"Oh? Oh! That's right."

While Grace shook her head, the other knight was busy looking around. She intended to search for threats, but something else was obviously nagging at her. Something that Grace picked up on. "Bright Soul, something bothering you?" The red maned knight asked.

"Mm," Bright Soul muttered. "Just… not looking forward to going home."

Hope frowned. "Home? I thought we were going to see your sister?"

"My sister stays with my mother. She's… well, you'll see." With that bit of cryptic information, she began to walk. Hope and Grace shared a short look before following after. Grace led them down a few snaking roads and pathways before finally stopping outside of an elegantly wrought iron gate. Behind the gate was a large stone house. As Bright Soul used her magic to open the gate, she let out a long sigh. "Welcome to my mom's house."

She went up to the front door, Grace and Hope shadowing her steps. With a heavy sigh, she knocked on the door. They waited for a minute before the sound of hooves could be heard from the other side. A moment later the door opened to reveal Bright Soul's sister, Shining Light. "Bright!" She exclaimed, immediately embracing her sister. To her credit, Bright Soul hugged her sister back just as happily.

"Good to see you, little sis," the hazel pony said warmly. "How are you doing?"

"Well, you know. A well as I can."

Bright Soul released her sister. "You remember Grace and Princess Esperanza, correct?"

"Miss Knight," Light said with a nod towards Grace. She turned to Hope and bowed. "Princess."

Hope giggled softly. "Please, simply call me Hope. I'm not a big fan of titles."

"As you wish." Shining smiled. "Please, come in!"

They followed the happy unicorn inside, Grace and Hope obviously impressed at the well decorated interior. "This place is very nice," Hope said while looking around.

"It's a very old house," Light said with a little giggle. "A lot of this stuff is from my grandparents, although some of it is my mothers."

"Speaking of mothers," Grace spoke up, examining a tapestry. She glanced over at Shining Light. "Bright told us you live with your mother?"

"She does," A female voice told them. They all looked up to see a dark gold mare with a long gray mane coming towards them, a frown on her face. When she finally reached them, her blue eyes fell on Bright Soul. "…Well. I hadn't expected to see you."

"Hello mother," The hazel unicorn responded shortly. "Nice to see you are… well."

"Hm. Quite." The other unicorn ignored her comment and looked over at her other two guests. "…And who might you be?"

Grace made a short bow. "Saving Grace, Lunar Knight."

"And I am Princess Esperanza de Luz," Hope said. She smiled softly. "But I prefer to be called Hope."

Bright Soul's mother was silent for a moment. "…I am Gleaming Spark. Welcome to my home. Is there a reason for your visit?"

"I needed to speak with Light," Bright Soul pointed out.

Light blinked a couple of times. "Me? Whatever for?"

"You remember that herbal tea you made me once? To help me sleep?"

"Yes, I remember. Did you need some?"

"I would," Grace said. She gave the other mare a soft smile. "I've got a case of insomnia and your sister told me you could help."

"Oh of course!" Light smiled widely. "I'm always willing to help a friend of my sister! I'll be right back."

She trotted away, leaving the other three mares with Gleaming Spark. There was an awkward silence as they stood, waiting for someone to speak. Unsurprisingly, it was Bright Soul. "So… Mother. How are you doing?"

"Fine enough," The other mare said shortly. She tilted her head up slightly, as if to look down on her. "…It's been some time, hasn't it?"

"…Yes, it has."

"You haven't been by in quite a while, my daughter. And suddenly you show up to see your sister?"

"I've been busy."

"With your all-important Lunar Knight duties, I assume?" Gleaming Spark frowned. "Your intelligence could have been used better elsewhere."

Grace's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but she kept a friendly demeanor. "Excuse me, but what better use of Bright Soul's time would there be? I think being a knight is quite a high honor, and an important position."

"So you consider babysitting a child is important?" The older mare glanced over at Hope. The golden Alicorn blinked in confusion. "I've seen this one out in public. Running around like a filly seeing the world for the first time, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Hope blinked, confused at the sudden reprimand. "Huh? But I… everything is new to me…"

"You should act your age," Gleaming Spark said with a scowl. "They just make anypony an Alicorn these days. You and that Sherry Spice girl just suddenly became royalty, despite having no previous experience. You are a figurehead, nothing more. Only for show, useless otherwise."

There were no words for the Alicorn to say. Hope normally was kept from dealing with nobles or other high ranking officials, normally only ever having to deal with common ponies. And most of those ponies were specifically brought to Hope because of her ability to inspire them. The sudden shock of being called useless had thrown her off completely, and before she even realized it, she was tearing up. "I'm… I'm not useless…"

Gleaming Spark ignored the death glare from Grace as she continued speaking. "Yes, you are. Princess of Hope? Princess of Creativity? Your positions are largely irrelevant. At least Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight actually serve a purpose."

"Leave her alone," Grace warned, but it was too late. The golden Alicorn began to cry, tears streaming down her face as the brutal words hit her. Without another sound except a choked sob, she fled from the house. Grace turned a furious look over at Gleaming Spark. "How **dare** you."

"How dare I?"

"Yes, how dare you!" Grace was fuming. Bright Soul took a slight step back, unsure of how to deal with this situation. Shining Light had returned with a small pouch, but was frozen at the foot of the steps. Grace advanced on Gleaming Spark, who hadn't moved. "You want to know why Hope doesn't act like the other Princesses? Why she acts like a filly? It's because she _is_ just a filly!"

Bright Soul blinked. "What?"

"It's not common knowledge," Grace pointed out, sparing the other knight a glance. "Hope was created by Sherry's Rubrik, making her the only Alicorn to neither be born or ascended. She's only six years old."

"Only six?" Shining Light murmured. "So she really is just a child…"

Grace took one more hard step forward. "And as the Knight in charge of protecting her, I am well within my rights to arrest or detain you, but I'm not going to."

Gleaming Spark scowled. "As if you could really do that. You're just a royal lackey with no real power."

"No real power?" Grace leaned back, a small smile crossing her lips. "So being the head of the information network of Equestria is no real power? Or being the current head surgeon at Canterlot hospital is no power? Or the fact that most of my experience comes from ripping open friends as a five year old filly with just the barest of knowledge of how a pony body works." At this point, every pony in the room was growing more and more wary of the ice cold tone coming from the red pony. Even Gleaming Spark was drawing back. Grace's eyes narrowed. "Ponies like you make me sick. You think you're so much better than every pony but you don't do a bucking thing to prove it. I've been saving lives almost out of the womb. More ponies have lived and died by my hooves than would bother showing up at your funeral. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Princess to comfort."

She turned on her hoof, but not before glancing at Shining Light. "…This is for you," The other unicorn attempted to say, holding out the pouch. Grace took it in her own pink aura, gave her a nod of thanks, and then left. That left Gleaming Spark alone with her daughters. After a long moment of composing herself, she snorted.

"Impertinent fool," She muttered.

That did it for Bright Soul. She stomped one hoof on the floor, hard. "You are the fool, mother."

Gleaming Spark and Shining Light looked at her in shock. "W-What?"

"That mare… is probably the first friend I have ever made," Bright Soul said, frowning. "She taught me the proper way to be a knight, and has done nothing but support me, even when I was hardly worthy of her attention. But you, now that I am older and can think about it, you are not. You drove our father to drink."

"What!? I did no such thing—!"

"Yes, you did!" Bright Soul cut her off. "He was never good enough for you, never fulfilled your expectations. So he drank to drown his worthlessness. And I can never remember any of the times he came home drunk that he said anything harmful to me or Light. He only ever apologized. Sure, you pushed us to become better, to be the best, but you never loved us. We were just a way to continue your legacy. For him we were his _children_."

Gleaming Spark narrowed her eyes. "Your father was a drunk, and beyond that he was useless. I had to push you because he couldn't, he was too soft."

"And you were too bucking hard," Bright Soul growled. "When was the last time you told me you loved me? Or Light for that matter?"

"Must I?"

"That answers my question." Bright Soul shook her head. "You were a terrible mother."

Gleaming Spark frowned. "You can consider yourself disowned, then."

"Fine!" The knight exclaimed. "Give your entire estate to Shining Light! Do you think I care? I work for the _princesses_!"

"At least your sister is doing as she's told! She's going to become a very influential member of Canterlot society!"

"Actually mother," Light spoke up. Both of the other mares turned to look at her. "I… actually, I wasn't planning to become a 'influential member of Canterlot society'. I want to be a teacher."

Gleaming Spark was dumbfounded. "W-What?"

"I want to teach fillies and foals," the brown eyed mare told them, smiling fondly. "My Cutie Mark is a bright light with smaller ones around it. I'm not supposed to be above others—I'm supposed to be a beacon of light, to help them shine."

"You… you can't…"

"I can do whatever I want," Shining Light asserted, going over to stand beside her sister. "And if you disown Bright, you might as well disown me too."

"Light…" Bright Soul said warmly, nuzzling her sister. But their mother was furious.

"Fine!" The older mare said. "Leave! See if I ever help you again!"

Bright Soul drew herself up as tall as she could. "I believe I can help myself. Good day, mother."

The two mares left then, exiting the house and emerging onto the street. Once they were away, Shining Light let out a long ragged breath before beginning to laugh. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe we just did that!"

Bright Soul grinned. "I can't either. But I guess sometimes you get pushed far enough…"

"So… what do we do now? I don't exactly have a place to stay…"

"You can stay with me," Bright Soul said immediately. She smiled. "I have an extra room at my place."

The younger sister nuzzled up to her sibling. "Thank you so much, Bright. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Probably stuck with that mare." They both laughed. "Now come on, let's go find Grace and Princess Esperanza."

It didn't take long—the Alicorn and the Knight were sitting outside an ice cream parlor, the despondent golden Alicorn drawing stares as she ate her chocolate ice cream. Grace was rubbing her back comfortingly. "Feeling better now, Espy?"

"Espy?" Bright Soul said as she and Light walked over.

Grace smiled softly. "A little pet nickname I have for her."

Light looked completely flabbergasted. "You have a pet name for a Princess?"

"When you know a pony for their entire life, position doesn't matter," Grace said with a smile. "Did you two want anything?"

"I'm alright," Bright assured her.

"I'm lactose intolerant," Light said with a shrug.

Grace made a face. "Well, boo to you two. Once Espy is done, we'll go back to the castle."

"Um!" Bright Soul caught her attention. "I… want to thank you, Grace."

"For…?"

"For standing up to my mother. Seeing you do that gave me confidence to do the same."

Grace smiled softly. "I'm your friend, Bright Soul. Whether you like it or not."

Hope looked up from her ice cream. "…Can I be your friend too?"

"I'm already your friend, Espy."

"I meant Bright Soul!"

Bright Soul giggled. "Of course I'll be your friend, Princess Esperanza."

"No titles between friends," Hope said. "Just Esperanza, or Hope is fine. I mean it."

"Is that an order?" The hazel unicorn asked with a smirk.

Hope blinked a couple times, before looking over at Grace. "…Am I allowed to order friends around?"

Grace aimlessly took a spoonful of Hope's ice cream and ate it. "I mean, you're still a Princess and all…"

"My ice cream!"

"Hm?"

"You took my ice cream!"

While Hope and Grace bickered, Shining Light moved up beside her sister. "You keep strange company, big sis," She said with a giggle.

"You don't know the half of it," Bright Soul said. "Just wait until you really meet Flash and Ace…"

–x–

"Miss Chrysalis?" Cindy called out. In the absence of Tyr, the Controller had been told to report to Chrys. It had been about an hour since Tyr and Rarity had left in the Ranger, at least three dozen dresses stuffed into the passenger hold for transport. From what Rarity's letter had said, they'd be gone for the rest of the week, and probably not return until Sunday. Luna would be staying in Canterlot to assist with the Saddle Arabian dignitaries. And Pinkie was already at the train station waiting to head home to her parent's rock farm for her sister's birthday. Chrys was still babysitting, but she didn't mind as much as she had complained.

"Yes?" The Changeling in question was seated on the couch, watching over Cori and Ancè as the latter taught the former how to read. Cori was struggling, but Ancè had an almost inexhaustible patience. The older Changeling looked up at the sound of her name. "Is something the matter, Cindy?"

"There are two young mares outside. Records indicate that they are Scootaloo and Applebloom, young Sweetie Bell's friends."

Chrys frowned ever so slightly. Sweetie was still recovering in the medical bay, still a bit weak after her ordeal. She had expected the other two CMC members to come check on her, but it had taken them some time. "Hm. I expected them sooner."

"From the exterior sensors, it appears they are not happy with one another."

"I could sense that from here," The Changeling said dryly. "Let them in."

There was the sound of a door opening, and in a moment the two young mares came walking in. Neither were talking to the other, and an air of frustration was around them. Chrys said nothing, waiting on either of them to say the first word. Cori and Ancè, a little confused at the situation, began to go back to what they were doing. After a few minutes of silence, both Applebloom and Scootaloo spoke up at the same time.

"Can I see Sweetie Bell?"

Chrys raised an eyebrow. Realizing they had said the same thing, the two young mares looked at each other. "You don't even deserve to see her," Scootaloo said harshly, eyes narrowed. Applebloom winced.

"I told y'all, I didn't think all that would happen…" She offered weakly.

"You should have told us!"

"I didn't think it would a come to all that!"

Scootaloo scowled. "You almost got us all killed. If it hadn't been for Tyr and Starlight, we wouldn't be here right now!"

"You think I wanted her to get hurt?" Applebloom countered. "I didn't want none of that ta happen!"

"But you let it!"

"I couldn't control that! You think I wanted ta get chased by zombies?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" To the surprise of everyone except Chrys, it was Cori who jumped up to her hooves, barely contained fury on her normally gentle features. Her mismatched eyes narrowed as she regarded the two mares in front of her. "I'm trying to learn how to read. It is much more difficult than you'd think. And listening to the two of you is making that even harder!"

Scootaloo blinked in pure surprise. "But—!"

"No buts! Stop yelling at each other and listen!" She stalked over to them, anger dying down to more of an irritation than anything else. "You both keep looking at this from the wrong way. Scootaloo, Applebloom took all the precautions she could. And Applebloom, Scootaloo was just worried about you and Sweetie. You're her friends—she cares."

Applebloom glanced over at the orange pegasus, who wasn't looking her way. "…Hey, Scoots?"

"Yeah?" Her friend asked quietly.

"…Sorry."

Scootaloo let out a heavy sigh. "I know you were trying to protect us. If it wasn't for Starlight, we might have been able to walk right out. But what's done is done. "Friends?"

Applebloom looked like a weight had lifted off of her shoulders. "Friends."

Cori nodded as the two older mares hugged. Her job done, she went back over to Ancè. Her half-sister was still somewhat surprised. "Um… are you okay?" the white unicorn asked her when she sat down.

The young changeling was silent for a moment before giving her sister a plaintive look. "Can I have a hug?"

Ancè chuckled before pulling the Changeling into a hug. "Of course, Cori."

"Hugs!" Jubilee suddenly appeared, hugging Cori from the other side. Her sudden inclusion to the hug made the three of them fall over to the floor. Giggles erupted from the trio of fillies.

Aurora appeared at one of the far doors, an amused Aleron behind her. "What—how did you do that, Jubilee?"

"I learned it from my mom!" the pink filly declared with a grin. Chrys, watching the entire exchange from her spot on the couch simply worried about how hard it would be to keep track of her herd mate's daughter. At least maybe Cori could help keep her in check.

* * *

 **I felt like I was making Fluttershy cry when I made Hope cry.  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 21: Appearances are Everything

Tyr heard the soft hoofsteps behind him as Rarity stirred from her sleep and got up. He glanced away from the Ranger's controls just long enough to see her enter the cockpit. "Feeling rested?" He asked as she sat in the seat beside him. She gave a cute, yet delicate yawn.

"Yes, sleeping in this vehicle is much easier than on a train." Rarity smiled. "You are a very good pilot, darling."

"Well, it's been mostly a straight shot, so I haven't had to deviate much." Plus, the Ranger flew much higher than most pegasii did, so he never had to navigate to avoid them. He decided not to give that little bit of random information and instead decided to get his lovely companion talking. "Looking forward to this?"

"Oh, of course darling!" Rarity beamed. "To have my work shown in Los Pegasus? That might secure me a chance at expanding my business there!"

"Expanding?"

"Oh darling—I don't just have boutiques in Canterlot and Ponyville. I also have a shop in Manehattan, 'Rarity for You'. It opened up not too long before you came!"

"Oh wow." Tyr blinked a couple of times. He had known Rarity owned her own business, but he didn't know how _big_ of one. "How do you manage all three?"

"I don't personally," Rarity pointed out. "I have two managers—Sassy Saddles in Canterlot, and my dear friend Coco Pommel in Manehattan. Although I can't think of anypony I know in Los Pegasus…"

"Maybe you'll make an acquaintance there, who knows?"

"Quite. How much longer?"

"No more than a few minutes, I believe. I'll be bringing us down into visible range in a moment."

"How high up are we?" Rarity asked curiously, peering out of the front window. Almost instantly, she drew back. "Oh. Forget I asked, darling."

"Afraid of heights?"

"Spike once grew into a large dragon during one birthday," Rarity said, pointedly looking at him instead of the window. "Took me hostage and climbed up the mountain you now technically own. When he finally snapped out of it, he returned back to normal and we fell. A very long way."

"Oh. Well, I can understand a fear of heights then…"

"It's not the first time I've fallen from a great height." Rarity shivered, one hoof coming up to touch her collar. Tyr noticed, but didn't say anything. "I suppose it is fair to say I have somewhat of a… phobia."

Tyr gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, you don't have to worry. If you fell, I'd save you without hesitation."

"Why thank you, Tyr." She smiled. "You're such a wonderful man."

"I do try."

The mare giggled. Tyr smirked, and turned his attention back to flying. With a gentle application of force to the controls, he pulled them below cloud layer. Tyr had to blink a couple of times as the bright lights of the city came into view. Even as Celestia's sun began to set, the city glittered. A soft whistle slipped out of his lips. "Would you look at that…"

"I have only been once or twice," Rarity said, an almost equal amount of wonder in her voice. "And every time it still leaves me in awe."

Tyr smirked. "I hear you. Where should I set down?"

"You could—oh. I don't believe I gave thought to that fact."

"Well, I gotta set down somewhere… and how will we get the dresses to the hotel?"

"Erm…"

"Wait. I have an idea. But we're going to draw a lot of attention…"

–V–

Rarity frowned ever so slightly, almost banging her head on the front desk. "As I said, My name is Rarity from Ponyville, and I was invited here."

She was standing at the front desk of the Maredelay Bay Hotel, trying to get her accommodations in check. The pony at the desk nodded. "I see."

"And I need these dresses in storage."

"I got all that."

"So why is Tyr not allowed in?"

"We don't have a room for him." The mare behind the desk sent a pointed glance past Rarity. She looked back as well, eyes falling on Tyr. The man was looking around the hotel with a clear look of interest at the structure. Behind him was a platoon of constructs, carrying all of Rarity's dresses and materials. They were standing in perfect formation behind the Elemental. Rarity turned back to the receptionist.

"There are no other rooms available?"

"The hotel is booked up for the week. Perhaps he could find another hotel?"

"No. I mean…" She glanced back at Tyr once more. "He can stay in my room. It is a suite after all…"

"Are you… comfortable with that?"

"Yes, I am. Tyr is a proper gentlecolt, and I trust him with my life."

"Very well then…" The mare wrote something down and then put a room key up on the counter. "Here."

"Thank you. Tyr! We can go up!"

The man frowned ever so slightly. "And the dresses?"

"We'll take those," a trio of bellhops came over to retrieve the clothes. "We'll put them with all the other clothes for the show."

"Fine then." Tyr mentally ordered his constructs to offload Rarity's things onto the bellhops while keeping everything else. Then he followed Rarity over to the elevator. As the elevator doors closed on them, Rarity let out a sigh. "You alright?"

"I believe I am garnering the wrong kind of attention," She muttered. "It is as if everypony was staring at my collar."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Not a lot of ponies wear collars like that, Rarity."

"Well, how am I supposed to get used to wearing it if I do not wear it?"

"I suppose that's fair." They lapsed into silence, the soft elevator music seemingly growing to fill the void. After a minute of listening, suddenly Rarity began to laugh. "What is it?"

"Listen closely, darling. Doesn't that voice sound familiar?"

Tyr fell silent again, listening. That gentle voice, smooth yet still somewhat young… "Is that… Sweetie Bell?"

"Precisely! Oh, I didn't think I'd hear this in an elevator of all things…"

The elevator stopped then, and they exited out onto their floor, the twentieth. As Rarity led the way, Tyr happened to glance down one of the perpendicular hallways and spotted a trio of ponies gathered outside of one room. There was one of each pony race, and two mares and one stallion. The stallion—a unicorn—was currently talking. "So Knit Needle said that the costume for your performance got lost in shipping."

The mare he was talking to, an Earth Pony with a dark purple mane and tail with blue streaks frowned ever so slightly. The coils in her mane shook slightly as she let out a heavy sigh. "Where did they get sent to, Read?"

"…You're not gonna like it, Rara."

The other mare, a pegasus, rolled her eyes. "Just tell us!"

Read sighed. "…Trottingham."

Rara and the other mare's jaws dropped. "Trottingham!? How in the world…?"

The brown pegasus mare beside her groaned. "I knew we shouldn't have had him do it…"

"Not much we can do on such short notice," Read said with a sigh. "The fashion show is already being prepped, maybe we can find a designer willing to lend you a dress?"

"You think that'll work?" Rara asked.

"If we find a designer willing to give you a dress, and one in your size…" Read thought for a moment. "Wonderful, more work."

The pegasus grinned. "You're the one who's in charge of it anyway," She told him.

"Ha. Whatever Eve."

"Excuse me." Tyr glanced down to see Rarity passing him, going over to the three ponies. Rara seemed surprised to see her.

"Rarity!" Rara grinned. "What are you doing here?"

The white unicorn smiled. "I'm here for the fashion show, darling."

"I should have guessed. And this must be Tyr then?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

The pegasus mare chuckled. "You're the only human in Equestria, as far as we know."

"Fair point."

"On that note, I don't think we've met. I'm Even Tempo, and this is Coloratura. The stallion over there is Read Write, my fiancé."

"Yo," The dark violet stallion said with a smile. Tyr gave him a nod in greeting. "I think we saw you at the Gala. Never got the chance to speak though."

"Is there anything I can do to help with your… predicament?" Rarity asked.

Even Tempo looked thoughtful. "Well, do you have any dresses that fit a sort of celestial theme? Rara's performance is kinda themed around stargazing."

Rarity smiled brightly. "I think I have just the thing. Where should I bring it to?"

"I got you," Read said, horn lighting up with magic. A small business card was passed over to Rarity. "That's the studio we're using here. We'll be rehearsing later today, so whenever you wanna bring it by, just go for it."

"I understand. The fashion show is tomorrow, so I should be able to lend you an outfit. When is the concert?"

"Day after tomorrow," came the somewhat nervous reply. Tyr frowned—that's quite short notice. He spared the white unicorn a glance. Cutting it close weren't we? Even Coloratura seemed to be having second thoughts about the entire matter. "This really is last minute though…"

"You have nothing to worry about, darling." She gave Coloratura a winning smile. "You will have the perfect dress for your concert!"

"Thank you so much," Coloratura said. She gave a tired smile. "I was beginning to get a little worried."

The white unicorn scoffed. "This will all work out for the better, darling. You can count on me."

Even Tempo glanced at a wall clock, a quick frown crossing her features. "We need to get going—we've got a test onstage in a few minutes."

"We already get the stage?" Read seemed a little surprised. Then, an eager look appeared on his face. "I'm gonna have some fun with that system…"

His fiancé flicked him in the side of the head with a wing. "You know good and well the place we're going to isn't suited for your test, RW. Save it for the studio."

"His tests?" Tyr raised an eyebrow.

Read gave a somewhat sheepish grin. "Let's just say I can put a speaker through its paces. So I'll take it easy."

Rara giggled. "You better. Last time you started a fire."

"Hey, all faulty wiring, not my fault."

"Let's just go," Tempo said with a roll of her eyes. She gave Tyr and Rarity a smile. "See you two around."

The three of them hurried off. Rarity turned quickly, going over to a nearby door. Tyr was about to ask if that was their room, but with a quick application of the room key, she hurried inside. "Can you bring all our things inside?" Rarity called out to him. Tyr simply chuckled and dragged the rest of the bags (mostly Rarity's) into the room. The suite was quite spacious, but to Tyr's minor surprise there was only one bedroom, with the singular bed. Rarity was already there, fabric already flying from her bags to array itself around her. Tyr set the rest of the things down while taking his own bag back into the living room. "…Darling?"

"Hm?" Tyr tossed his stuff down beside the couch, sitting down on it. Fenrir hopped out of his coat pocket and went over to the window. "What is it?"

"…Are you planning to stay out there?"

"…Perhaps. We're not going to argue about who gets the bed."

Rarity made a soft noise like a frustrated sigh. "…That's not what we'd argue about," She said softly, just low enough for him to not hear.

"Something the matter?"

"Oh, not at all! Just going through my notes. Got to see if I have a dress on hand for Coloratura."

"I thought you already knew what you'd give her?"

"I do, but there needs to be some alterations, of course. Such as size, length…"

Tyr smiled. "Well, if you need me…" He laid back on the couch, lucky that it was long enough to be comfortable on.

Rarity, almost in complete work mode, peered over the top of her red glasses to look at the man. "Is something the matter, darling?"

"Hm? Oh, I was just going to sleep. Flying—even relatively straight—takes a lot out of a person."

"Ah. I do understand. Take all the rest you require, darling."

Fenrir hopped off the windowsill to curl up on Tyr's chest. With the ghost of a smile on his lips, he slipped into unconsciousness.

–x–

Celestia hardly wandered her own castle, usually having some place to be at any given moment. There were always meetings or planning sessions or examinations going on. Something was always begging for her attention, or requiring her input. It was difficult being a monarch (or diarch in this case) when at any given moment somepony would stop her and—

"Princess Celestia?"

A soft sigh escaped her lips before she could stop herself. It would not do to show that around her little ponies, so she quickly caught herself and glanced behind her. It was one of her aides, Ink Blot if she remembered correctly. She put on her best smile and turned around completely to face the stallion. "Yes? Was there something you needed?"

"You have a meeting with some of the nobles in a few minutes," Ink told her. "And then a lunch with the diplomats."

Celestia groaned inwardly. She absolutely detested meeting with the nobles, since most of them simply were trying to curry favor. And then there was that one time they had even tried _courting_ her. No thanks, but your essentially immortal Alicorn ruler will not spend the rest of your life with you. However, none of this showed on her face. "So what did they need?"

"I believe it was something about expanding Canterlot's upper class housing district?" Ink shrugged. "They seemed to be quite… agitated about it."

"…How agitated?"

"Quite."

"Wonderful. I suppose I'll go now." She headed back down the hall, Ink Blot following while taking notes. Celestia didn't break stride, reaching the meeting room in short order. When she entered, she found almost a dozen nobles in a heated discussion, hooves stamping and tempers flaring. However, her arrival caused the room to fall silent. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, don't stop on my account."

"Please inform these… _buffoons_ that they cannot expand the residential district," One light blue pony said once Celestia was seated, scowling across the table. "If we do, it will cut into the mercantile district!"

"There's room for them to expand elsewhere," A much older stallion said. "They just rather us do all the work."

Neither side seemed to care that the proposed expansion would push into the poorer section of the city, Celestia thought. That was why she loathed dealing with noble ponies. If she had her way, her advisors and contacts would be made up of ponies from Ponyville… "Alright, I believe we've seen enough!"

"What?" Celestia managed to say, as the door to the meeting hall burst open and her sister entered. Even more shocking was that the four Royal Knights—in uniform—entered behind her, all in formation.

Luna nodded to herself. "I see, I see. Ace? Flash? If you would be so kind?"

"What?" Celestia repeated, as the two Solar Knights moved to either side of her. They gently but firmly got her onto all four hooves. "What?"

"Apologies, Princess," Flash grunted as they led her to the door.

Ace was nothing but grins. "It's for your own good, really."

Celestia's shock and confusion did not go away, for Luna went and took her seat at the head of the meeting table. "…What?"

"Now, I will be taking my sister's place for today," the dark mare was saying with a sly smile. "I know this is very unusual, but my sister needs a break. She was doing paperwork in her sleep, and I do believe her pillow was indicted for treason!"

"What?" Celestia's voice had gone from its normal timbre to a more subdued plea. It went more or less unnoticed by the weak laughter in the room.

"Now, let us continue where my sister left off. But remember, this is highly unusual. You will be hearing the word 'no' quite often. I hope I do not harm any of you gentlecolt's feelings."

Celestia didn't hear the response to that, for the four knights led her weakly from the room, down the hall, and to the front gates. "…What?"

"Normally, this would require an escort," Grace said, chuckling. "But please Princess, enjoy your day off."

"What?"

Bright Soul nodded as well. "We will handle things here. If you need us, simply call."

The front gates of the castle closed then, leaving Celestia stranded outside. "…What…?" She managed to whimper, completely at a loss.

–V–

"You think we broke her?" Sunset asked, sitting on a castle balcony, watching the confused Celestia sitting at the front gates. A chuckle escaped the flame haired pony's lips. "She hasn't moved yet."

She turned back to the group behind her. The four royal knights were seated around a small table, playing a game of Hearts. "I mean, we did totally blindside her," Ace pointed out. He slapped a card to the table, to the collective groan of the other knights. "Hah! I win this one."

"Lucky," Flash said, rolling his eyes. He glanced over at Sunset. "And Princess Celestia will be fine. No doubt she'll recover her wits and find something to do."

"Hope so," Grace muttered, gathering the cards and reshuffling them with magic. "Otherwise she is going to be so pissed…"

"I wonder how she feels about being pulled away from her work," Bright Soul wondered aloud. "She only managed to say 'what' over and over."

Princess Celestia's new/old student chuckled. She turned back around. "I think she's—oh, I lost sight of her. That is either a good or bad thing."

–V–

Solstice smiled as he handed over a thick package over to a very elated blue mare. "Brought to you with haste, just like you asked," He told her with a grin.

"You really are good at your job," the mare said, unwrapping the package. It was a set of dolls based on the princesses, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and even Twilight. Solstice held back a chuckle—There weren't any dolls of Princess Esperanza or Sherry. "My daughter will love these. It wasn't too difficult?"

"It took a little bit of work," Solstice admitted. "But I got the job done."

"A job well done," the happy mare said. "Thank you so much."

"Of course. I'm happy to help."

The mare handed him a bag that jingled quite noticeably. "Here, your pay. I believe you deserve it."

Solstice took it, nodding at the satisfying sound of money well earned. "Thank you very much. If you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to contact me."

The mare nodded, before hurrying inside. "Lemon Drop! I got your birthday present!"

Solstice put the bag of bits into his saddlebag, turning to walk away. He felt good—helping ponies find what they needed always made him feel good. Making ponies happy was always better than making them sad. But as he thought about the woman giving her daughter those dolls, he remembered his own daughter. He would certainly have to see about visiting her sometime soon. As he continued on his generally much more merry way, his attention was caught by something passing by. Or better yet, some _pony_. She was a pure white mare with a long, curly pink mane that fell past her shoulders and a tail of the same color. She was slightly taller than your average pony, with a slender build and an attractive appearance. She had a Cutie mark of a rising sun. Her deep pink eyes locked with his, and he gulped.

Sweet Celestia that mare was _gorgeous._

"Hello," The mare offered, noticing his stare. "Is something the matter?"

"I…" Solstice was at a loss for words. He always froze up whenever confronted by beautiful mares. It had happened so long ago with Sunset's mother, Flame Ruby. Even happened when he met his daughter's teacher, Princess Celestia. And now this mare was looking at him with the most amused look on her face. And it did not help that she looked even more beautiful with one eye obscured by her mane. "…buck."

The mare giggled. "Are you always this eloquent?"

"I'm usually a lot better about this," Solstice admitted. "You're just too pretty."

"Well, I can at least thank you for the compliment," The mare said.

"Ah… Solstice Glow is the name," Solstice quickly said with a small bow. "May I have the pleasure of your name, miss?"

The mare laughed delicately. "You recovered quite well."

"I suppose I'm good at thinking on my feet."

"I'm Sunrise," the mare replied evenly. "And the pleasure is all mine, Solstice."

The stallion smirked. "Well, you have me at a disadvantage, milady. You've caught me off guard."

"Well, I was just enjoying my day," Sunrise said with a small smile. "It seems you were concluding some business?"

Solstice nodded. "I had to… find something for that mare. I believe it was a birthday gift."

"How kind of you."

"Thank you. I do my best to be somewhat chivalrous."

The mare laughed again. "You're awful at flattery."

Solstice chuckled nervously, rubbing at his mane. "Yeah, Sunset used to tell me that all the time…" He sighed. He really had bad experience with mares. Flame Ruby had been the only mare to ever really give him the time of day, and then she died giving birth to Sunset… Barely had the thought crossed his mind that he felt something against his cheek. Sunrise had come over to him, a worried look on her face as she touched him lightly with a hoof.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly.

"I've… been worse." He shook his head. "But that's beside the point. No need to worry about it."

Sunrise frowned slightly. "If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen."

Solstice opened his mouth to refuse, but something his daughter had told him came to mind. Sunset had told him to 'get out more, you're not getting any younger'. Sure, he hadn't dated in a long time, and he knew for a fact he was rusty when it came to it. But you had to start somewhere, right? "Well… How about dinner?"

The mare blinked. "…Dinner?"

"Well, you offered to listen to me," Solstice said slowly, measuring each word carefully. "So I made you a counter offer—please come to dinner with me."

"Well, I've heard more… one sided agreements," Sunrise said thoughtfully. A small smile formed on her lips. "I think I would very much like that. It has been a while since I've gone out."

"Hopefully I don't let you down then."

"Do you have any choice in a place to go?"

Solstice smiled. "I think I know a pretty good place. Would you care to join me?"

Sunrise nodded ever so slightly. "Lead the way."

With a beautiful mare at his side, Solstice headed off to the city. A feeling he hadn't had in a while came to mind—pride. It had been a while since he had a mare at his side like this. And from the looks he was getting from other ponies as he walked, he had found a good one. Several of the stallions they passed gazed over at Sunrise with barely disguised interest. Almost protectively, he moved closer. Sunrise seemed to notice. "I'm not going to wander off anywhere," She said with a smirk.

"I…!" Solstice moved away, blushing slightly. "…Sorry."

"It is quite alright, Solstice." The mare giggled. "Not used to having a mare at your side like this?"

"Not for a while," He muttered. "Not since…"

"Hold it in," Sunrise said, catching him. "At least until we've got food to go with the conversation."

Solstice chuckled. "Right. It's right around the corner."

The restaurant was a family restaurant, Waffle Hooves. Sunrise giggled at the name. "Breakfast?"

"Hey, if you're hungry, you're hungry."

"Fair enough. I have never eaten here myself, honestly."

"Really?" Luckily, the restaurant wasn't too crowded, and they got a booth easily. Solstice gave her a wry grin. "I can't believe you've never eaten here."

"Most of my meals are prepared for me…" Sunrise said, trailing off.

"Ah. Rich girl. I see."

The mare pouted. "Something wrong with that?"

"No, just… I get it."

"Get…?"

"Not wanting to deal with the whole 'noble' lifestyle." A waiter came over then and took their order. Unable to figure out what she wanted, Sunrise ended up ordering the same thing that Solstice did—the All Celestia Special. For some reason, the mare found herself giggling at the name, much to her companion's confusion. "What's up?"

"Why name a breakfast special after the Princess?" Sunrise asked, laughing.

Solstice shrugged. "Anything to make a sale."

"Fair enough, I suppose."

"So, back to what I was saying…"

Sunrise took a glass of water from the waiter as they returned and took a short but delicate sip from it. "Ah yes. My being of noble blood. You sympathize?"

"I attempted to accrue wealth at one point," Solstice said with a shrug. "But when I realized I worked so hard for something I wouldn't enjoy, I gave it up."

"Hm, quite the idea. Simply… giving it up."

"Easier for me, I suppose. I was self-made."

"Before or after you met your wife?"

"Before." Solstice paused, eyes not leaving his own cup of water. "…Flame Ruby. That was her name."

"A pretty name."

"For an amazing mare." Solstice sighed. "…I loved her. Really. And she was no richer than middle class when I met her. Our marriage was for love, and not for money. My time with her was the most wonderful part of my life—at least until Sunset was born."

"You sound fond of your daughter."

"I was. I still am, actually. Love her to death, but I don't know if I've ever really been a 'father' for her. Most of our conversations were always via letter."

Sunrise frowned. "Sounds… rough."

"That's parenthood for ya," Solstice said with a shrug. Their waiter returned with all their food, setting it out in front of them. Taking a momentary break from their conversation, they dug into their food, only small noises to indicate their enjoyment. After a long minute, Sunrise spoke up.

"So you haven't dated since then, I see?"

Solstice paused. "Uh… well, yes. I haven't dated in a long time."

"I suppose the same is true for myself as well," Sunrise said, using her magic to deliver food to her mouth. "I have had… distractions, but never anything concrete."

The gold stallion raised an eyebrow. "You, uh…"

"Hm?" Sunrise paused. Then her eyes widened, and she lowered her fork. "…That was rude of me, wasn't it?"

"No just… surprising. You were quite forward with that information."

Sunrise let out a sigh, as if the weight of many years was on her shoulders. "…You are right. I apologize."

"I don't mind." Solstice said with a smirk. "Flame Ruby was much the same way. And I think it rubbed off on Sunset too."

"I see. Truth be told, I do not speak with ponies like this often…" Suddenly, Sunrise paused, eyes fixed outside. "Oh dear."

Solstice blinked. "What's up?"

"I think I need to go," She said, getting up to her hooves. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly—!"

"You obviously forgot you needed to be somewhere," Solstice said, sticking a forkful of eggs in his mouth. "It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Don't worry, I understand."

The mare smiled softly. "We should… do this again one day."

"How about this weekend?" Solstice offered, a shot in the dark. He didn't think she'd agree, no doubt busy with her own life—

"I'd like that," Sunrise said, nodding. Seeing the shocked look on her companion's face, she giggled. "What? Not expecting me to agree?"

"Well, to be honest… no."

"Well then, you now have a date," Sunrise said with a smile. "How about…noon on Sunday?"

"Meet you here?" Solstice asked. They didn't have anywhere else to meet, anyways.

The white mare nodded. "Until then, Solstice Glow." She left then, passing by a group of royal guards going the opposite way. She rounded a corner, and she was gone.

"Sunset's gonna flip when she hears about this," the lonely stallion said. "Ruby always did tell me not to give up on love, after all…"

–x–

Tyr awoke to a soft nudge on his side. "Darling, could you wake up please?" A gentle voice asked him.

With a slight grumble, he sat up, Fenrir's sleeping form simply rolling into his lap. Rarity was beside him, a small smile on her lips as she waited for him to come to all his senses. "Is something up, Rarity?" He asked, scratching at his arm.

"I was going to take the dress by Coloratura's," the dressmaker said, levitating a dress behind her. It was deep purple high collared dress with glittering sapphires and diamonds making up stars. "What do you think?"

"Very nice," Tyr said with an appreciative nod. "I'm sure Coloratura will love it."

"Well, I won't know until I show it to her," Rarity said, putting the dress into a bag. "Would you like to come with me?"

"To be perfectly honest, I don't like the idea of just letting you go on your own." Tyr scooped Fenrir up into his arms and went to retrieve his cloak. As he pulled it on, he slipped the sleeping wolf spirit into a pocket. "I know you can handle yourself, but it's just—"

"—How you are," Rarity finished with a smile. Tyr looked at her in surprise, before chuckling and nodding.

"Right. You got me."

The white unicorn giggled. "I believe I've spent enough time around you to understand you, darling."

The man shrugged. "I suppose that's true."

"Well, I will meet you in the lobby. Don't be long, alright?" Getting a nod in response, she put her dress in a bag and headed out of the room. After getting all his things together, Tyr made to follow.

"Alpha."

Tyr glanced down, finding Fenrir's eyes gazing up at him. He frowned, a little surprised to see her completely awake in such a short time. "…Something the matter, Fen?"

"I'd like to question you, Alpha." The wolf spirit vanished, and reappeared in front of him in her full form. She sat on the couch, folding her arms across her chest. "About this herd of yours."

"What, are you against it or something?" He asked softly.

The wolf woman shook her head, metal rings jingling against one another. "Quite the contrary, Alpha. I want to know why _you_ seem to be against it."

Tyr blinked. "What—me? I'm not against it!"

"You seem to be. You try not to show too much affection to Rarity and Pinkie." Fenrir shrugged. "Like you're afraid of upsetting Luna."

"Well…" The man trailed off. It was true, and Fenrir knew it. She was connected to his mind closely enough to tell. He was afraid of upsetting Luna about the whole herd situation, so he purposefully tried to treat Rarity and Pinkie no different from when they were friends. Barring the occasional demand from either of them. "…You're right. I have been worried."

"Despite the fact that both Rarity and Pinkie obviously have strong feelings for you? You should feel honored to have multiple mares vying for your attention."

"I doubt it's anything like that…"

"Oh?" Fenrir smirked. "Rarity thought to ask you on this trip before Pinkie, Alpha. Pinkie is already showing her affection for you with that offhand comment the other day."

"Well… that is true."

"And we already know where Luna and Chrysalis stand." Fenrir leaned forward. "And that leaves you, Alpha."

"Well, can you blame me?" The man got his things together so that he could leave, Fenrir moving behind him to hang off his shoulders. He had found out very early in his time in Equestria that Fenrir could make herself seen or invisible at will whenever she was using her true form. Her hanging off his back would only be noticeable to him. Luckily she was also weightless like this. He left the room, making sure to lock it behind himself. Knowing that speaking aloud would no doubt make him look crazy, he switched to thought-speaking. [You have to forgive me, I was thrust into this situation]

Being invisible, Fenrir had no such compulsions. Only Tyr could hear her now, anyways. "I do seem to remember you were the one to suggest it?"

[Cindy suggested it, not me]

Suddenly, Chrys's voice spoke in his mind. [You did accept the suggestion relatively quickly, Master]

[Oh, not you too]

"I'm simply suggesting Alpha," Fenrir said, resting her cheek against his. "That perhaps you show Rarity and Pinkie Pie more affection than you do already?"

Tyr entered the elevator, pressing the lobby button and leaning back against the wall. "…Fine. I'll take it into consideration."

"Wonderful." She transformed back into her small form, perching atop his shoulder. "Good luck, Alpha."

[I'm sure he can handle it] Chrys thought proudly. Tyr smiled and shook his head, the elevator opening up and letting him out into the lobby. He didn't see Rarity right away.

"Hm… I figured she'd wait for me out here…" Tyr walked forward, scanning the crowd of ponies for that familiar violet mane. But for whatever reason, the lobby was much more crowded than it had been when they arrived. "Wonderful."

"Should I search for her, Alpha?" Fenrir offered, but the man shook his head.

"No, we'll just search together. I don't need a small wolf causing problems."

"I wouldn't draw that much attention…"

Tyr chuckled, proceeding to walk through the crowd. He could easily hear the hushed whispers of the ponies near him, all wondering what he was. He ignored most of them, since they were more curious or in awe rather than outraged. He paused as a flyer caught his eye. "Oh? What's this?"

Fenrir leaned forward to get a better look. "Come and see the Great and Powerful Trixie perform her wondrous magic tricks, live! Tonight at the Maredelay theatre! …Hold on Alpha, isn't that…?"

"Tyr?" An incredulous voice whispered, causing the man to turn around. A blue unicorn mare with a wispy white and blue mane stood behind him, magenta eyes widened in shock. "Is it.. is it really you?"

Tyr was momentarily speechless as well. "Well… I'm pretty sure I am. It's been a long time, Trixie."

"Trixie agrees with you," the mare said with a happy smile. Without missing a beat, she went up to him and hugged him. "It has been far too long, my friend."

Tyr adjusted so that he could hug her properly. "You can say that again, Trixie."

"Darling?" The two of them looked to see Rarity approaching. There was an odd look on the unicorn's face, but it quickly went away when she realized who he was hugging. "Oh, Trixie! Darling, it has been so long!"

"Trixie agrees," the magician said with a smile. She glanced up at Tyr. "Trixie has missed her first friend. A-And all my other friends," She added quickly, looking over at Rarity.

The fashionista laughed. "Oh, do not worry, darling. I quite understand. We were very happy to have Tyr home ourselves." She gave the man in question a smile that carried a lot more feeling behind it than was immediately obvious.

"Oh!" Trixie suddenly brightened up. "You both should come to my magic show! I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Perhaps we will have the opportunity," Rarity said. "We were going to drop this off for a client and then we would be free for the evening. We should have the time to catch the show."

Tyr smiled. Trixie looked elated, but before she could say just how happy she was, a stern voice called her name. "Trixie!" The mare jumped at the sound of her name, fear suddenly coursing through her.

"Hard Rock," the magician whispered, seeing the dark grey earth pony stallion approach. His light bluish mane was tied back and long, and his green eyes were hard. Tyr and Rarity moved off to one side as the stallion walked right up to Trixie. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," The stallion said, eyes narrowed. "Where have you been?"

"I-I was just making sure everything was ready for the show tonight…"

"Without telling me? What did I tell you about that?"

Trixie trembled, shrinking in the face of the quiet anger. "I… I just…"

Rarity cleared her throat. "Um… Trixie? Who is this?"

"Ah… this is Trixie's—I mean my—coltfriend."

"And what the heck is this thing?" Hard Rock looked up at Tyr, who decided to simply scowl. "Some kind of monster?"

"I can be, on occasion," Tyr said softly, but Rarity cut him off. She gave the newcomer a weak smile.

"Tyr is my companion, an Elemental," She said quickly. "And Trixie's friend."

Hard Rock paused, eyes momentarily running along Rarity's body. "Oh? A creature like that is friends with a mare like you?"

"More than friends," Tyr said, eyes narrowing. Hard Rock looked at him, matching the somewhat harsh glare the man was giving him.

"…Whatever. Trixie, come on."

Trixie blinked. "Huh? But I…"

"I said let's go!" He dragged her away, sparing only one glance back at Tyr and Rarity.

Neither of them moved for a moment, instead staying silent for the time being. Finally, the man turned away. "Something wrong, darling?" Rarity asked, following him as he began walking.

"He's abusing her," Tyr said simply. "I can tell."

"Well, I could tell too darling—Trixie was never one for makeup, and now she's wearing it." She glanced at Tyr, smirking slightly at the appreciative look he was giving her. "I'm not ignorant of the signs, darling. I wonder why she's with him…"

"Sometimes a person—er pony—can have low enough self-esteem to believe someone that hurts them really loves them. Either that, or Trixie is just too scared of him to leave him."

"How terrible…"

Tyr nodded. "Unfortunately, we can't help her."

Rarity blinked several times rapidly. "What? Why not darling?"

"Because Trixie hasn't asked for help." Tyr narrowed his eyes as they left the hotel. "And until she understands she has to value herself first, even if I was to go beat the fur off that stallion she might just end up in another relationship that is just as bad."

"I see your point. But what do we do?"

Tyr gave her a gentle smile. "We remind her that she has friends."

* * *

 **For those of you who love Trixie as a character, I apologize in advance. I like her too, but this is where the story took me.  
**

 **Well, that's it for me this week. Hope you enjoyed the chapters, and never hesitate to leave a comment or review. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting patiently until you return again.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello again, dear readers. Before I delve into comments and the chapter proper, I wanted to tell everyone that I went on my first Clinical training for my EMT class. What that means, it that I was working on an actual ambulance for a day! One more step closer, lol.**

 **And now for comments!**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: I felt bad. Which is why she got to have ice cream. And on the subject of Gleaming Spark, she will come up again. whether or not she's just as bad as the first time, only time will tell. And I've wanted Trixie back in the story for a while now, and had like three different ways for her to come back. This is the one that stuck, obviously.**

 **Kevin Lapse: That is actually quite deep. I'm very impressed, and applaud you myself.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: TLC probably did it first anyway, lol. Did anyone think having a harem/herd was that easy? Cause it's not. Not at all. And Celestia needed some love too, you know!**

 **So! Enough out of me for now. Onto the chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Possessiveness

"I'm really impressed," Even Tempo said, looking at the dress Rarity had brought. "I honestly didn't think it would be _this_ good."

Rarity, Even Tempo, and Tyr sat in the front room of the Soundscape, the studio Read Write owned. Pictures of other music artists and bands adorned the walls, with racks of CDs and records placed around as well. However, a large picture of Coloratura was on the rear wall, much larger in comparison to all the others. The faint sound of music playing could be heard from the back. At Even Tempo's comment, Rarity giggled. "I take pride in my creations, darling. And I never let down a client."

"Well, I'm sold on your skill."

"Is that the dress?" Coloratura walked in then, eyes fixed on the dress. "Oh my goodness… That looks amazing!"

Rarity handed the dress over. "Go ahead and try it on, darling."

"Don't mind if I do!" the singer almost galloped out of the room, eager to put on the dress.

"Where's Read?" Tyr asked, looking around.

Tempo smiled. "He's back in the sound room, practicing."

"…Practicing?"

Rarity frowned. "Practicing how? I profess I do not know much about sound systems, but what does he need to practice?"

"Well… you might want to just see for yourself."

Tyr and Rarity shared a look, but followed Even Tempo as she headed back to the recording rooms. The sound of music got louder until they reached a pair of doors. Tempo went into the far one, beckoning the man and mare after her. What greeted them made both of their jaws drop as the music rolled out.

Lines of mystical color rotated around the room to the rhythm of the music, pulsing and flaring with each percussive sound. At the center of the light show sat Read Write, purple headphones over his ears and head bouncing to the beat. His horn was alight with magic, but unlike the normal singular color most unicorn horns lit up with, his was rapidly rolling through multiple colors in time with the color change of the lights around the room. His hooves were manipulating a sound board, letting him control the music like a conductor. A triumphant grin was stuck on his face as even Tyr could feel the simple enjoyment of doing what one loves. "You know," Tempo said softly. "He drives me crazy, but seeing that smile on his face always reminds me of why I love him."

"This is amazing," Rarity whispered, looking around the room. "Is he… is he making all this music?"

"Honestly? No. All the music you hear are tracks he's collected over the years and compiled together. Crazy stallion tells me he plans to take all the music he collects and put it together into one song."

Tyr looked around the room. "Looking at all this, I think he'd be able to do it."

It was a minute or so later, before Read finally finished. He glanced at the trio with a smile as he pulled his headphones off. "Enjoy the show?"

"It was absolutely stunning, darling," Rarity said. "I've never seen anypony do anything like that."

"Well, that's my talent for ya," the stallion said, stretching. He glanced back at the quill-and-CD emblem on his flank. "Terrible at making my own music, but working with others? No problem at all."

"No wonder Coloratura has you working for her," Tyr said with a smirk.

The singer in question's voice came around the corner. "Please Tyr, call me Rara. I prefer it much more than my full name."

They all turned to see Rara come around the corner, fully dressed. "Looks good on ya boss," Read said, seeing her.

"Fits the theme perfectly too," Tempo said with a nod. "Rarity, you're a lifesaver."

The seamstress laughed delicately. "I do my best. I'm just happy to have helped."

"Well, we need to get into rehearsal," Read said, glancing at a wall clock. "Need to be ready for tomorrow and all that."

"I wish you luck then."

Rara frowned. "Actually… would you two like to come to the concert? I'm sure we can get seats for you two."

"You think they can accommodate me?" Tyr asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm kinda tall, if you haven't noticed."

Read grinned. "I'm sure they can handle you. They occasionally get guests from other parts of the world."

"Fair enough. But it's up to Rarity."

Rarity chuckled. "I mean, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity, darling. Of course we'll go."

Rara beamed. "Wonderful!"

"Although… on one condition."

"Uh…" the singer blinked, completely caught off guard. She seemed a bit wary, a little justified by the mischievous look on Rarity's face. "…What would that be?"

"You model for me." The white unicorn smiled. "Especially now that I've seen you in that dress. I want you showing it off."

"What?" Rara, flustered, backed up a step. There was an obvious blush working its way up her cheeks. "I can't… I've never modeled before!"

"Not too hard," Tempo said, sitting beside Read. "And I'm sure this isn't Rarity's first time doing a fashion show. I'm sure she can give you pointers."

"But… but I…" Seeing she didn't have any support, the pale blue mare sighed. "Fine. I'll do it."

Rarity made a little excited noise. "Oh, wonderful! You'll look so amazing up there, and I'm sure it'll double as some good publicity for your concert!"

Rara blinked. "…Huh. I didn't even think about that. Thanks Rarity."

"Oh, don't mention it. I always do love helping my friends."

"Alright, time is money loves," Read said, moving his things. "Let's get to work."

"We'll leave you to it," Rarity said, moving to the door. Tyr followed her. "Ta ta for now, dears."

"Thanks again, Rarity!" Rara called after them.

With the last of their goodbyes said, the man and mare left the studio. As they walked along the sidewalk, Tyr glanced down at Rarity. She had a very satisfied look on her face. "You look pleased with yourself," the man said, smiling.

Rarity beamed. "Of course I am! Not only did I help out a friend, but I also have a high profile client to vouch for my work! Why would I not be happy?"

"True enough," Tyr agreed with a laugh. "So, let's go see this magic show, shall we?"

"About that…" Rarity frowned. "Should we… speak to Trixie?"

Tyr shook his head. "We can talk to her, but nothing about her boyfriend. With any luck, he'll be there with her."

"You talk like you've dealt with this sort of thing."

"I've seen a lot over the years," Tyr said with a shrug. "We can't actively talk about their relationship. It'll make him defensive."

They reached the hotel then, and once inside made their way to the auditorium. "I think I understand…" She trailed off, seeing that the theatre didn't have a place for Tyr. "Um… darling?"

"It's fine," Tyr said with a chuckle. "I'll stand in the back."

"Then I will stand with you."

"No go ahead. I'll be fine."

Rarity frowned. "…Are you sure…?"

Tyr replied her curiosity with a smile. "It'll be fine, Rarity. Promise."

"Very well… I will see you after the show then." She turned and walked down the aisle, finding a place near the middle. As she settled into her seat, she glanced back at Tyr. The man was still where she had left him, leaned up against one of the walls. He gave her a little wave.

Fenrir peeked her head out of the pocket she was in. She and Tyr made eye contact for a short moment. "…Are we sneaking out?"

"You're sneaking out," Tyr said with a smirk. "Find that Hard Rock guy. Don't do anything, just find out where he lives. We might need the information."

The wolf spirit gave him a toothy grin. "You're planning for a plan B."

"Plan B, C, and D," Tyr replied. "Just get going."

"As you say, Alpha." She hopped out of his cloak, landed on the floor, and dashed out of a nearby door before anypony could notice. [I will contact you soon]

Tyr didn't say anything, but had a smile on his face as the stage before him filled with smoke.

–x–

"Odd to have you as a visitor," Chrys murmured, looking down at the pegasus that stood before her.

Goldie rubbed one leg against the other nervously. "…Hello Miss Chrysalis."

"Hello, Golden Grove. Did you want to see Cori?"

"Well…" The brown pegasus sighed. "Actually, can I talk to you, Miss Chrysalis?"

The Changeling frowned, but moved aside to allow the filly to come in. They went to the Jötunheim's common room, taking seats on the couch. "Well… of course. I do not mind. But what did you want to speak with me about?"

"I wanted to ask about Changelings."

Chrys's frown grew deeper, but she stayed somewhat civil. "…What did you want to know?"

Goldie seemed to consider her words for a bit, unable to really say what she wanted. After a long minute of silence, she spoke. "Um… Can Changelings fall in love?"

"…What?" Chrys was more stunned than anything. Love? It wasn't a foreign concept to Changelings. They did feed off it, after all. But falling in love was different. She herself could only say she had fallen in love with Tyr. She couldn't really think of why this little pegasus would be asking, however. "…Well, yes, we can. It's… a bit rare, however."

That seemed to deflate the little filly. "Rare? …Oh."

"But it does happen," Chrys said, in order to clarify. Goldie looked up at her declaration. "Why, don't look so surprised. I fell in love with Tyr, you know."

"Uncle Tyr?" Goldie blinked. "Oh… he is Cori's dad, isn't he?"

"Yes he is. But I couldn't have had Cori without his love. My daughter is not a normal Changeling, she is much more than that. So I would not be surprised to see her fall in love either."

"O-Oh."

"Now one thing, Golden Grove," Chrys leaned forward a bit, a bit of a conspiratorial look in her eyes. "I know what love is. What it tastes like. What it looks like. I can also tell who it is directed towards."

"You… you can?" Goldie swallowed heavily.

"Yes. And I do believe Cori can as well."

"Oh…"

Chrys smiled. "You have two mothers, correct?"

"Huh?" Goldie blinked, completely caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "Um… yes, I do. Applejack and Fluttershy."

"Do you think they love each other?"

"Yes, I know they do." Goldie smiled warmly. "They always try to spend time together when Applejack gets done with her chores."

"That's good to hear," Chrys said with a nod. "It shows that you don't have to have a stallion and a mare in order to be happy."

Goldie got up suddenly. "Um… thank you for talking to me, Miss Chrysalis."

Chrys smiled. "Please. You call my Master Uncle Tyr, so you may call me Aunt Chrissy."

The brown pegasus smiled. "Thank you, Aunt Chrissy."

"If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

She nodded, going to the hatch and exiting the ship. Chrys watched her gently take flight and head for home. She still didn't know why talking to foals and fillies was so easy for her. A long time ago, she would have sneered at that child and laughed at her. Now, she was giving out life advice. According to the amusement she felt behind her, somepony else felt the same. "I didn't know you counseled ponies, Aunt Kissy."

The Changeling glanced behind her, knowing that only one filly ever called her that. "…Aurora. Shouldn't you be off bothering your brother?"

The dark violet Alicorn filly smiled. Unlike her usual wild and energetic smiles, this one was small, more measured, almost as if there was a deeper meaning to it. Chrys narrowed her eyes. Oddly enough, the filly and her brother were the only two ponies she had ever met that could obscure their emotions from her. And that bothered her. "He's off practicing magic with Evie," Aurora pointed out.

"He has quite the crush on the filly, does he not?" Chrys went back to her spot on the couch, Aurora following her over. This time, the filly gave a more characteristic giggle.

"Yes, he does. I don't know if Evie likes him back or not."

"We could always check…"

Aurora shook her head. "No, I'd rather not intrude. If my brother ever gets up to asking her himself, then we'll know."

Chrys shrugged. "Very well. So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You're trying to steer Goldie towards Cori," Aurora said with a grin.

"What? However did you come to that conclusion?" Chrys smirked, trying to feign ignorance.

Aurora sat beside Chrys. At that moment, the Changeling noticed that the filly had her normally wild mane tied back and away from her face. It gave her a much more mature look. Then those silver eyes fixed her with a knowing look. "I can see, Auntie. And I think Cori can too. Plus, you're the manipulative type."

Chrys chuckled. "You have me pegged there."

"I have known you for a long time," Aurora said, winking.

"You make a good schemer, Ro."

"So!" Aurora grinned at the compliment. "We'll see if Cori or Aleron make any moves. I bet you my brother does first."

"Cori is my daughter, so of course I'll bet on her."

"It's on then!" Aurora grinned. "I win, you let Ancè do your mane and tail."

Chrys winced. Already, the miniature Rarity had offered to 'spruce up' the Changeling's mane. The planned alterations were not anything Chrys truly wanted to have. "Well, how about we have you dye a strand of your hair pink if I win?"

"Fair enough." They shook hooves on it. "And no helping, got it?"

"Agreed."

Aurora grinned. "I have a good feeling I'll be seeing you with a whole new mane, Aunty."

Chrys smirked. She had to admit, she liked this side of Aurora. It was hardly seen, but always refreshing to see the young Alicorn scheming. "We shall see, my little beastie. We shall see indeed."

The filly hopped up onto her hooves, walking a short distance away. She stopped just shy of the hall to the bedrooms. "I do kind of like this sort of thing, Aunty. Maybe we'll do this again in the future?"

"Perhaps," Chrys said, nodding. "It would be a good test of your wits. I have many years of subterfuge and deception under my wings."

"Then I'll be an apt student," Aurora assured her with a grin, before leaving for her room. Chrys fell silent, a slight bit of worry entering her mind.

[Bitten off more than you can chew?] Came her Master's joking thought.

[Your daughter may be a fearsome opponent] She countered. [But she will not best me]

[Good luck then, Chrissy]

The Changeling huffed. Even her Master was teasing her. But that was nothing new—and she did indeed enjoy it. [And same to you, Master. Do not get into too much trouble]

[Everything in moderation]

[Quite] Chrys sensed her daughter coming. A small smile formed on her lips. There were no rules against simply telling her daughter that her friend had come by…

–x–

The theatre exploded with applause as Trixie finished her performance. The magician bowed humbly to the influx of praise, a small smile on her face which was almost obscured by her hat. "She certainly is talented," Tyr murmured to himself, smiling. It was the first time he had seen Trixie perform magic, despite being told numerous times that it was her special talent. But from the elated look on her face as she left the stage, the man couldn't deny she looked like she was having fun.

Then something caught his eye from the side of the stage. Motion, a silver tail flicking into sight just for a split second. [He is here, Alpha] Fenrir thought.

Tyr narrowed his eyes just momentarily, before brightening up as Rarity approached. He couldn't let her think something was wrong. The white unicorn was smiling widely. "I must say, I have never actually seen Trixie in her element, but she truly does light up the stage!"

"I agree with you there," Tyr said with a smirk. "She really does enjoy herself up there."

"Especially now that she's not trying to be over the top and condescending," Rarity agreed.

Tyr nodded, glancing back to the stage. "Let's see if we can catch her and tell her we enjoyed the show."

"Rightly so. Lead the way, darling." She fell into step beside them as they navigated out of the auditorium and out into the halls. With Tyr's improved senses, it didn't take long to spot the magician as she fielded a small crowd of admirers. Trixie seemed happy to see them, and made her way over to them.

"So? How was Trixie?" She asked immediately, smiling at them both. "Was she… decent?"

"Decent?" Rarity scoffed. "You were vastly better than decent, darling!"

"You're probably the best magician in Equestria," Tyr added.

That got a blush from the mare. "Oh, I doubt Trixie was that good…" Trixie smiled in spite of herself. However, it was short lived.

"Trixie," Hard Rock said, coming over. Trixie's previous happiness was dashed immediately as she looked over at her coltfriend with a mixture of fear and regret. "Didn't I tell you not to just go running off?"

"Ah, Rock… I mean, I didn't…"

"Don't let it happen again—"

"How often do you do these shows?" Tyr asked, cutting off the stallion. Hard Rock glanced at him, but the man had his attention on Trixie.

The light blue mare blinked several times. "Ah, I… Trixie does these shows at least once a month."

Rarity frowned. "You gave up the whole travelling magician thing?"

"I met Hard Rock last year and he convinced me to give it up for working here," She said with a nervous laugh. She glanced over at the still glaring stallion. "I've been here ever since."

"She's happy with me," Hard Rock said, not letting his eyes leave Tyr.

The man glared back. "Up for debate."

"You got a problem, buddy?"

"Depends." Tyr glanced over at Trixie. "What do you think?"

"I…" Trixie looked between the two of them. "I… I think we should go home."

Hard Rock nodded ever so slightly. "The boys are probably wondering why we're not back yet. I told you to cut the meet and greet short."

"There was nothing I could really—!"

"Let's. Go." He began dragging her away again, only to stop a few steps away to glare back at Tyr. "You would have been better off not screwing with me."

And then they were gone. "I do not like that stallion at all," Rarity said after a minute.

"That was a threat, Alpha," Fenrir appeared on Tyr's shoulder in her miniature form. "One I believe he is fully prepared to carry out."

"Keep your eyes and ears open," The man ordered softly, receiving a short nod from the wolf spirit.

Rarity frowned, but simply shook her head. "…Shall we go back to the room?"

"After you."

They were silent all the way back up to the room, Rarity busy going over information for the fashion show and Tyr simply thinking about Trixie. He wanted to help her, to give her a chance to break free, but Hard Rock had a tight grip on her. If he couldn't get Trixie to ask for help, then there may be nothing he could really do except frighten the stallion into not hurting her. But those were thoughts for tomorrow. For now, there was sleep. They reached the room before long, Fenrir going back to the window while Tyr plopped himself down on the couch. Rarity paused at the doorway to the bedroom, staring down at her hooves. After a long minute, she spoke. "Darling?"

"Yes?" Tyr glanced over the back of the couch, finding Rarity's blue eyes looking at him. "…Something wrong?"

"You… You do not need to sleep on the couch, darling." She said quietly, eyes flicking away. There was just the hint of a blush growing on her cheeks. "You may… share the bed with me, if you want?"

Tyr blinked. "I… I mean… I'm fine out here."

"…Do you not want to?"

"I'm not saying I don't, it's just…" Tyr glanced away. "Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for you? I mean, I'll take up so much space and all… I think it would be better if I slept out here."

The real reason was unspoken: _I don't think I should_. Rarity's ears fell back against her head, and her eyes flicked away. It was obvious she knew exactly what he was feeling. "Oh. Quite. I will… I will see you in the morning, darling?"

"Of course." Tyr settled back on the couch, where he couldn't see Rarity's face. That disappointed look made him wince. "…Good night, Rarity."

"Goodnight… Tyr," Came the mumbled reply, and then the man could hear retreating hoofsteps. The bedroom door closed then, and Tyr let out a soft sigh. He glanced over at Fenrir to find the wolf spirit staring at him.

"What?" He asked.

Fenrir turned back to the window. "Just be careful what invitations you refuse, Alpha," She murmured. "These ponies are… sensitive."

The man gave a noncommittal grunt. His Chaos Spirit let out a soft sigh, resting and closing her eyes for sleep. She'd worry about her kind Alpha later.

–V–

Tyr had never been a big enthusiast for fashion shows. So while Rarity had her models strutting their stuff down the runway, he stayed in a darker portion of the showroom, keeping relatively to himself. Despite her misgivings before the show, Coloratura was certainly showing that she was no stranger to attention as she modeled the dress Rarity had leant her. With his enhanced hearing, Tyr could hear the murmur of recognition as the singer posed at the end of the walkway. She was certainly going to get a lot of publicity from this event. Fenrir, sitting in his lap and grooming her tail, glanced up. "It does seem she has some passing skill with designing clothing," She muttered. Tyr had to chuckle; 'passing skill' was an understatement. Rarity was amazing at what she did.

"It's her special talent," Tyr said scratching behind Fenrir's ear. As much as the wolf spirit demanded to be treated in a 'dignified' manner, she was still a canine and enjoyed getting scratched there just like any other dog. She might deny it, but the rapid swishing of her tail suggested otherwise.

Fenrir snorted. "Judging from the markings on her rear, isn't her talent something regarding gems?"

"You can't just take Cutie Marks at face value," Tyr admonished. "A lot of them have deeper meanings."

"Example. What does Rarity's Cutie Mark symbolize?"

"Her tendency to shine like a gem. And because there are three of them, it shows her preference to shine in the company of others."

"Hm. An interesting sentiment."

There was a loud rush of applause, and Rarity came out, flanked by her models. They all bowed. Tyr couldn't help but feel proud. The seamstress was practically beaming from the praise, and was fighting to keep her smile from growing too large. After a moment, she and her models filed back backstage. "Come on," Tyr said, getting up. "Let's go meet her."

Fenrir nodded and climbed up to his shoulder. They left the show room and followed the halls around to the backstage area. When the security ponies saw him, they shared a look before simply letting him by. When he found Rarity she was with Rara, Tempo and Read. The four ponies grinned as he approached. "About time you showed up!" Tempo remarked.

"Well?" Rarity turned expectant eyes to the man. "What did you think?"

"All of the dresses were great," Tyr said, smiling. "You express yourself wonderfully through each dress."

Read grinned. "We all have our mediums, don't we?"

Before they could go further into that conversation, they heard a pony clear their throat. It was Trixie, coming over to them. There was a nervous look on her face. "Trixie!" Rarity exclaimed. "I hadn't expected to see you here!"

"I came for the show," Trixie said softly. "I… Trixie likes to see the special effects."

Tyr felt something was off about his friend. Normally, Trixie was all boast and energy, but now she seemed… terrified. Then he noticed she wasn't wearing her hat. "…You're not wearing your hat, Trixie."

"Oh?" She moved a hoof to her head, as if she was just realizing this fact herself. "I suppose I left it back at Hard Rock's place…"

"That your boyfriend?" Tempo asked, tilting her head to the side.

"…Yes, he is."

"Huh. Sounds like I've heard that name before…"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…Does he know you're here?"

Trixie blushed heavily. "N-No… he doesn't."

"Sounds like a possessive dude," Read said with a frown.

"Well!" The magician looked pained as she tried to move the conversation to a happier topic. "Trixie wanted to see the fashion show. And she wanted to say she truly adores Rarity's talent at dressmaking."

Rarity smiled. "Why thank you, Trixie. I really appreciate that."

"Rarity sure does have talent," Rara said with a small laugh. "I'm still in shock you're okay with me borrowing this…"

"Oh, darling, do not worry. It is perfectly fine! I do believe that dress will be much better off on you than sitting around until Tyr and I go home."

Rara smiled. "Thank you, Rarity. Your generosity is refreshing."

Tyr chuckled. "It is her Element, after all."

"Rarity!" A very loud voice called. The small group turned to see a very brightly dressed blue stallion marching his way over to them. His blonde mane was shiny and curled, and he walked with such pomp that Tyr had to repress a chuckle. Without any warning, the stallion took Rarity's hoof and kissed it. "Oh, to bask in the radiance of such talent! I am in awe of your prowess, my dear Rarity!"

The white unicorn giggled delicately. "Oh, Soft Silk, thank you for your kind words."

Soft Silk grinned widely. "I simply cannot let these words go unsaid. You are like my muse, Rarity—You inspire me!"

Tyr raised one eyebrow. This was getting a bit over the top. But Rarity was taking it well, simply smiling. "I appreciate the comment, Silk—"

"I cannot allow your light to leave me! I wish for you to marry me!"

That made everyone pause. "What?" Tyr managed to say, confused.

Soft Silk looked up at Rarity's shocked face. "I wish to ask for your hoof in marriage! We would be able to create such beautiful art with one another, darling!"

Rarity glanced around, noticing that all motion had stopped around them to watch the scene. "Why… I'm honored, Silk, but I couldn't possibly…"

The stallion gaped. "Your heart belongs to another?"

"Quite." There was a short nod. "I… I am already in a herd."

"You… you are?" Silk frowned, but seemed to recover his resolve. "Who is the stallion who claimed you? On my honor, I will win your hoof away from him!"

"I don't think you want to do that…"

"He can't be more impressive than I!"

"That kinda hurts my feelings," Tyr said with a smirk. "I like to think I'm pretty impressive."

Silk shot a surprised look over at Tyr, and then back at Rarity. "You are… mated with this creature?"

Rarity blushed, gently removing her hoof from Silk's. "Well… yes. He is."

"I…!" Before he could continue, He locked eyes with Tyr. The man's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and a faint silver glow flared to life around him. A wave of dread focused itself on the stallion, and he backed up quickly. "I-I see. I apologize for my forwardness," He muttered hurriedly, ears falling back against his head. With that apology, he quickly fled.

"Well then," Read muttered.

Rarity looked up at Tyr. "What did you do?"

"An intimidation tactic I learned," Tyr replied with a smirk. "A large majority of communication amongst wolves is non-vocal."

"I see…"

"That's… kinda surprising," Rara said.

Read shrugged. "Fixed an awkward situation, at least."

Tempo glanced over at Rarity. "Does this sort of thing usually happen around you guys?"

The seamstress sighed and gave the pegasus a weak smile. "I actually believe living in Ponyville has made me a 'crisis magnet', so to speak."

As if she had jinxed it, a low voice said one word. " **Trixie**."

The light blue mare, obviously caught off guard jumped. With a terrified look on her face, she turned around to see Hard Rock making his way over to them. And he did not look happy. "H-Hard Rock, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," The stallion said darkly, eyes narrowing. "But I see you're with the human again."

"I came for the fashion show," Trixie said quickly as her coltfriend came up to her. She winced. "I…"

"You didn't tell me," He snarled.

Tyr frowned. "Does she have to tell you where she's going all the time?"

"None of your business. You shouldn't have crossed me," Hard Rock said. "Trixie is mine, not yours."

The man narrowed his eyes, but Trixie moved between them, holding up a hoof. "Please, Rock, Trixie came here on her own. Although it was a pleasant surprise to see Tyr and his friends…"

Hard Rock frowned at her. "…We're going home. Now."

Yet again, they watched as the stallion dragged the magician away. A very awkward silence fell over the group. "…I do not like that stallion," Read said.

"Seconded," Rara agreed.

Tempo nodded. "Same."

"I really want to tear him apart," Fenrir said softly, loud enough for only Tyr to hear. The man couldn't help but agree—but that was a side effect of being the Aspect of Carnage. Bloodlust was the norm when it came to people or ponies he didn't like.

"Why don't we do something to take our minds off of this… awkward situation?" Rara suggested.

Rarity frowned. "What do you have in mind, darling?"

"I know a good club nearby," Tempo said. "A drink or two might not be so bad."

"Everything in moderation," Read admonished.

"I wasn't saying we should go on a drinking binge!"

Rara chuckled. "I agree with Tempo. It'll be nice to unwind, especially before the concert."

Tyr glanced over at Rarity. He wasn't a heavy drinker, in fact he hadn't drank much in several years, but he wouldn't refuse spending time with some friends. It mostly depended on the unicorn to his side. She noticed his look, and sighed. "Well… As I said before, I'm not against a couple glasses. I suppose we shall join you."

Tempo grinned. "Well, let's not waste any time! The night is young, after all!"

–x–

Bramley looked up from what he was doing to spot Golden Grove headed for the door. "Where are you going?" He asked.

The brown pegasus paused at the door. She didn't turn to face her brother. "…Aurora said her mom is planning something with the stars tonight, and we were going to go watch."

The colt frowned. "Ain't nobody told me."

"…We thought you wouldn't want to come." Goldie frowned. "Cause Cori is gonna be there."

"You all still hanging around her?"

"Yes, we are. She's our friend."

"And none of y'all worried about her—"

"She's in control of herself," Goldie said sharply. "She won't hurt us."

"But—"

"Cori loves her siblings. And Aurora, Aleron, Ancè and Jubilee love her right back. They won't let her do anything to hurt herself or others." The pegasus shot her brother a glare. "I understand you're scared for me, but I'm in no danger."

Bramley frowned. "…Fine. Whatever you say."

Goldie stared at him for a long moment before sighing and heading out the door. Bramley went back to straightening up the room when he heard more hoofsteps behind him. When he turned, he saw Applejack standing there, a frown on her face. She didn't say anything at first, just keeping her green eyes focused on him. It was enough to make him uncomfortable. "Is something up, momma?" Bramley asked.

"Just wondering why you can't make nice with Cori." The farm pony frowned. "That little filly ain't done nothing ta harm y'all."

"But she broke that stallion, momma," Bramley countered. He frowned. "You didn't see what we saw. She changed."

"From what I've heard, she ain't changed much. Still the same old little filly that's shy but trying ta change."

"…You're not scared of the Changelings anymore?"

"Never rightly been," Applejack said with a shrug. "I mean, knowing that somepony you know and love could be somepony else, now that's a terrifying feeling."

"So why aren't you scared?"

The orange pony smirked. She gestured to the window. "Cause of that."

Bramley looked out to where his mother was pointing, his jaw dropping open. Chrysalis was outside, Aleron and Ancè with her as they received a small stack of pies. Aurora looked ecstatic—Chrysalis herself was simply amused. "She's… buying pies?"

"For the little ones," Applejack confirmed. "Now, I can't rightly say I trusted Chrysalis when she showed up again in Tyr's world, but she's earned at least the benefit of the doubt. Probably if Tyr weren't vouching for her, I might not have been so open to her."

"But she's earned our trust," a soft voice added. The two looked over to see Fluttershy joining them, the yellow pegasus stopping beside Applejack and giving her a loving nuzzle. "She's tried very hard to prove that if Tyr tells her not to, she will not harm us."

Applejack grinned. "And considering that man's about as trustworthy as I am, I think we don't have much ta worry about."

"So… what should I do?" Bramley asked. He glanced down at his hooves. "Goldie is still upset from what I can tell, and the others hardly come around to talk ta me either. Can I really just go up to them and say 'I wanna be friends again'?"

"I think that would work, actually," Fluttershy said thoughtfully. "Really, I think they only one you need to worry about is Cori. She forgave you, but…"

"All you gotta do is tell her the truth about how you feel," Applejack said, going over to her adoptive son and putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Cordelia is a Changeling—as long as your feelings and words are the same, I think she'll understand you."

The colt sighed. "…You're right. I guess I gotta go deal with this."

Fluttershy nodded. "Don't worry too much, Bramley. I'm sure Cori will be very understanding. She and Goldie wouldn't be friends otherwise."

Applejack moved over to the window, peering outside. Sunset was coming quickly, and before long the moon would be rising. "Y'all might wanna head out now. Princess Celestia's about to put the sun down for the day."

There was a quick nod from the green colt and he dashed out the front door. Fluttershy and Applejack watched him go, the pegasus rejoining her wife and placing a wing around her. "Do you think it'll work out?" She asked softly, nuzzling the orange mare.

"He'll be fine," Applejack said with a smirk. "He may not be an Apple by blood, but he is my son."

"I suppose you have a point," Fluttershy murmured, nibbling at the other mare's neck.

The farm-pony shivered. "You're a little frisky this evening, aren't ya?"

"I just wanted to be a little affectionate. It's not time for my heat anyways."

"I suppose that's not a bad thing. Come on, let's run on up ta our room…"

The other mare quickly assented, and they hurried upstairs. They missed the moon rise up into the sky, with a huge constellation forming in the sky depicting Aleron and Aurora forming moments later.

–v–

"I'm so embarrassed," Aleron mumbled, sticking his face into his hooves. Evie and Cori, beside him giggled at his obvious discomfort. Aurora suddenly landed next to him, nuzzling her brother lovingly. He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe mom did this…"

"My mom pushed clouds together to make a happy birthday message for me," Vibrant said, scarfing down the pie he had been given. "I think it would have been worth it except or the fact she had to clear them out afterwards."

"Mom was sad we couldn't go with her back to Canterlot," Aurora pointed out. "Cause she'd be busy with dignitaries and stuff."

"What about Jubilee and Ancè?" Evie asked.

"Went with Aunt Pinkie to visit her family," Cori said from where she was seated beside her mother and Goldie. The older Changeling was watching the sky while Goldie and Cori sat together.

Aurora nodded. "I kinda wish we could meet them too. Her family is probably super fun!"

"I wish we weren't being left behind," Aleron said quietly. "Dad's off with Aunt Rarity, Mom is in Canterlot, Aunt Pinkie went to the rock farm… Nothing against Aunt Chrysalis, but I would rather they took us with them."

Evie frowned. "Al… I'm sure they had their reasons for not taking you."

"I know, I know, I just…"

"Hopefully the next place they go we can go too?" Aurora supplied, resting her head against Aleron's. "You know I'm happy as long as you're with me, right?"

"I know, Ro," Aleron said with a small smile, nuzzling his sister. "And thank you."

"Mm!"

"Almost makes me wish I had a sibling," Evie said with a giggle.

"You don't count Spike?" Goldie asked.

"He's a dragon. And he's a lot older than me."

"Still counts as an older brother."

"I guess."

"Technically, none of us are only children," Vibrant said. He shrugged. "Technically."

"Speaking of siblings," Chrys said suddenly, glancing behind her. The sound of her voice caught everyone's attention, and they all looked to see Bramley approaching. "Look who joins us."

The green colt kept coming, sparing a glance at the undisguised changelings. He glanced up at the sky. "…Seems Princess Luna wanted ta embarrass y'all."

"I'm not embarrassed!" Aurora pointed out, to an eye roll from her brother.

Evie blinked. "I wasn't expecting you to come, Bramley."

"I had ta do a little searching," The colt said. "But I wanted ta… ta say something."

Vibrant looked a little wary. "…Say what?"

The other colt turned towards where Cori and Goldie sat. Aleron made to get up, but Aurora put a hoof on his shoulder. Goldie herself placed a wing over her friend's back. But Cori gently shook off the limb, and stood up. "What did you want to say to me, Bramley?" She asked softly, evenly. Bramley drew himself up, steeling himself for what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry," The colt said. He lowered his head. "You only did what ya did ta protect Goldie, and you were just as scared as us. I ain't have any reason ta act like I did."

"You did," Cori admonished, smiling slightly. "I mean, even I was scared. I thought that stallion was going to hurt Goldie."

"I did too. And I shouldn't have acted like I did, or called you a monster."

"I already forgave you," Cori pointed out.

Bramley nodded. "But I had to stop thinking that what you did was wrong. You're not a monster."

There was a little twinkle in the Changeling filly's eyes. "I can be."

"And I reckon you'll choose the right time ta be," the colt replied smoothly. He was rewarded with a bright smile from Cori.

"You want to be friends again?" She asked innocently.

Bramley glanced over at Goldie, who looked hopeful. "Well, I reckon that'd be nice."

"Yay!" Goldie exclaimed, flying over to hug her brother. "You made up!"

"Bout time," Vibrant said, with a roll of his eyes. "Getting tired of excluding you."

"We're all friends again!" Aurora said. When her brother gave her a skeptical look, she giggled. "I gotta fill in for Jubilee, you know?"

The colt sighed. "Wonderful."

"I do have a question," Goldie said as Cori rejoined her. Without hesitation, she placed a wing back over her friend. Chrys sent an amused look towards Aurora, who scowled right back good-naturedly.

"What is it, little one?" Chrys asked, suppressing a laugh.

"How does Princess Luna control the stars like that?"

"Mommy has control over all of the night sky," Aurora said happily. "She says that one day, as her daughter, I'll be able to do it too!"

"Hopefully she uses that power for good," Aleron said with a sigh. His sister nuzzled him again.

Evie giggled. "You two are adorable."

"She drives me crazy."

"But you love me!" Aurora pouted.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Chrys watched the scene with a small smile on her face. Despite her complaints about not being taken with her Master on his trips, she did not mind watching over the children. Perhaps it was because of the natural love for their parents they all had, or maybe after dealing with Applebloom and her friends she just had a soft spot for foals. Maybe it necessitated some thought. She'd be sure to speak to her Master when he returned, on top of asking for some much needed attention from him as well.

–x–


	24. Chapter 24

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 23: Self Worth

Rarity woke up with a slight headache. How much did she drink last night? She had been trying to pace herself, not overdo it, but after Tempo had suggested she try a mixed drink she had… no idea. She frowned. At least her headache wasn't something serious, so it wasn't a hard hangover she was dealing with. She sat up in bed, yawning a little. Despite the headache, she felt refreshed. She climbed out of bed, noting that her legs and hips were sore. "Oh dear, don't tell me I was dancing again…" She mumbled, going towards the bathroom. She paused, noticing that she couldn't spot Tyr's legs from this side. Although she could hear slight snoring. Curious, Rarity made her way over to the couch. To her surprise, she found Fenrir, in her true form, sleeping there. The wolf spirit was curled up, long tail wrapped around her as she slept. Every now and then, one of her ears would twitch adorably.

"If… If she is out here, where is…?" A sinking feeling took hold in her chest, and she slowly turned to one of the mirrors. She was rewarded with an image of herself, mane disheveled, and makeup messed up. That could be fixed in a few minutes, but it was what else the mirror showed that gave her pause. It also gave her a clear view back into the bedroom.

To where she could make out the sleeping Tyr, who was—from what she could see— shirtless. Her breath caught in her throat as the memories of last night came back to her. Laughter. Embarrassment. Drinks being offered and accepted. Lowered inhibitions. Being carried back to the room. And then…

"Oh dear," she whispered.

Tyr stirred then, waking up in his slow but deliberate manner. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Rarity had seen Tyr shirtless before and commented on his amazing physique, but having the memories of running her hooves all along his body made an unconscious shiver run along her spine. As her eyes followed the methodical movements of his hands, he could remember how eagerly those fingers had dug into her flanks, eliciting no small number of unladylike gasps and moans from her. Upon thinking about this, she blushed heavily. Tyr's silver eyes met her blue ones then, and he smirked. "Rough night?" He asked softly.

"You would know," Rarity retorted before she could stop herself. Her blush increased. Tyr stared at her for a moment, his perfect recall coming into play.

"…Oh," The man said after a moment. He glanced down at the bed he had said he wouldn't sleep in before glancing back at Rarity. "…That's what happened."

"You… ah… you remember?"

"Perfect recall, Rarity," Tyr reminded her. He let out a sigh. "…And here I was thinking I didn't drink that much…"

"I believe that mix Even Tempo suggested to us was… a bit on the strong side."

"Strong enough to get us out of sorts," Tyr said with a frown. "I didn't… hurt you, did I?"

Rarity blinked. "No, no! of course no darling, you were… quite gentle with me. I believe my soreness is mostly because you would be the first stallion—er, man—I would have shared such a moment with in my life."

"So you've never… oh."

"Oh darling," The white unicorn crossed the room to stand at the foot of the bed. "You act as though this was your first time."

"Well, it was my first time with you," The man countered somewhat imperiously. "I think it's fair to be somewhat worried."

Rarity smiled, climbed up onto the bed, and kissed him lightly on the lips. When he didn't pull back, she reached up to touch his cheek with one hoof. "Tyr. You are a wonderful man, and if I haven't told you before, I do love you."

"But Pinkie—"

"Holds another part of my heart," Rarity pointed out. "Just because I love her doesn't mean I cannot love you."

"But Luna—"

"Understands my feelings. And Pinkie's as well."

Tyr blinked. "Pinkie… loves me too?"

Rarity nodded. "According to what she told me, she had a crush on you at one point."

"What? When?"

"Apparently ever since she met you. Said that if I hadn't confessed and you ended up with Luna, she might have asked you out."

"Huh." Tyr frowned slightly, lying back on the bed. Rarity, without asking for an invitation, curled up at his side, nestling her head against his shoulder. Although Tyr would honestly say he would rather have Luna there, this wasn't such a bad position to be in. Rarity was a beautiful mare, in both appearance and mentality. "That's… a thought."

"Hm?"

"I don't think I ever thought about Pinkie like that."

Rarity tilted her head up so that she could look at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Oh? May I ask who you… fancied at the time?"

Tyr felt a warmth rush up to his cheeks. It was a little embarrassing talking about this sort of thing, since he was married and all. "Do I have to respond?"

"I would like you to," Rarity replied softly, neither demanding or ordering. Tyr sighed.

"Well, to be perfectly honest… besides you, I did consider asking Fluttershy out."

"Oh? Fluttershy?"

"She is very pretty."

"Indeed. I had her model for me once… it didn't end that well."

"I see."

"Anypony else?"

"Well… no. Applejack and Twilight were my friends, and I hardly really spoke to Rainbow."

"Well, I suppose it would have made for a strange story if you had tried to court all six of us," Rarity said.

"I doubt I'd be able to handle how different all six of you are…"

Rarity giggled. "I suppose that is true."

They fell into a companionable silence, just enjoying one another's company. Despite how calm he was, he was quite worried. Sure, he had enjoyed the night with Rarity. And being with her now was comfortable. But what would Luna think about this? Or Pinkie for that matter? Sure, they were in a herd together, but Tyr had been working off the assumption that sex was off limits. He let out a heavy sigh. "…We'll need to tell Luna."

"And Pinkie," Rarity said, agreeing. "…Perhaps we will have to have a sort of 'herd meeting' or something."

"Probably." The man agreed, beginning to run his fingers through the mare's purple mane. Rarity tensed up just slightly at his touch, but eventually relaxed against him. "So… what now?"

"Hm? What do you mean, darling?"

"I mean, what do we do now? Unless you wanted to lie in bed all day until the concert…"

"Considering how nice it feels to have you stroke my mane, I am sorely tempted to do just that."

"Ha."

"But I suppose we should get up," She said, the hint of a complaint in her voice as she sat up. Tyr didn't move, watching her as she rose. Rarity shot him a look from behind her mane. "Darling?"

"Yes, Rarity?"

"I have one request of you."

"You… you do?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes. I ask that you do not be so withholding with your affections when it comes to myself and Pinkie. We are yours, after all." To further prove her point, she reached up to touch the collar about her neck. "I would not wear this for anyone else, darling."

"I understand. Then…" He reached up to cup her face with one hand, getting a surprised look from the white unicorn. Before she could say anything, he leaned in and planted a quick but soft kiss on her lips. "How's that?"

"I can work with that," Rarity told him after a breathless moment. She smiled. "Just be sure to show the same sort of affection to Luna and Pinkie."

"Right." Tyr nodded as she got up from the bed and hopped down to the floor. She walked over to the bathroom. He watched her as she went, noting with quiet interest as her hips swayed as she walked.

Rarity glanced back, noticed his appreciative gaze, and smirked. "Already lusting after me, Darling?"

"People—ponies—lust after what they can't have," Tyr replied evenly. A smirk of his own touched at his lips. "I can have you whenever I want, it seems."

"Oh! You are such a brute, Tyr," Rarity giggled as she went into the bathroom. Tyr chuckled and got up himself, getting dressed before going out to the living room. As if she was waiting on him, Fenrir peeked her head up above the couch.

"Are you done with your post-mating banter, Alpha?" She asked, grinning mischievously. Her tail was swishing back and forth excitedly. "I must say, the way you were looking at her as she walked away…"

Tyr reached out and scratched roughly behind one of Fenrir's ears. "You quit with that," he told her, smirking slightly. Fenrir didn't respond, simply growling playfully as she let him attend to her. "You realize you are quite adorable when I do this, right?"

"I suppose I can accept that from you, Alpha," the wolf-woman said with a smile.

"So if I say it, you would get upset?" Rarity asked, entering the room. Her mane and tail were back to perfection, and her coat was as shiny as ever. When she fluttered her eyes at him, he saw the light blue eyeshadow she normally wore.

Fenrir huffed. "Of course! I have my standards, you know?"

Tyr smirked. "Hey Rarity?"

"Yes darling?" The unicorn looked up at him.

"How about you design Fen something to wear in her small form?"

"Ooh, that sounds like fun!"

"Not for me!" Fenrir complained. "She would probably make it frilly or something feminine like that!"

"I was thinking a cocktail dress, or one of those mini dresses," Rarity continued, ideas already beginning to run through her head. "Ooh, or a Chinese style one…"

Fenrir smacked Tyr's hand away and sat down on the couch hard, arms folded and a surprisingly cute pout on her face. "You seek to demean me."

"Nothing bad ever came from looking cute," Tyr countered, patting her head. The wolf-woman continued to pout, but didn't bother pushing his hand away.

"…Whatever. As long as there is no lace."

Rarity paused from her spot at the desk, mid sketch already. "…Very well, I can work with that. But for now, may I measure you?"

Fenrir huffed, but willingly shrunk down to her smaller form. Rarity quickly measured her. Once the mare was done, Fenrir transformed back. "You seem to prefer that form lately," Tyr remarked.

"I see no need to be small when I do not need to," Fenrir countered, lounging back on the couch. "Plus, I feel more comfortable in this form."

"…You drank too much last night and can't maintain that form, huh?"

To her credit, Fenrir did try to hide her blush. But it didn't work. "…Hel take you," She cursed. Tyr simply chuckled and patted her head. "I'm a Norse entity, drinking heavily should not affect me so…" She tried to sound upset, but it came out more as a whine.

"Alcohol is alcohol," Tyr admonished. "You're too adorable."

"…Whatever."

Rarity frowned, setting aside her sketch book. "I do believe I have time before the concert… Darling?"

"Yes Rarity?" Tyr looked over at her, surprised to see her getting her saddlebags. "Are you going out?"

"Just for a bit. I wanted to pick up the fabric I needed for this outfit for Fenrir."

The wolf spirit blinked. "You're already done with the sketch?"

"Not quite. But I do work better when I can manipulate the material I'm planning to use."

"A fair point," Tyr said, nodding. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"I'll be perfectly fine, darling. Go enjoy the city! Explore, as I'm sure you'd like to do." She gave him a bright smile as she quickly wrote down a list and moved over to the door. "I'll surely only be out for an hour or so, and I'm sure it would be terribly boring for you."

"Boring to me," Fenrir pointed out. Tyr gave her a flat look before turning back to Rarity.

"If you say so, Rarity," He said with a shrug. "Be safe, alright?"

"Of course darling! I will be perfectly fine." She gave him one last smile before slipping out the hotel door. "Ta ta!"

There was silence in the room after she left. "So… what do you want to do?" Tyr asked, glancing over at his companion. The wolf-spirit was quiet, simply letting her tail wag back and forth.

"I suppose we could go hunting," Fenrir said, smirking.

"And what exactly would we be hunting, Fen?"

"I believe I have an idea…"

–x–

The library was the first place Grace looked, and it was also the last. She spotted the familiar bright red and gold mane almost the moment she entered. It was surrounded by books, as the mare in question buried herself in information. It brought a smile to her lips. "Sunset?"

"GAH!" Books went toppling to the floor as the golden mare jumped up at attention. She looked around in confusion, until her red eyes fell on Grace. "Oh. Damn. It's just you Grace. Thank goodness."

"Just me?" The other mare questioned with a smirk, coming over. Her horn lit up with her aura to lift the fallen books back up into some kind of order. "I'm a little sad, Sunset."

"Sorry. I'm just… a little out of it." She offered a weak smile. "So… what did you need?"

Grace stared at the other mare for a bit. "…Your red is showing."

"My… red?"

"Your eyes."

"I know I haven't gotten much sleep lately, but—"

"Not what I'm talking about, Sunset."

The mare blinked several times before scowling. "…Damn it. I'm slipping." Her horn lit up, and her eyes slowly changed from red back to their normal light blue. Grace didn't say anything, waiting for Sunset to finish. Once she was done, the somewhat tired mare offered the knight a shrug. "Sorry."

"Not your fault. You've been putting it off, haven't you?"

"It's kind of hard to get what I need here in the castle, you know."

Grace nodded. "That's why I got this." She reached into her saddlebag with magic and pulled a bottle out of it. She placed it on the desk in front of Sunset. "Drink."

"Grace, I—"

"You've put it off long enough," the medic told her. "Don't make me force you. You still have pressure points."

Sunset stared at her for a minute, before sighing and acquiescing. She took the bottle in her own gold aura and lifted it to her lips. The moment the red liquid touched her lips, her normal drinking became more hurried and eager. In seconds, the bottle was empty. "Sweet Sun… I needed that."

"I could tell."

The mare glanced over at her, a tiny drop of red running down from the corner of her lips. "Is there… do you have any more? Please?"

Grace nodded shortly, noticing the hungry look in the unicorn's eyes. She pulled out another bottle, Sunset snatching it from her magical aura before she had a chance to put it near her. The gold mare chugged it down. "Slow down, Sunset," Grace warned.

Sunset seemed to catch herself, lowering the bottle. After taking a shaky breath, she sighed. "…Sorry. Sun take me, I _really_ needed that…"

"At the risk of repeating myself…."

"Right. I know. Sorry. Again."

"It's okay, really." Grace smiled. "I'm here to help, Sunset."

The gold unicorn smiled up at her, gingerly taking a sip of the bottle. "I've… gone about a week since the last time I drank. I didn't think I was that bad off…"

"This isn't something you can neglect, Sunset. I promised to help you, but you have to help yourself. What if you go without drinking too long and—"

"And I attack someone?" Sunset fixed her with a glare.

Grace narrowed her eyes. "Before you force me to be the one to bring you down."

Sunset paused, before bowing her head. The fierce look on the other pony's face had cowed her. "…Sorry Grace. I know this is just as hard for you as it is for me."

"Tell me why you can't tell Princess Celestia."

"What?" the flame-maned pony's head shot up at that.

"You heard me." Grace frowned. "Why don't you just tell her?"

"Tell her what, her old student became a vampire?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "That'll go over well. 'Oh, Princess, I fell in love in the other world! He was just a darling young man, and oh, he turned me into a vampire! I need blood on a constant basis or else I might just lose it and go attack and kill somepony'!"

Grace rolled her eyes. "You know Princess Celestia wouldn't hold that against you."

"Yeah, but what then? Come out to the whole of Equestria?" Sunset laid her head on the table. "I'm a bloodsucker, Grace. Nopony in their right mind would want to be around me."

"I'm sticking around you."

"You can kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you, Sunset," Grace told her firmly. "I'm your friend here. I want you to trust me, okay?"

"Right, right, I just…" Sunset sat back, sighing. "The Fluttershy in the other world is the one who turned me…"

"She was?"

"Yes. The vampire we met in that world saved her life by turning her, and she turned me."

"Were you… in danger of dying?"

"Almost. Except from her."

Grace blinked. "What?"

"She attacked me after going a week without blood. Well… more like I had offered her a drink and it went a bit further that. Before I realized what was happening, I had almost passed out from blood loss and she was being pulled off of me."

"Sweet Celestia… Does Twilight know?"

"No, I had done the eye color spell before she noticed. And the fangs are hidden with a simple illusion."

"Well, how about this—When Tyr gets back from Los Pegasus, we should go talk to him about it."

"What? Why him?"

"He's gone to other worlds," Grace said with a smirk. "And he could help us talk to Luna. You are technically a creature of the night now…"

Sunset chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I'm even fitting my name a bit better now…"

Grace nodded. "Well, I ought to get back. Bright Soul and I are going with Ace to a fight club."

Sunset blinked. "A… A fight club? What?"

The medic shrugged before giving a small smile. "You're not the only one who has cravings, Sunset."

–x–

"So now what?" Tyr asked, finishing putting the feathers of the Roc he had gotten into his cloak pocket. The giant bird itself was trapped in a cage of ice, however still somewhat out of it due to the tranquilizer potion the Elemental had hit it with. A little ways away, Fenrir was busy grooming herself. At the sound of Tyr's voice, she looked up.

[There is that concert you promised to go to, Alpha] She reminded him. The wolf glanced over at the Roc. [We should probably release our captive, by the way]

"Ah, you're right." With a gentle wave of his hand, the ice cage vanished. Confused, the Roc stepped forward, opening its wings. Tyr went over to it. "Sorry about that. Just needed a couple feathers."

The bird gave him a flat look before taking off into the sky. Fenrir transformed back into her small form and hopped up to the man's shoulder. "How rude. We could have killed him."

"Ah, let him be sour," Tyr replied with a chuckle. "We did chase and capture him just for a few feathers."

"True, but we are not like the shy one," Fenrir pointed out. "She could have simply asked."

"You're right about that." Tyr let out a soft breath before letting his white aura flare to life. Despite his growing familiarity with his ice magic, turning into an actual blizzard was still a strange feeling. As his body lost solidity, he had to focus just to make sure he kept himself in one… clump, he supposed. So when he pulled himself together at the front of the hotel, he made sure nothing was missing. Luckily, having two extra minds working alongside his allowed for a greater amount of focus to be had. "Still not used to that," He said, watching his breath mist in front of him. On top of being an interesting way to travel, it left him extremely cold. He didn't really mind since it was a pleasant feeling to him.

Fenrir sniffed the air. "…Wait. Alpha. Something is wrong."

"Hm? What?"

"Smell! Use your senses."

Tyr frowned, but did as she suggested. "…There's a lot of scents here, Fen."

"Any familiar?"

"Rarity's, of course. And…" Tyr paused. "…That's not possible."

"Hard Rock," The wolf spirit confirmed. "The stallion was here."

A flare of anger welled up in Tyr's heart, but he fought it down. "…We can track him, of course?"

Fenrir grinned savagely. "Need you even ask?

They were gone without another word, darting down the darkened streets of Los Pegasus without a care to who they passed. Ponies watched the sight of the Elemental stealing down the street with equal parts confusion and concern. But the wave of dread that passed in Tyr's wake was enough to send them scurrying in the opposite direction.

 _My mare._

Tyr gritted his teeth, the wolfish possessiveness of his 'territory' kicking in. Hopefully, this stallion hadn't done anything to Rarity.

For his sake.

–V–

For the second time in one day, Rarity woke up with a slight headache. Except this time, it wasn't because of a hangover. Or was it? She groaned softly and sat up. "What… what happened…?"

"Rarity?"

The white unicorn blinked at the sound of her name. She looked up, finding herself looking into the concerned eyes of Trixie Lulamoon. "Wait… Trixie? What are you… wait once more… where am I?"

She looked around, finding herself unfortunately in a rather dingy room with only a few lamps, an old bed, and a few pillows and blankets. In one corner was an overflowing trashcan, and in another sat a little light pink unicorn filly with a milky white mane and tail. She was staring at the wall, as if she was making herself as small as possible. She looked a bit hurt and scuffed up. Trixie was a little better off, but there was a bruise over one eye that looked recent. "Hold still one moment," The illusionist said, lifting a rag up to Rarity's head. The seamstress was surprised to finally notice that there was a bit of dried blood on the side of her head.

"What happened to me…?"

"I believe some of Rock's 'boys' went after you," Trixie said, lowering her head. "I'm so sorry this happened…"

"Did they…?" She lifted one hoof up to touch her head. She winced as she felt the spot where she had been struck. Then she felt something on her horn. A magic restrictor. That explained her slight headache. "They must have come after me when I was out shopping…"

"Hard Rock wanted you because he wants to hurt Tyr," Trixie explained. She looked away. "Trixie and Audio have been here for some time…"

"Audio is her name?" Rarity asked, taking the rag and pressing it to her forehead. At the mention of her name, the filly looked up.

"M-mommy…? Is the other mare awake?" She asked.

"Yes Audio, she is." Trixie glanced at Rarity, who was staring at her confusedly. "Audio is blind, though her hearing is much better than ours."

Rarity blinked. "She's… blind? Was she…?"

"…Hard Rock accidentally knocked cigarette ashes into her eyes," Trixie clarified.

"And she's…"

Trixie looked ashamed, and looked down at the floor. "Trixie has lost count of the number of times Hard Rock and his Friends have… _used_ her…"

Audio shivered and curled up further in the corner. "He's coming!" She squeaked.

Rarity was about to ask who she meant when the door opened and in strode Hard Rock, flacked by two more stallions. When he saw that Rarity was awake, he gave her an evil looking smirk. "Well, nice to see that you didn't get too roughed up," He said.

"No thanks to you," Rarity said with as much venom as she could muster. Hard Rock didn't even flinch. He reached out with one hoof and tilted her head up.

"Ah, the boys like a bit of a fight, they tell me. But they'll break you in time."

"And you think Tyr won't find me?" Rarity snapped, pulling away. "He's going to come here, you know."

"As if he could find us," Hard Rock said. "He wasn't even around when we grabbed you. How in the world would he know where to find you?"

"Not like there's an enchantment on this," one of the other stallions said, holding up a black collar. A shield-and-gemstone emblem glittered briefly in the light. Rarity's entire demeanor changed.

"Give that back!" She snarled, jumping up. But no sooner had she moved before one of the other stallions hit her squarely in the jaw, knocking her back to the floor.

Hard Rock frowned and took the collar from his companion. "Seems this means a lot to you, huh?" He said with a smirk.

Trixie helped Rarity back up to her hooves, the white unicorn shooting Hard Rock a nasty look. "…You wouldn't understand."

"Well, you won't be getting this back."

"You're a horrid stallion, you know that? And you're not even on the same level as Tyr."

"Oh really…? Casper, Dirge, I think it's time."

The two stallions moved forward, slow smiles growing on their faces. Suddenly, Trixie was yanked away from Rarity's side by Hard Rock while the other two stallions grabbed Rarity and tossed her onto the bed. Before she could even fight back, they had pinned her. That didn't keep her from kicking as best she could "L-Let me go you…! You…! You scoundrels!"

"Shut up," Hard Rock snarled, moving back over to her. Rarity stared at him in confusion, before a horrifying thought began to form in her mind.

"No," She muttered weakly, as the stallions held her down. Then more forcefully—"No!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Hard Rock said, leaning in close to her. There was alcohol on his breath, and it was heavy. She tried to struggle, but they held her fast. "Not like she's going to help you."

Rarity shot a glance over at Trixie, who looked ashamed. She also had a restrictor ring on her horn. The illusionist looked away, ashamed. "I… Trixie is sorry… They'd hurt Audio again if I…"

Hard Rock forced himself in between Rarity's rear legs. He grinned at the horrified look on Rarity's face as she realized his intentions. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll enjoy it after the first few times or so. We'll be sure to be gentle, we don't want to mess up that pretty face too much—!"

"No! I don't want this!" Rarity tried to struggle free, but it only served to excite Hard Rock more.

Hard Rock laughed. "But I do!"

Casper grinned. "We get a turn, right Rock?"

"If she lasts that long."

Hark Rock leaned forward, biting at Rarity's neck. "No! NO!" She cried, sobbing. She didn't want this. Nopony should ever have to go through this…!

Suddenly, Dirge shivered. He glanced behind himself, at the door they had come in. "What? Casper, did you leave the bucking door open?"

The other stallion frowned. "No, I didn't. Maybe Lemon is back?"

"It's bucking cold!" Hard Rock complained, frowning. His friends let Rarity go and he moved away from her. She curled up on the bed, sobbing quietly to herself. "I swear, I'm going to kill Lemon if he left the door open again…"

He stalked out of the room, followed by Dirge and Casper. Silence fell, the only sound being Rarity's soft crying. Trixie moved over to the seamstress's side, tentatively reaching out a hoof to touch her shoulder. "R-Rarity…?"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The white unicorn screamed, pulling further away. Trixie jumped back quickly.

"I… I'm sorry…" suddenly, the door to the room swung open again, and for a moment Trixie feared it was Hard Rock and his friends back to finish what they started. If Lemon Candy was with them this time, she might not get off unharmed either. But to both her surprise and horror, a cold wind rolled into the room.

Tyr gave the inside of the room a silent appraisal. When his silver eyes fell on Rarity, a flicker of something flashed through his eyes. Rage. But instead of blazing like a fire, it seemed more icy cold. He looked over at Trixie, then Audio. "…Keep this door closed and don't come out until I say," He said quietly, before going back out into the main room. Trixie waited only a moment before she tossed a blanket over Rarity, grabbed Audio, and pushed herself as far away from the door as possible. As an afterthought, she tried her best to cover Audio's ears.

Just in time for the screaming to start.

Trixie kept her head down, and didn't move from her spot. From the voices she could hear, Lemon had indeed come back, and it hadn't turned out well for him. Audio, her milky eyes wide, seemed more confused at why Trixie was embracing her. It was over several minutes later, and there was a soft knocking at the door. "…Trixie?"

It was Tyr. "Y-Yes?" She responded quietly.

Tyr opened the door then, a grim look on his face. Upon hearing him come in, Rarity looked around at him. Some sort of unspoken conversation passed between them in the span of a moment. Without a word, he lifted up her collar. She perked up a little at that, getting up and walking over to him. He knelt down to her level so that he could put the collar on for her, clasping it gently behind her neck. The moment he had done so, she threw her hooves around his neck, burying her face against him. Tyr simply held her close. After about a minute, he glanced over at Trixie. "…You alright?"

"I… I will be," Trixie offered weakly. The fierceness in his eyes both terrified and elated her. "Thank you…"

He turned his eyes to the mare in his arms. "Rarity… will you be okay?"

"Eventually," the white unicorn said softly. "Darling, can you… take this off?"

She indicated the metal ring sitting around the base of her horn. Tyr nodded and removed it, almost missing the light blush on the mare's face as he lightly brushed her horn. He glanced over at Trixie. "You want me to take yours off too?"

Trixie seemed to have not even considered it. "Oh, yes, please."

She came over to him so that he could remove it. He spared a glance at the little filly clinging to her, but didn't say anything. "…We should go."

"Did…" Audio spoke up again, catching them all off guard. "Did you come to take us away from here?"

Tyr looked at the filly, no doubt noticing her milk white eyes. "…I did. All the bad men are gone."

"They won't hurt mommy anymore?"

A glance at Trixie. "No, they won't."

Audio slowly moved away from her mother to feel her way over to Tyr. Once her front hoof contacted his leg, a small smile grew on her face. She hugged his leg. "…Thank you…"

"You're… you're welcome."

Trixie suppressed a smile and placed a hoof on her daughter's back. "Come now Audio, we need to go."

"Okay mommy…" Audio let Tyr go then, heading back over to her mother. Tyr let Rarity go then, and they left the room. The first thing that greeted them was the ice. The room was frozen over, with spikes sticking out of the floor and walls. In the middle of the frozen area sat Fenrir in her wolf form, licking blood off her paws. Trixie was happy that Audio couldn't see. Hard Rock and his compatriots were ripped to shreds, impaled on ice spikes, and otherwise killing in horrifying fashion. Trixie glanced over at Tyr, who met her gaze with an even one.

"No one hurts those I care about," He said softly.

Fenrir transformed into her smaller form to rejoin her Alpha. "Unless they wish to meet the Spirit of Carnage."

The two mares didn't respond, both understanding that nopony in their right mind would ever want to piss off a wolf. Instead, they left that house quickly, none of them finding much of a reason to stay. Rarity stayed close to Tyr, not willing to leave his side. Audio stuck close to her mother, although she was more so concerned because she couldn't see. Tyr was leading them back to the hotel when quite the upset voice called out to them. "Tyr! Rarity!"

It was Rara, coming over with Tempo and Read. "Coloratura…" Rarity began, wincing slightly.

"Where were you two?" She asked, looking up at Tyr. "You two said you'd come to the concert… wait. Rarity, what happened to you?"

Tempo noticed then as well. "Dear Celestia, you look like you've been beaten up!"

Rara frowned at Tyr, but Trixie spoke up. "It was my ex-boyfriend," She said quickly.

"Your… your ex?"

"He was a pretty terrible stallion," Tyr said softly. "But he has been dealt with."

Rara looked like she wanted to question that, but the wicked grin on Fenrir's face made her give up on that idea. "Well… too bad you guys missed the concert."

"I'm really sorry darling," Rarity offered. "I hope the dress was alright."

"It was perfect!" Tempo said with a grin.

Read nodded. "Although we then realized we need a special effects pony now…"

Trixie perked up. "…Special effects?"

"Not anything overly flashy," Rara said hurriedly. "Ambience sort of things. Backgrounds."

"Stage was kinda empty this time around," Read added. "A lot bigger than we were really expecting."

"Trixie is quite skilled when it comes to illusions!" Trixie said quickly.

Tempo tilted her head. "Oh, you're that magician, right? Lulamoon?"

"Yes, that is Trixie's name."

Rara frowned. "You're an illusionist?"

Trixie nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Well," Read said thoughtfully. "We'd have to run you through your paces of course but I believe we have a spot for you!"

Tempo frowned. "You're not allowed to hire people, babe."

"I'm sure Rara agrees with me!"

Rara giggled. "Yes, I do agree with him, Tempo. I think we can at least test her right?"

The pegasus sighed. "I guess that's fair. Is that all right with you, Trixie?"

"I greatly appreciate this opportunity," the light blue unicorn said with a bow. "My daughter and I truly appreciate your kindness."

Read blinked, looking down at Audio. "Well, that's your daughter?"

Trixie nodded and nudged the little filly forward. "Say hello, Audio."

The pink filly shuffled her feet. "…H-Hello…"

"Audio, huh?" Read smirked. "I think we'll get along pretty well."

"Huh? Why do you… why do you say that?"

"Check this out." Read pulled his headphones from around his neck and placed them over the filly's ears. She started to panic, but Read quickly got the music playing. A confused look crossed the filly's face, before being replaced by one of pure wonder. "How is it?"

"I've never heard anything like this before…"

Read grinned up at his friends. "Looks like I found my new partner!"

Tyr glanced away from the little filly and the stallion to check on Rarity. She was back to looking off into the distance. Without a word, he reached out and gently ran his fingers through her mane. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she leaned up against him. Tyr nodded to himself. "Well, it's been a long day for us. We're going back to the hotel."

Rara glanced between the man and mare, before frowning. "Well… okay then. Hope you feel better, Rarity."

Rarity gave her a weak smile. "I'll be okay. Thank you for your concern, but I am in good hands."

Tyr smirked. "Of course. See you all around." With a final wave to Trixie, he led Rarity away. They stayed silent as they reached the hotel, rode the elevator up, and got out onto their floor. There were no words to say even as they entered the room. Rarity went straight to the bathroom, and a moment later Tyr heard the shower running.

"She's quite shaken up," Fenrir murmured, showing concern for someone other than Tyr for once. "Will she be alright?"

"She was almost raped, Fen," Tyr pointed out, sitting on the couch. "You don't think that would shake her up?"

"I suppose she's not as strong as we thought."

"She is strong, just… No one would be just fine after that."

"…Fair point."

They fell into a companionable silence, Fenrir simply sitting in Tyr's lap while the man aimlessly messed with her hair. It was about ten minutes later when Rarity came out of the bathroom. Tyr looked around and paused. Rarity's mane and tail were oddly straight, lacking their usual curl. She was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, unmoving. "…Rarity?"

"I don't want to sleep alone tonight," She said softly. She lowered her gaze, focusing on the floor. "…I… I promise not to do anything too forward…"

"It's fine," Tyr assured her, nudging Fenrir out of his lap so that he could get up. He gave Rarity a soft smile. "I understand."

The mare gave him a grateful smile before climbing into bed, the man following once he changed clothes. He slid in beside her, only for the white unicorn to move so that she was curled up at his side, one foreleg draped over his chest. Tyr simply smiled and wrapped his other arm around her, holding her close. He'd hold her this way until they fell asleep, and make sure that any nightmares didn't plague her. But that wasn't what the mare wanted. She pushed herself up to where she could kiss him, pressing her lips against his. "I can't," She said breathlessly when she finally pulled back.

"You can't?" Tyr asked, slightly confused. "Can't what?"

"I need you to help me forget," She said desperately. "I tried to just sleep but I keep feeling his hooves, his tongue…"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore, Rarity. I took care of it."

"I understand darling, but… please, just… help me forget…?"

Tyr couldn't find a way to refuse. It was his job to help and protect his herd, after all. He just hoped that Luna didn't just immediately kill him when she found out.

–V–

They left early the next day, finding Rara and the others waiting on them in the hotel lobby to see them off. Rarity had recovered quite a bit from the other night, more comfortable around the other ponies. She was back to her usual elegant self, her trademark curls returning. They kept the conversation short and sweet, and within the hour they were on their way home. She stayed quiet, staying in the passenger compartment while Tyr flew them home. She didn't fall asleep at any point, instead simply watching the sky through the side viewports. Tyr didn't say anything, instead thinking about what he was going to tell Luna.

It was a few hours later when the Jötunheim came into view. Cindy's voice came through the ship mounted communicator. "Operator! So glad you made it back safely!"

A circle of bright red lights lit up on the top of the larger vessel, indicating where the Ranger would need to land. Tyr smirked as he manipulated the controls to orient the transport properly. From his memories, he realized this was his mother's least favorite part of flying. "Thanks for the worry Cindy, but you weren't watching the signal?"

"I was, however the Jötunheim's sensors only reach so far. If I had more Recorders out, I would have been able to better monitor you…"

Tyr racked his memories for a moment, hands on auto pilot as he lowered the transport ship into the hangar. Recorders were the smaller drones that the Sanctuary class ship carried for observation. "Ah. Right. How many are you actually using?"

"At least a dozen or so, in order to maintain a perimeter around Ponyville and Canterlot. There were more, but most have been lost to time or disrepair."

The hangar was a spacious area of the Jötunheim, no doubt built to house the Ranger and any number of Recorders. "I'll look into it later."

"Of course, Operator. Oh, Miss Luna and Miss Pinkie Pie have returned from their respective trips."

The comment made Rarity wince. "Oh, they are? I suppose… That's good."

"Not prepared to see them?" Tyr asked, noticing the Inferus arrive to retrieve his and Rarity's things.

"It's just… worry, darling."

"Don't worry, we'll get through this."

She sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Cindy's voice chimed in once more as they left the hangar and entered the ship's halls. "Oh, Operator? You have a visitor as well. She arrived yesterday."

Tyr blinked before frowning at his wrist. "A visitor that arrived yesterday? And stayed here?"

"Miss Chrysalis thought it prudent to let her stay. By her own admission, this visitor said she had nowhere else do go."

"I see…" They rounded a few corners, eventually finding themselves at the door to the common room. Tyr glanced at Rarity. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," the unicorn mumbled. "Oh, I don't think I've been this nervous since you had me talk to Pinkie that one time…"

Tyr chuckled at the memory. "I remember your hair being much straighter and you didn't have any makeup on."

"Plus I was dressed in an atrocious outfit since you gave me no time to change…"

She trailed off as the door opened to admit them into the common room. They were only a few steps in when a gasp split the air. "RARE-BEAR!"

Pinkie was hugging Rarity before she even had a chance to react. The pink mare looked so elated, she was almost rubbing Rarity's makeup off with the heavy nuzzling she was doing. Jubilee and Ancè came galloping over as well, joining them. Tyr spared them a smile before he heard a soft voice speak up, "Beloved."

He had to admit, hearing Luna say her nickname for him like that never stopped sending happy shivers through his body. He turned and caught the Alicorn as she gently flew over to him. "How are you, Mani?" He asked after they shared a quick kiss.

"Better," She gave the usual answer, but not for the same reason as normal. "The visitors from Saddle Arabia were _insufferable_."

"Oh?"

"Yes! I believe their sultan's son was making advances on me!"

Tyr snickered. "Making advances? Doesn't he know you're already married?"

He left her go, allowing her to place all four hooves on the floor. She gave quite the cute pout and imperious stomp. "Well, apparently news had not reached them of your return. For all they know, I am still mourning my lost husband and—as the sultan's son put it—unfortunately alone and missing the comfort of a proper stallion."

"Oh really?" Tyr let out a derisive snort. "I guess he's better off since I wasn't around."

"From what your dear lover told me, she gave him quite the proper admonishment," Chrys's amused voice pointed out. The Changeling came over to her Master, lowering her head slightly in deference. "I am glad you have returned home safely, Master."

Tyr reached out to caress her face as he always did. "I'm happy to be home. It was a fun trip, but tiring."

"Oh?" A slightly mischievous smile crossed the Changeling's face. "I was under the impression you had enjoyed your time in Los Pegasus quite… _thoroughly._ "

Rarity's left eye twitched ever so slightly. Tyr frowned at his Chrys, knowing for certain what she was trying to imply. Luna looked more confused. "What? What does she mean, beloved?"

Tyr let out a soft sigh. "Well, I suppose it's not a good idea to put it off."

"Put what off?"

"…Jubilee, Ancè, do you two mind going to your room for a bit? We need to have an adult talk."

As expected the pink filly pouted. "But daddy~! You just got home!"

Ancè rolled her eyes at her sister's complaining. "Come now, Bibi. Pouting is no good."

"I'm not pouting!"

"Come on, come on…" She began pushing her sister to the hall that led to the other rooms. She spared a glance back at her father. "But once you are done, I expect a hug and a kiss from my father, along with any souvenirs you may have brought us."

Tyr had to chuckle at the matter-of-fact tone his daughter had. He had indeed bothered to stop by a few stores when he went out 'hunting', getting something for all five of his kids. "Of course Ancè."

She gave him a little smile just before the doors closed behind her. Luna looked from the retreating figures of the two fillies back up to her husband's face. "…Tyr? Is something going on?"

"It's something we should all address," The man said, gesturing to the couch. He led the way over to the piece of furniture, the four mares following and arranging themselves around him. He let out a sigh as they all looked up at him expectantly. Even Cindy had paused in her typing to listen.

This was not going to end well, the man concluded, beginning to talk.

* * *

 **Poor Tyr. Something always comes up. And this one is going to be awkward. And I do apologize for the cliff hanger, but I gotta keep ya hooked. :D  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Greetings Once again, dear readers. I hope you've had a decent week. Unfortunately, I have no odd stories or witty comments to make today, so I will simply move on to comments.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Odd, I've been told that before.**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: To be perfectly honest, I had intended to show Tyr killing the four stallions. But i decided against it as I was writing. Sorry for that. And Tyr did not kill him instantly. It takes a long time to freeze to death, after all.**

 **Chaddmychal: Well, Tyr has to find someone who can make them, first. No worries, that should happen before long. And the easiest way to get a meaning for a Norse name is probably just to type it into google.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Yes, Audio is Trixie's. Hard Rock is indeed her father, but he really hasn't been a good father to her. Trixie kept her pregnancy hidden until it was too late to abort so that she could keep the filly.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Yeah, I did say I was planning to earn my M rating, right? And yes, it is going to be awkward.**

 **Well, here's hoping Tyr doesn't get his head torn off.**

* * *

Chapter 24: Royal Privilege

" **I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS**!" Luna roared, Royal Canterlot Voice coming out as she expressed her discontent. Tyr winced at the volume, but pressed on regardless.

"Neither of us were truly in our right minds," He offered, glancing over at the other three mares. None of them had spoken up to this point in his story, only Luna's outburst bringing it to a halt. Chrys looked absolutely amused, Rarity looked worried, and Pinkie seemed more pensive than he had ever seen her. Luna, of course, was livid. After a few moments of composing herself, the Princess of Dreams spoke again.

"That does not excuse what you did," She said in a more measured tone, a noticeable glance towards the door that led to the bedrooms. Then, she sent a glare Rarity's way. "I thought I made it clear that the extent of your affections were to be restrained to at most kissing!"

Rarity winced under the gaze of the angry princess, but seemed a bit more at peace with the whole situation. "Then we were foolish to think that we could maintain that sort of boundary," She said softly.

Both Chrys and Luna looked over at the seamstress in shock, although Chrys's gaze was more delighted than surprised. "Ooh, now that is quite the claim."

"What are you implying?" Luna said evenly, composing herself once more. Rarity met her glare with all the poise and calmness bred from years of dealing with nobility and high class clients. Tyr had to wonder how many of those she worked with hit this level of… ferocity.

"I am saying that it was bound to happen sooner or later," the white unicorn said. She had not moved from her seat, simply looking up at the Princess of Dreams. Luna had stood up, adding to her height advantage over the other mare, but ultimately failed to rattle her. "Pinkie was already dragged into bed with Tyr once, and although that ended with mostly harmless kissing, what would happen if he didn't wake up, or his dream took him in a… different direction?"

To Tyr's surprise, Pinkie actually blushed. "I don't think I would have really minded," The pink pony said, but only he heard her.

"You should have taken the appropriate precautions," Luna snapped, frowning. She glanced over at Tyr. "The same goes for you, Tyr."

The man frowned at the use of his name. Luna had to really be upset to not be calling him 'Beloved' as she always did. "We didn't even sleep in the same bed until that night," He told her matter-of-factly. "That was my idea."

"And yet you ended up getting drunk, going back to the hotel, and having s-sex." Luna stumbled over the word, a slight blush on her cheeks. Tyr had to repress a laugh—Luna still had trouble saying sex, like a teenaged girl just learning about the concept for the first time. Rarity, however, had not such compulsions.

"Yes, we had sex," She said with a nod. She gave Tyr a small smile. "I have to admit, he was quite… gentle with me."

"He's always gentle," Luna said before she could stop herself. She shook her head quickly. "That is beside the point!"

"I believe it is very much the point—ah, Cindy, do you mind making us some tea?"

The controller brightened at being addressed. "Ah, of course! Give me one moment, Miss Rarity!"

Watching the automaton hurriedly go about her work with a sense of renewed purpose made a smile cross Rarity's face. "Ah, she is quite adorable. But back to my point. Tyr's very actions doomed us from the start."

Luna blinked. "They did?"

"I did?" Tyr asked, slightly confused.

Rarity gave him a quick nod. "Yes darling, namely your treatment of Pinkie and I. Albeit somewhat closed with your affections, you still indulged us in our little demands. All the kisses you gave, the hugs, the unconscious affectionate touches…" She sighed. "Luna told you once that I loved you. And I do believe I told you about my dear Pinkie-winkle's feelings."

"You told him?" Pinkie whined. "Rare-bear…!"

"I had to tell him, darling," She said with a comforting back rub. She glanced up at Tyr. "Despite the… restrictions placed on us, any prolonged contact was bound to result in intercourse."

"B-but…!" Luna tried to protest, only to be silenced by a hard look from Rarity.

"Tell me Princess, what would have happened when Pinkie and I went into heat?"

"Into… heat?" Tyr blinked a couple times, frowning. "You have a… mating season?"

"I suppose you could call it that," Rarity blushed at Tyr's bluntness. "Over the past few years, Pinkie and I have sated our… carnal desires with one another, or poured our newfound energy into other endeavors. But with the addition of you into our lives, I doubt that will work out again. We are naturally drawn to males at the time, you realize."

Tyr blanched. The majority of the ponies in Ponyville were mares. "I'm not going to be accosted in the street, am I?"

"That would be quite entertaining," Chrys added with a giggle.

There was a little giggle from the white unicorn. "Oh, I doubt it. Perhaps you may need to be careful around say Fluttershy and Applejack, but I'm sure that you have nothing to fear."

"That would make for a deliciously erotic story," Chrys said appreciatively. A slow smile creased her lips. "Oh, curse the fact that Rainbow and Twilight are married to stallions. I'd love to see them squirm under my master's… ministrations."

"Keep it to yourself," Tyr muttered dryly, giving her a look. He didn't need thoughts like that surfacing next time he spoke to Twilight.

"Oh? I'm sure you've entertained the thoughts of _rutting_ her—"

" _Chrysalis._ "

The Changeling giggled, realizing her teasing limit. "Very well, Master."

Rarity sighed. "Perhaps we should consider dropping the ban?"

Luna's eyes narrowed. "…A part of me regrets allowing this herd to be created."

There was silence in the room, Cindy pausing with her mouth slightly open as she brought over a tray with cups and a pot of tea atop it. But the one to respond wasn't Rarity. It was Tyr. A dark look had crossed his eyes as he looked at the Princess of Dreams. "What?" He asked softly, but the look on his face made the dark blue Alicorn wince.

"…I…"

"Sit."

Luna did so immediately, wings snapping to her side. Rarity and Pinkie were also sitting up a bit straighter, and even the amused smile that had refused to leave Chrys's face had been wiped off. Tyr sat up straight, sparing a glance over at Cindy, who had not moved. "…Go ahead."

"As you wish, Operator," She said evenly, setting out the cups and pouring an even amount of steaming tea into each. She gave him a small bow before retreating back to her station. Tyr lifted his cup, took a small sip, and nodded at the taste. Unsurprisingly, Cindy beamed from where he couldn't see her.

"Now, onto matters at hand," He said, setting the cup down. He looked over at Luna. "I realized what's wrong here, and I intend to fix it. Any objections?"

"No," Luna said weakly. The other mares shook their heads.

"Good. As Rarity said, this is all my fault. Although not in the way she intended. As Cindy pointed out, the Alpha male of a herd is in charge. I should have taken my position willingly instead of letting decisions be made around me."

He glanced at Luna. "My love. You know I care for you a great deal, and I would give you the world to make you happy. But I cannot let you continue like this. We are a herd, a family, and we need to act like it. We're doing more damage to ourselves like this.

"Rarity," He said next, turning to the white unicorn. "We did break the rule Luna put in place. We can only blame ourselves. To be honest, we probably haven't been acting like a herd probably should."

He spared a glance at Pinkie, who simply nodded. The pink mare then got up and walked briskly over to Luna. Without missing a beat, she reached up, took hold of both sides of Luna's face, and pulled her in to kiss her. Not just a simple kiss, but one that was deep and full of passion. Rarity gasped. A muffled 'oh my' came from the other side of the room from Cindy. Chrys looked both surprised and appreciative. Their lips broke apart with a small pop noise. "…what?" Luna muttered dumbly.

Pinkie gave her a grin. "How was it?"

"How was… it was very good, although I feared I'd suffocate…"

The pink mare beamed at the praise before bouncing over to Rarity and giving the shocked unicorn a kiss of much the same fervor. She left the fashionista in a dazed yet happy state when the kiss ended. That left Tyr. He winced slightly, fearing the mare was going to attempt to suck the air out of him. But she hopped into his lap, wrapped her hooves around his neck, and kissed him gently on the lips. It wasn't as aggressive as the ones she gave Rarity and Luna, but Tyr could feel the undertones from the way she moved herself to be held.

 _I'm yours. Stop holding back_.

She broke the kiss herself, a languid smile on her face just before she laid her head against his shoulder. "…I love you, Tyr," Pinkie said softly.

The man couldn't help but chuckle. "I love you too Pinkie."

She looked around at the other shocked looks. "And I love Luna too, and Rare-bear of course! I love all of you so much!" She grinned. "And I want us to be a happy family, all the time!"

Luna and Rarity shared disbelieving looks, before finally sighing and nodding. "I suppose you are correct," The Princess of Dream stated. "I apologize for what I said and did."

The seamstress was as gracious as ever. "You were well justified, Luna. I no doubt would have acted the same were our roles reversed."

Chrys seemed a bit upset. "That's it? No make-up make out session?"

"Oh, Chrissy!" Pinkie giggled. "If you wanted to make out, you could just ask!"

"Wait what— mmph!" The pink mare leapt onto the Changeling like a predator, lips locking with hers before the confused Chrys could even resist. Despite the pointless flailing, Tyr could sense his Changeling was enjoying the attention. He chuckled.

"Pinkie," He said between laughs. "Let Chrys up. We don't need you on top of her when—"

"DADDY'S HOME!" A happy voice squealed, and suddenly Tyr's neck was being crushed by a happy violet filly. Aurora was all smiles as she nuzzled her father. "Did you bring me something back from Los Pegasus? Huh? Did ya?"

With a somewhat rough pinch of his daughter's ear, Tyr managed to get her off and into his lap. She was still a little bundle of happiness, however. "Someone's happy to see me," He said, ruffling her mane.

Aurora grinned. "Of course! I missed you!"

"Oh? And why was the first thing you asked was if I brought anything back, hm?"

"Um…" His daughter looked a little sheepish. "Ancè told me?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Of course. Where are your brother and Cori?"

"Coming, but they're sloooow!"

Rarity giggled. "Someone must get along with Vibrant, I feel."

"Vibrant's fun to race," Aurora agreed. "But I'm not as competitive as him."

"Certainly doesn't show," A voice said dryly. Tyr glanced back to see Aleron, Cori, Ancè and Jubilee coming into the common room. The colt had been the one to speak, a small smile growing on his face when he spotted his father. "Hey dad."

"Hello son," Tyr nodded back. "Did you keep all your sisters in line while I was gone?"

"Attempted," The colt chuckled as the other three fillies went over to their father. He joined them a moment later, scooting onto the seat beside his mom. "I missed you too, Mom."

Luna gave him a loving nuzzle. "And I missed you, my little crescent moon."

"What was Los Pegasus like, father?" Cori asked, eyes bright with curiosity. "I mean, I sensed your feelings about it while you were there, but…"

"Still odd to know that you know our father's feelings so easily," Ancè said with a frown.

"S-Sorry…"

The white filly sighed. "One of these days, I will cure you of that habit."

Tyr simply smiled and patted Cori's head. "It was an interesting city, full of bright lights and sounds. I'd never want to live there, but it's fun to go once in a while."

"So what did you bring us?" Jubilee asked, bouncing up and down.

Tyr rolled his eyes before pulling out a box. "Here ya go, Jubilee."

"Ooh, fireworks!"

Aleron shot his father a sharp look. "Dad… are you trying to kill me?"

Tyr grinned. "Jubilee is only allowed to use them on special occasions."

The pink filly sighed. "Aw. I guess that's fine."

"And for Aurora, I got you a book."

Aurora looked distraught. "A book? But daddy~!"

Tyr tilted his head to the side. "Hm? I just said I got a book for Aleron." He handed his son a book titled ' _Everyday Defensive Spells_ '. His son glanced at the book, glanced over at Jubilee, and then back at his dad. A knowing smile crossed his lips.

"No, you said you got a book for me!" Aurora asserted.

Aleron noticed the playful look on his father's face. He smirked. "I'm pretty sure he said 'Aleron', sis."

"No, he definitely said me!" Aurora pouted.

Tyr chuckled. "Why would I give you a book? I got you this." He reached behind her head and tied a bright silver ribbon into her hair, tying it into a large bow. It glittered when the light caught it.

"Ooh!" Aurora smiled. "I love it! Thanks daddy!"

She hugged him, getting a smile from her father. "Of course love. Now, who's left?"

"Cori and Beri!" Jubilee said with a grin.

"Ah, how could I forget?" He reached into his cloak and extracted a glittering headband. It had sapphires set along the center, and Tyr set it atop his daughter's head. Both Ancè and Rarity gaped at the accessory.

"Where in Equestria did you find that?" Rarity asked, moving slightly to look at the headband. "Those are real sapphires!"

Tyr shrugged. "I found a little curio shop, and it was on display. I thought Ancè would like it."

Ancè pushed herself up so that she could plant a small kiss on her father's cheek. "I adore it, father, and thank you so much." Her eyes were shining, much like the gems on her head. "I will treasure it always."

"And last but not least…" Tyr turned to Cori, who looked both anxious and terrified. "My little Changeling. Here."

He pulled another book out, and placed it in front of the Changeling. The cover had no title, but it was quite elegant. "Um… Father? What is… what is this?"

"A journal," Tyr said with a smile. When his daughter looked up at him in confusion, he chuckled. "For you to write in."

"To write in…" Cori blushed. "But, I can't…"

"Consider it a way to practice. Just write whatever that comes to mind in there."

Cori pulled the journal to her chest, realizing what her father's intentions were. "…I will treasure it, father."

"Did you bring me anything?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

Tyr smirked. "I believe Rarity has a gift for you."

Rarity blinked several times, not realizing what was going on before Pinkie pounced on her. Tyr chuckled, watching the white unicorn try to explain that Pinkie would get her gift later. There was a nudge on his arm, getting his attention. Luna had her hoof against his arm and was looking up at him with a somewhat sheepish look. "Um… Beloved…? Did you bring back anything for me?"

"Of course I did," Tyr said with a smirk. He reached into his cloak once more and pulled out what looked to be a hairpin adorned with Roc feathers. Luna's breath caught.

"Are… are those…"

"Roc feathers. We managed to catch one outside of Los Pegasus."

"But Rocs haven't been seen in Equestria in ages!"

"Um, Miss Luna?" Cori raised a hoof. "What's a Roc?"

Luna glanced at her, blinking a couple times. "Oh… I apologize, little one. Rocs are immense birds that used to grace the skies of Equestria years past. From what we know of them, they used to be all over, but they ended up dying out due to a disease of some sort…"

"Well, we found one," Fenrir said, shrugging. "He seemed quite put off after we let him go."

Luna blinked again. "You… didn't kill it?"

"Of course not! We had no reason to. All we did was track, stalk, and trap it."

"And take a few feathers," Tyr added with a smirk.

"Well, I hope you don't tell Fluttershy," Rarity said, finally convincing Pinkie to calm down. "I think she would be quite upset with you."

Tyr chuckled nervously. "I'm pretty sure you're right in that regard."

"Um… Beloved?" Luna nudged him again. "…May I wear it?"

"I suppose you can—I did make it for you."

Luna suppressed a happy smile as Tyr fixed the hairpin into her mane. "How does it look?" She asked, turning to the other mares.

"It looks really good!" Pinkie said happily.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "It suits you quite well, darling."

The Alicorn mare wrapped her forelegs around Tyr's neck, kissing him long and deeply. "Thank you, beloved. I will treasure this gift."

"Well, that's all of them," Tyr said, leaning back. Chrys blinked several times.

"Wait, nothing for me, Master?" She asked, pouting slightly.

Tyr gave her a flat look. "You already got your gift."

"I did—oh, I see." She giggled. "Thank you Master."

"Oh!" Cindy suddenly spoke up as Tyr begrudgingly petted his Changeling. The sudden exclamation from the machine girl caught their attention. All of them turning to look at the redhead.

"Is something wrong, Cindy?" Tyr asked, frowning.

"Oh, nothing is wrong, Operator. In fact, more so something is good!"

"Um… make some sense, if you please," Luna requested.

"Our visitor is awake!"

Chrys perked up. "Oh, our mystery mare? She finally wakes?"

"Finally?" Tyr repeated with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"After she arrived, she asked for a place to sleep. Cindy prepared a room for her, and then she went right to sleep. Claimed she hadn't slept in ages and she was about to pass out."

Cindy nodded in agreement. "She has been asleep up until a moment ago…"

The door to the bedrooms opened then, and a dark gray mare with a blood red mane and tail came walking in, rubbing at her eyes. She paused, blood red eyes wide in shock at the number of eyes looking directly at her. She opened her mouth, and a slightly raspy voice came out. "Uh… did I… interrupt something?" She asked softly.

Tyr blinked twice. He recognized this mare. Although the last time she was significantly more… dead. "…Mitta?"

Hearing her name seemed to calm the mare. "Oh thank goodness. You remember me."

"Considering the last time I saw you, you were a zombie…" Tyr muttered, but he gave her a small smile. "So you drank the potion?"

Mitta nodded, but frowned. "I did, and it broke the curse like you said, but… It tasted like blood."

"Oh, that's expected. It was blood after all."

"You had me drink blood!?"

Tyr smirked. "Did it taste sweet?"

"Well, I… it… it did."

"As intended."

Luna frowned, glancing from Tyr to Mitta. "Beloved… who is this mare?"

"I'd like to ask the same thing, dear," Rarity said. "I don't believe I've ever seen her before."

"Everypony, this is Mitta. She's from the Everfree forest," Tyr said quickly, before any other questions could be posed. "She was victim to a dark curse and I freed her."

"A curse?" Rarity frowned. "That sounds horrible."

Luna was a bit more pensive. "This curse… what was it?"

Mitta lowered her head. "We were cursed to repeat the day of our sin… and every night we were trapped as undead."

The Princess of Dreams paused, breath catching in her throat. "I had heard… felt the emptiness in the forest, but I never knew why. You never… you never dreamed, did you?"

"I haven't slept in ages," Mitta admitted. "Last night was the first time I have actually gone to sleep."

"An entire town of ponies who never sleep…"

"If it's alright will you all… I'd like to move on past it."

Rarity nodded. "Very well. I can understand feeling that way."

Suddenly, a growling noise came from Mitta's stomach. "Sounds like somepony is hungry," Chrys said with a small giggle.

"Forgive me," Mitta said with a blush. "I… I haven't eaten in—

"Ages!" Pinkie and Jubilee said with glee.

Tyr smirked, patting Pinkie's head. "A valid point. Would you like something to eat?"

"I… If I would not be imposing…" Mitta mumbled shyly.

"Of course not. Cindy? Breakfast, if you would. A large one. I do believe we're all hungry."

–x–

"So let me get this straight," Mitta said slowly, walking beside Tyr and Chrys as they entered Ponyville proper. Tyr had suggested going into the town to get Mitta familiar with the area. The former zombie-pony had also wanted to escape the small but still wild welcome-to-Ponyville-party Pinkie decided to throw. Escaping out into the open air was a welcome change, and she had the opportunity to question the man who saved her. "You're a human."

"Right on that point," Tyr said with an amused smile.

"And you've formed a herd with several mares including the Princess of Dreams, one of the most well-known dress designers in Equestria, the foremost party pony in this area of Equestria, and the Queen of the Changelings."

"Former," Chrys corrected. "But other than that, right on all counts."

"You live in something called an 'airship', specifically one from another dimension."

"Supposedly," Tyr said.

Mitta thought for a moment. "Oh, and you've got a talking wolf."

Fenrir, perched on Tyr's shoulder as usual, snorted derisively. The man himself simply chuckled. "That's right, Mitta."

"Okay, anything else weird I should be prepared for?"

"No, I believe we're the strangest thing around for the time being."

"Wonderful. And why are we wandering through town?"

"Master thought it prudent to introduce you to his friends," Chrys pointed out. "In order to… smooth the transition."

Mitta looked around at all the brightly colored ponies going about their business, the occasional hello being thrown Tyr's way. "…I suppose that's fair enough. I'm still getting used to… all this."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"All of them have the Marks, right?" She looked up at him. "And… and that's okay?"

"It's more so normal," he replied. He honestly was a bit surprised that nopony was reacting to seeing Chrysalis wandering freely through the town, but perhaps it was because he was around that they weren't worried. "Not having a Cutie Mark is a bit more unusual."

Mitta glanced back at her own bare flank. "I see…"

"You never discovered your own special talent?"

"More like I never tried. If you got a Mark, you were killed. I would have liked to find something I was good at, but…"

Tyr gave her a soft smile. "You'll find something eventually. Look, we're coming up to Twilight's castle."

Mitta looked up at the crystal-tree castle with undisguised wonder. "Oh wow… somepony lives here?"

"I think five do, actually," Tyr said flippantly, hand lighting up with his silver aura to open the door. He led the two mares inside. As they walked in, they noticed Starlight sitting in the main hall, a small pile of books arrayed near her and one open in front of her. She looked up as she heard them enter.

"Oh, hello Tyr," She said with a slight nod. "And Chrysalis. Who's… who is your friend?"

"This is Mitta," Tyr said as a way to introduce her. "She's… well, I'll explain it in a bit. Twilight available?"

"She's talking to some weird wood pony that wandered in…"

"Wood pony… oh wait, was her name Sycamora?"

Starlight blinked. "You know her?"

"We met her shortly after meeting Mitta," Chrys said nonchalantly. "How is she doing?"

"I think Twilight is much more interested in simply figuring out how she… works," Starlight said with a shrug. "I had something I needed to do, so that's why I'm out here."

"Sorry for disturbing you," Tyr apologized.

"It's no big deal."

One of the doors opened, and out came Twilight. She looked extremely excited. "Starlight, you gotta see this!"

Starlight blinked, looking up at her mentor. "What? See what?"

Sycamora came out after the excited Alicorn, but she was different from what Tyr had seen of her in the Everfree. Instead of simple bark skin and leaves, she was covered in flowers and long chains of braided vines. A dark color rose on the wood-pony's cheeks. "Please stop making such a big deal of it, Twilight Sparkle…"

"But you completely changed your appearance!" Twilight beamed. "I've only ever seen Chrysalis or a Changeling do that!"

"Sounds like you're having fun," Tyr said with a chuckle. "Hello Sycamora."

"Greetings, Tyr," The wood-pony replied with a nod.

Twilight smiled. "Of course I'm excited! I'm learning something new—I'm always happy learning something new!" Her gaze fell on Mitta, and it looked to be a bit more pensive. "Are you new in town? I don't think we've met."

Mitta shuffled her feet nervously. "I… I just got in town yesterday."

"Well!" Twilight opened her wings and flapped them once, giving her enough clearance to pass the guard rail on the balcony. She landed a short distance away. "Welcome to Ponyville! I'd tell you to watch out for Pinkie, but since you're walking with Tyr I suppose you've already met her."

"Pinkie?" Mitta thought for a moment. "Oh, yes. I have met her. She's crazy."

Twilight gave an amused chuckle. "Stay in this town long enough, and you'll understand were all a little crazy."

"I… I see."

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, only for Starlight to suddenly gasp. The Alicorn blinked and looked over at her student. "What is it, Starlight?"

"She doesn't have a Cutie Mark!" Starlight got up from her book and walked over, moving around to Mitta's side.

"She doesn't?"

Mitta shifted again. "I… I never got one. My village was… terrified of them."

"Terrified?" Twilight blinked at that comment.

Tyr glanced from Mitta to the Princess of Friendship, a small frown growing on his face. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to, Mitta."

The dark gray pony shook her head. "No, I… I want other ponies to know what I went through. I don't want others to make my mistake."

Twilight glanced up at Tyr, who simply nodded. "…Alright Mitta. Everypony, follow me, please? Starlight, could you go get Spike to get us some tea going?"

–V–

The room was silent after Mitta finished speaking. Twilight and Starlight were both quiet with horror and confusion, while Chrys seemed more concerned than anything else. Mitta kept her eyes on her hooves in front of her, letting her ragged red mane hang over her face. After a long minute of silence, Starlight finally spoke. "…Well, if anything I can say I was probably worse."

Mitta looked up sharply. "What?"

"Not trying to belittle what you went through," The unicorn said hurriedly, holding up a placating hoof. "It's just… I had stripped all the ponies of my village of their Cutie Marks with the explanation of making us all 'equal'."

"You… you took what made them special away from them?"

"Exactly, that's why I think what I did was worse. You can't miss what you don't have, right?" She scrunched up her nose. "But murdering an innocent filly? That's just wrong."

"Well, Ponyville isn't that kind of town," Twilight assured Mitta. "Cutie Mark or no, you're welcome in our town."

Mitta smiled up at the Princess o Friendship. "Thank you so much, Princess Twilight. That means a lot."

"Just Twilight is fine, Mitta." Twilight chuckled.

"If… If you say so…"

"So are you planning to stay with Tyr and his family for the time being?"

Mitta glanced over at the man in question. "As much as I do not want to inconvenience you, I have nowhere else to go…"

Tyr smiled. "It's no problem, Mitta. Really, I don't mind."

"If you were looking for a house, I believe the Mayor was talking about a large house that just emptied," Twilight suggested. "Maybe you should look into it?"

"Worth a shot. Thanks Twilight."

The purple Alicorn nodded. "Of course! I'm always available to help."

The man smiled. "I'll remember that. Come on Chrys; stop sleeping on me so we can go."

"Not sleeping," The Changeling mumbled, sitting up from her spot in Tyr's lap. "I was thinking."

"Whatever," He patted her head. "Come on."

The man, the Changeling, and the mare got up to leave. "Don't be a stranger, Tyr!" Twilight called after him. He gave her a smile and a wave in response as they exited the castle. Starlight glanced over at the Princess of Friendship.

"So… what do we do now?"

Twilight thought for a moment, noticing that Sycamora had left the room. "Let's try out that spell we were working on. The one to fix the map table? We might as well go ahead and try it. Oh, and we should probably get all the girls…"

–x–

Grace was waiting on Bright Soul outside the doors to the throne room, that familiar book in front of her as she read to pass the time. Atop her head sat one of her two ravens—Hugi by the color of the collar—leaned down as if reading the book with her. The other knight, in full uniform, frowned as she approached her senior. "You were called too?" She asked.

"Indeed," Grace replied evenly, closing her book and slipping it into the bag at her side. "And before you ask, I have no idea why Princess Celestia called us both."

"Wonderful," Bright muttered, adjusting her collar. "Shall we?"

Grace nodded. "I was only waiting on you."

The two Lunar knights entered the throne room, nodding at the salutes the guards gave them. Up on the thrones were Celestia and Sherry, currently conversing with a rather important looking pony. Flash and Ace stood at either side, looking relatively bored. Surprisingly, Sunset was there as well, seated on a cushion beside Celestia. As trained, the new arriving knights simply stood off to one side as the conversation before them continued. "As stated Princess, refitting the Guard would require quite the large amount of materials."

"Which we could rectify by simply open up trade negotiations with Griffonstone or Yakyakistan," Sherry countered. "The Griffons maintain a standing army much larger than ours."

"But they have easy access to ore mines. We do not."

Celestia glanced over at Sunset. The flame haired mare nodded. "There are the old Diamond Dog tunnels. There were a lot of gems there—but who knows how much ore."

"We'd have to send a team down there to know for certain," Ace said matter-of-factly.

The unknown pony frowned. "That's all well and good, Sir Ace Guard, but we do not have the ponypower to staff any mines we do find."

"A fair point," Celestia said. "However, securing new sources for metals and the like should become a priority, Stat Tracker."

Stat Tracker frowned slightly. "Forgive my bluntness Princess, but why? I understand the need for materials, but why the emphasis on refitting the Guard?"

"My father has a saying," Sherry said with a small smile. "It goes like this: 'If you desire peace, you must prepare for war'. Our land has been weakened since the Merge happened, and we've been recovering—albeit slowly."

"But we are not in any shape to protect ourselves from outside threats," Celestia pointed out.

Stat Tracker adjusted his glasses. "Could we not simply rely on the Elements of Harmony?"

A slow shake of the head. "Those young mares we have relied on for so long are mothers all, Mr. Tracker. They have their own families to watch out for, and we cannot place all of our hopes on their shoulders."

"That is a fair point. I suppose not all threats can be dealt with by the Elements. I'll see what I can do on the requisition front, but please do not expect any miracles." He bowed, and took his leave. Once he was gone, Celestia let out a heavy sigh.

"It's becoming more obvious that relying on Twilight and her friends had long standing complications," The Princess of the Sun said wearily.

"She and her friends have been the only ones who could really react to the threats we've faced," Flash pointed out.

"Almost. If it was not for Cadance and Spike, the Crystal Empire might have been reclaimed by Sombra. If not for Discord's slight change of heart, Tirek may have destroyed all we hold dear. Even the Changelings were stopped by Shining Armor and Cadance. We cannot allow Twilight and her friends to shoulder all the responsibility themselves."

"Sometimes I don't think they mind," Ace said with a shrug. "Sometimes I believe they go out of their way to find trouble."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Sherry said with a light chuckle. She glanced over at Grace and Bright. "You two can come over, now."

"Of course Princess," Bright said as she and Grace stepped forward. AS they approached, she had to pause. Sherry looked every bit a princess as Celestia did, looking regal and confident as she sat on the smaller throne beside her aunt. A lot had changed over the years. With a quick shake of her head, she addressed the two present princesses. "You summoned us?"

"Ah, yes," Celestia nodded. "Sherry brought up a point about your jobs."

"Our jobs? You're not… you're not firing us, are you?"

Sherry chuckled. "Oh, no of course not! I'm sure my mom has to be the one to fire you anyway. The actual point of order was the fact that you're my mother's knights, yet you spend more time here in Canterlot than with her."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "You're not asking us to move in with Tyr, are you? I've already done that before…"

"Oh no," Celestia said, covering her mouth as she giggled. "I do believe Tyr has enough mares in that airship of his to worry about. No, it came to our attention that there was a house in Ponyville that just opened up. A rather large family moved out it seems."

"Just the two of us?" Bright glanced over at Grace.

Sherry smiled. "It's a big house. You can get more roommates if you like."

"What about my sister?" Bright asked. "I don't want to leave her alone…"

"Heart Song is moving in with her," Ace said with a smirk. "I didn't want to leave my sister alone either."

Celestia nodded. "On top of that, Sunset? I'd like for you to join them as well."

Sunset stared at the Princess of the Sun in surprise. "What? Me? But why?"

"You need to get out from behind all those dusty books—why do I feel like I'm giving this talk again…"

"Probably because you gave it to Twilight all those years ago," Flash joked.

Celestia laughed at that. "Fair point. But the point still stands, Sunset. You cannot spend all your time in the library."

"I just…" Sunset bit her lip. She spared a glance at Grace, who kept her face impassive. "There's so much I have to catch up on…"

"And you can do it. But not at the expense of your social life. I'm not asking you to become a social butterfly, but at least make some friends. I believe you will like Shining Light and Heart Song."

"…Fine."

"So, you two will be going to Ponyville at the earliest convenience," Sherry said with a smile over at the two knights.

Bright sighed. "Great. Reassignment. How wonderful."

Flash chuckled. Bright was complaining, but there wasn't any ill will in it. "Hey, I'm handling recruitment for the Equestrian Army."

"And I've got to apparently organize a recon squad to search the Diamond Dog mines…" Ace mumbled ruefully. "Hopefully I'll get something to fight while we're down there…"

Celestia rolled her eyes, but leaned over to nuzzle the belligerent knight lovingly. It still surprised Bright how… motherly Celestia was to Ace. And how the normally free-spirited snow white pegasus always blushed whenever the Princess did it. Regardless, she would have normally called them out on it, but since it was in the privacy of friends, she let it slide. "Well, I suppose I'll go tell my sister about the arrangements."

"And I have to get my things," Grace said with a shrug. "If that's all…?"

Celestia nodded. "Go ahead, Grace, Bright Soul. We will speak before you leave."

"Of course."

The two Lunar Knights bowed slightly before heading out of the throne room. However, they were barely out of the throne room when Sunset caught up to them. "Grace, a word?" She called after them.

Grace glanced back at her, before turning back to Bright. "Go on ahead. I need to talk to Sunset for a bit."

Bright actually cracked a smile. "You've got some famous friends, Grace. The Student of Flame, huh?"

Sunset blinked. "Student of Flame…?"

"A nickname the guards have been calling you," Grace explained as Bright Soul left. She was smiling after the other mare. Nice to see Bright Soul was becoming friendlier. "Did you need something?"

"I can't move in with Ace and Bright Soul's sisters," Sunset hissed, keeping her voice low. "Remember my 'condition'?"

"I'm well aware," the medic replied.

"So what am I supposed to do!?"

"You could always tell Princess Celestia," Grace reminded her. "I'm sure she'd help you if you told her."

"I mean… I know I can, but…"

"Afraid of what she'd say?"

"Of course! I'm a vampire now, Grace! That's kinda a big deal."

Grace sighed. "I can't help you now, Sunset."

"Wonderful…"

"…Look. I have a few bottles left over in my apartment, so I can give you those. But I want you to talk to Heart Song about this whole thing."

Sunset blinked. "Talk to Ace's sister… why?"

Grace smiled. "I believe you'll find she has a particular affinity for blood. Just trust me on this."

"…Okay then." Sunset nodded. "Guess I have to get used to not having you bail me out all the time."

"Don't worry, 'll keep in touch…" She trailed off as the sound of wings could be heard down the hall. Grace glanced back as her other raven came flying to her, a message tied to his leg. However, unlike the normal colored scrolls, this one was a dark red. "…Oh no."

"What? What's wrong?" Sunset asked, watching the knight remove the message. She was in such a hurry to read the message that she didn't do her normal habit of feeding them. Instead, the two ravens went into her satchel themselves to retrieve the bag of feed. Sunset wanted to move closer to see the message, but she didn't want to intrude. But the dismayed look that crossed her friend's face was beginning to worry her. "Is… Is something wrong?"

Grace didn't say a word, instead pushing past her in a hurry and going back into the throne room. Sunset followed in time to see the confused look on Celestia's face as she saw the Lunar Knight coming back into the room. "Saving Grace? Is something the matter?"

"I just got an urgent message," Grace said shortly, lifting the red paper up with her magic. "And the news is not good."

Sherry frowned. "What… what is it?"

"This report is from a scout group I had deployed south of the Everfree," Grace said gravely. "And this report tells me they spotted at least two dozen dragons flying towards the Badlands."

Flash blinked. "What? Dragons this far north?"

"The dragons control that island in the south, right?" Sherry asked. "Why would they come into Equestrian territory?"

"Are they just passing through?" Ace asked with a frown. "That happens occasionally, right?"

"They're sticking around," Grace said with a shake of her head. "As of a few hours ago, the Badlands became Dragon territory."

Sunset looked around the throne room. The guards looked mortified, while Ace and Flash looked more determined. Sherry was looking to her aunt for help. Princess Celestia stayed silent for a long moment, her ethereal morning colored mane waving quietly behind her. The tall Alicorn straightened up. "Any suggestions on what we do?" She asked softly.

"As eager as I am to fight a dragon, I doubt the guard could handle more than one or two in a combat situation," Ace offered with a shake of his head.

"There's not a lot ODIN can do either," Grace said, putting away the message. Hugi and Muni came flapping over to land on her head, dropping a half empty bag into her satchel.

Celestia glanced over at Sunset. The gold mare blinked rapidly. "I-I don't have anything. Sorry."

"How about we ask my father?" Sherry suggested. Everypony looked her way. "I mean, he's an Ice Elemental. He'd be the best pony for the job. Er, person."

"She has a point," Celestia said softly. "But we do not want this to become a conflict. Perhaps we should ask our Ambassadors of Friendship?"

"Twilight and the others?" Flash asked. "Are you sure?"

"Twilight has experience with dragons. She and her friends are also our best diplomats, short of calling Princess Cadance down from the Crystal Empire."

"And she's currently… unable to come," Sherry said with a knowing smile. "I suppose asking Twilight and the others is a good idea. If they're willing to go…"

"I'll go with them," Grace said with a nod. "If things go south, they might need my healing magic."

"I guess I'll go too," Ace said with a shrug. A grin crossed his face immediately. "And maybe if I'm lucky I'll get to fight a dragon."

Celestia gave him a hard look. "Do not go looking for a fight, Ace."

"Oh come on! I'll fight a small one."

The Princess of the Sun looked over at Grace. "Give Rainbow word to keep an eye on her husband."

"Turning my own wife against me? That's low, Princess…"

"I want you all to come back safely," She told him gently, nuzzling him. "You are my precious son, after all."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"I guess that means I stay behind," Flash said. "I'll let Bright Soul know. Should we keep her in Canterlot for the time being?"

Celestia thought for a moment. "No. I was considering going to the Dragon lands and speaking to King Horntail, but depending on how this situation plays out, we may not need to."

"As you wish."

"Let's get going, Gracie!" Ace said cheerily, walking over to the other knight. "Let's go have words with the fire breathers!"

Grace followed him out, sending one of her ravens to perch on the arm of the throne. She gave her companion a flat look. "You're way too eager about this."

"Says the mare who was absolutely giddy about doing a heart transplant."

"Hey! That's something completely different!"

Their voices fell away as they left the throne room. Sunset returned to her spot beside Celestia. "They're almost like siblings," She muttered.

"We've all known each other a long time," Flash pointed out. "Grace was more shy and nervous at first."

"Certainly changed after spending almost six years working with Ace," Sherry said.

"Well, we have put the matter into their hooves," Celestia said, leaning back. "Now, we have to address other matters…"

"What time is it?" Sherry asked, looking at a sheet of paper. "I think we had a meeting planned…"

"It's noon," Flash said shortly. "You're meeting with some members of the mercantile district."

Celestia paused. "…Noon?"

"Yep. Is something…?"

"I need to step out for a bit," Celestia said quickly, standing up. "I may be gone for some time, so Sherry? You will be in charge of the meeting. If you require help, contact your mother."

Sherry blinked rapidly. "Wait, Aunt Celestia, what—?"

"And… she's gone," Sunset murmured, watching Celestia hurriedly leave the throne room. Her vibrant tail vanished around the corner. "…She certainly left in a hurry."

Sherry rested her face in her hoof. "…Flash? Please contact my mom. And someone go get Bright Soul…"

–x–


	26. Chapter 26

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 25: Mischief and Machinations

"So this is normal for you?" Tyr asked, sipping at the cup of tea he had been offered. Fluttershy, across from him, smiled gently.

"Oh yes. This is how it normally is."

"Hm. You're obviously used to it."

A little giggle. "When you deal with it so long, it becomes very comfortable."

"I see."

Mitta stared at the man and mare in confusion. "Why are you two okay with this?"

Fluttershy looked a little worried. "Huh? Is something wrong with the tea, Mitta?"

The gray mare shook her head vigorously. "No, the tea is very nice, Fluttershy."

"Is the cushion not comfortable?"

"No, it's fine. It's not that."

A quizzical tilt of her head only served to make Fluttershy look even more adorable. "Then what is it?"

"WE'RE HAVING TEA ON THE CEILING!"

Tyr smirked. "I half expected that to be it."

"Oh come now!" An exasperated voice said. "First time I've had guests other than Fluttershy and Applejack and this is the thanks I get?"

Discord was standing on the floor, or at least the ceiling from their perspective. Beside him sat a somewhat amused somewhat annoyed Fenrir in her true form. The whole group was in Fluttershy's old cottage, moved somewhere out in the Apple farm fields. Discord tended to use it for a secondary home, or whenever he and Fluttershy had their weekly tea times. As a welcome to the three new additions, Discord had made the floor the ceiling and the ceiling the floor. Not to mention most of the utensils were floating aimlessly about. "I don't think Mitta was prepared to meet you, Discord," Fluttershy said gently.

"And I don't think she's being ungrateful," Fenrir added. "Simply in a panic."

Mitta was holding onto her seat as hard as she could, despite the fact that neither Tyr or Fluttershy were doing the same. "Of COURSE I'm panicking!"

Discord whistled. "Wow, where'd you find this stick in the mud?"

Tyr frowned. "A town in the Everfree. They didn't have magic there."

"Sounds like a total drag…" Discord stretched himself out, wrapping around the length of the room. "At least my fellow fellows of Chaos are here to keep me company."

"I came by to visit Fluttershy," Tyr corrected, smirking. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

"They had to send written notice, you know."

"Ah, touché!" Discord grinned, snaking around behind Tyr. "That is a grey area, isn't it?"

"I prefer chamomile tea, honestly," Tyr replied evenly.

"And I prefer chocolate milk!" a glass of chocolate milk appeared in Discord claw, and he drank the glass. Mitta watched in horror as the Spirit of Chaos tossed the chocolate milk behind him where it shattered against the wall.

"What about cider?" Fluttershy offered. "Cider is good too."

"True," Tyr admitted with a nod. "Unfortunately we don't have any soda."

"I could always whip something up," Discord offered.

"It might be best not to," Fenrir offered, taking a drink of the flagon of mead in her hand. How she had gotten it was beside the point—Discord was a gracious host, after all. "I doubt Mitta could take it."

"Sorry Mitta," Tyr said, giving the poor mare a remorseful smile.

Mitta let out a shaking breath. "I thought you said there wasn't anything else weird I'd have to deal with…"

"I didn't know about him."

"I was trying to keep it that way," Fenrir mumbled. Discord was at her side in an instant.

"Oh come now, cousin!" He whined. "Would you have been happier if you were with one of the other spirits?"

"Whatever."

Suddenly, there was a violet flash inside the room, marking Twilight teleporting in. The violet Alicorn opened her mouth to speak, but then suddenly lifted off the floor and crashed to the ceiling. "…Ow."

"Oops," Discord winced. "Haven't I warned you about teleporting in here?"

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, concern on her face.

"I'm fine," Twilight muttered, getting up. "I forgot you had your tea time today."

Discord grinned. "We were considering adding in more drinks."

"Lovely. Fluttershy, where's Applejack?"

Fluttershy blinked. "Jackie? She's out in the apple fields. Why?"

"I need to get her too." Twilight glanced over at Tyr. "I'm glad you're here, Tyr. I needed you as well."

"Huh?" The man frowned at that, setting down his cup. "Why?"

A black raven popped into the window then, a red collar around its neck. "Oh, Hugi!" Fluttershy said excitedly, flapping her wings lightly to meet the raven at the window. "Grace sent you?"

The raven nodded its head, sending a pointed glance towards Twilight. The Alicorn blinked before turning back to Tyr. "Grace sent Hugi ahead. She and Ace are coming here."

Tyr frowned. "What? Whatever for?"

"Something about dragons in the south," Twilight explained.

Fluttershy froze. "D-Dragons?"

"Yes, it seems a lot of them are congregating in The Badlands."

"The Badlands?" Fluttershy's voice was no more than a squeak at this point. "Oh my!"

Twilight gave her friend a long suffering look. "Come on Fluttershy, not this again…"

"I'm never going to be comfortable around full grown dragons!"

"Before long Spike will be fully grown…" Twilight sighed. "Okay, never mind. We've been through this. But Grace says we need to meet her at the castle."

"Me too?" Tyr asked, somewhat surprised. He would be more surprised, but he was probably the most effective weapon against dragons. Ice and fire, and all that jazz.

Twilight was nodding. "Yes, I guess she figures you'll be useful against the dragons if a fight breaks out. And the rest of us are coming to make sure said fight doesn't have to happen."

"The soldiers and the diplomats, huh?" Tyr smiled. "Fair enough. I'll tag along. Mani isn't going to be happy about this though."

–V–

Tyr was quite right about his beloved being upset, but it was for an entirely different reason. "My sister simply up and left the castle!" She was complaining when Tyr, Fluttershy Applejack and Twilight entered the Castle of Friendship's map room. Mitta had gone back to the Jötunheim, muttering about going right to sleep to calm her nerves after tea time with Discord. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were present as well, no doubt having arrived with Luna. Grace was sitting with Ace, the former going through her things while Ace looked impatiently out the window.

"What did I miss?" The man asked, glancing over at his wife.

"My sister has shirked her duties!" Luna complained, trotting over to Tyr. He wasn't sure if she was genuinely upset or just playing. Regardless, he decided to indulge her.

"Oh? What has she done?"

"She just up and left the castle, and nopony can find her!"

Twilight paused at that. "Princess Celestia has vanished?"

"…Not entirely," Luna said, frowning. "I can still feel her control over the sun, meaning she is simply hiding her presence."

Tyr chuckled. "Means your sister is playing hooky."

"Ugh! Now Sherry has to deal with all her work, and she needs me to come back to Canterlot to help."

"Lucky. You get to spend time with our first daughter."

Luna shot him a look, but a small smile crossed her lips. "Too true. I'm sure perhaps we could even get Hope to do some of our work and we could spend a mother daughter day…"

"I'm sure she'd love that."

Twilight moved to her spot at the map table, her friends doing the same. Tyr noticed the representations of his friend's Cutie Marks were emblazoned at the top of the throne like chairs and lit up when the appropriate pony sat in them. Spike, wandering in after a minute, sat in a smaller chair beside Twilight. Luna moved over beside Tyr, who stayed near one of the far walls. "…Where's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, looking around.

"Just being late I reckon," Applejack said. "You know that mare ain't one ta show up on time."

Almost as if on cue, the blue pegasus in question flew in, managing to crash into Ace in her haste. "Oh crap! Sorry I—Ace?"

"Nice to see you too, Dashie," Ace said with a grin. Rainbow, more excited to see him than the others realized, grinned widely before kissing her husband lovingly, hooves wrapping around his neck to hold him close. Ace replied in kind. They didn't stop until Twilight cleared her throat loudly.

Rainbow broke away from Ace long enough to see everypony else in the room staring at her. "…Oh. Buck me."

Ace gave her a horrified look. "In public? I mean, I don't mind Dashie, but these are you friends…"

The blue pegasus glared down at him. "One of these days I'm going to sock you one for that joke."

Twilight gave them both a flat look. "Can we get to business already? Or are you going to make out with Ace more and force us to watch?"

"Oh my," Fluttershy mumbled with a blush.

Rainbow only blushed as she released her husband and sheepishly made her way over to the seat marked with her Cutie Mark. It lit up when she sat in it, and then the map table flared to life. Tyr watched in silent amazement as the table showed the entirety of Equestria. "Now that is cool," Tyr said, leaning close.

"It came with the castle," Twilight said with a small smile.

Tyr pressed his finger against his wrist, and Cindy's hologram appeared. "Yes, Operator? Did you require something?"

"I thought you might want to see this," Tyr said, gesturing to the map table. Cindy turned and a look of pure wonder crossed her face.

"Oh! Is that a map of Equestria?"

"It is."

"And this is entirely magic based! How interesting!"

"So what did you need us for, Twilight?" Rarity asked, leaving Cindy to gush over the map. "You made it sound urgent, and Ace and Grace are here as well."

"It is urgent," Twilight confirmed with a nod. She glanced over at Grace. "If you would?"

Grace nodded. "Of course, Princess."

"This must be serious," Tyr murmured. "Grace is actually using proper titles."

The Lunar Knight moved to where she could point at the map. "I assume you all know about the Badlands?"

"Yeah, we know," Applejack said. "Although I reckon nopony ever goes there."

"Because there's really no reason to," Grace said with a nod. "There's only wasteland out in the Badlands. Cloudsdale doesn't even bother with the weather there."

"Because nopony lives out there," Rainbow said, folding her forelegs. "What's the point?"

"Well, regardless if there's a point or not…" Grace frowned. "I got a report earlier today that stated that several dozen dragons were spotted taking up residence in the area. Obviously, they're in Equestrian territory and should be alerted to that fact."

"We're going to try and talk down dragons?" Applejack asked. "Not ta fault ya sugarcube, but it took Fluttershy ta out the last dragon that moved into Equestria."

"And, um…" Fluttershy spoke up softly. "I really don't want to do it again…"

"Could we throw the dragons a party?" Pinkie asked cheerily.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think that will work, Pinkie. Dragons aren't too fond of the same things we are."

Ace grinned. "So we're advocating a militant response?"

"Not even close."

"Are they just passing through?" Rarity asked. "I realize it's not time for the annual migration, but…?"

"I believe they are there to stay," Grace said. "They arrived the day before and have not moved since then."

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. "That can't be good. Do we know why?"

"Something must be important enough to warrant so many dragons in one place," Tyr pointed out. "From the way you're reacting, that's not normal?"

"The last time a dragon stayed in Equestria it took over the mountain you now own, darling," Rarity said. "Claimed it as its lair."

"And it was just one!" Pinkie pointed out. "One really big one!"

Twilight frowned. "It was large enough to warrant us going up after it," She pointed out.

Applejack glanced over at Grace. "And about how many dragons you reckon are out there?"

"At least two dozen," Grace said matter of factly.

Spike whistled. "That many?"

"Yes. That's why I'm worried."

"So this isn't a matter for the guard?" Fluttershy asked.

Ace shook his head. "We don't have the ponies to spare. And we were hoping this could be solved diplomatically."

"So I'm an insurance policy," Tyr said. Ace nodded. "Fair enough."

Twilight glanced over at the man. "Tyr, how about you bring Chrysalis? We could use her emotion reading ability. Plus, having another member of the group who could use magic would be useful.

[Please Master, may I? Please do not have me ]

"I guess we can have Mitta watch the kids," Tyr said while rolling his eyes. "She wouldn't want to go anyway."

"Mitta?" Rainbow repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Who the hay is that?"

"She's a friend," Tyr said. "She's… from a small town."

"She'll be fine," Twilight said. "Don't worry Rainbow, Mitta is a good pony."

"Jeez, okay, okay," Rainbow huffed.

"I mean, you're the one who's so protective of their son…"

"I am not!"

"Nah, I reckon you are," Applejack said with a laugh.

"We should probably be preparing to leave," Grace said. "We don't have much time. How long will it take you all to prepare?"

"Out to the Badlands…" Twilight thought for a moment. "We should prepare to be out there for a few days at least."

"Oh, all these long trips…" Rarity murmured.

"Everyone should pack for at least three days," Grace said. "It's a long trip out to the Badlands."

Tyr smirked. "I think I can shorten that time…"

–x–

"Sorry I'm late," Solstice said breathlessly, coming to a stop short of the white mare. Sunrise looked a little surprised at his arrival.

"Late? I thought I had been late and you left…"

"What? You thought I stood you up?"

Sunrise blushed ever so slightly. "Well… yes."

"Why in Equestria would I stand up a mare like you?"

"I thought… perhaps… you found somepony else…"

Solstice smiled slightly. "I'd be a crazy to not want to spend time with somepony as beautiful as you."

Sunrise actually blushed. "I-I see. We never did make any plans for today, did we?"

"Well, I like to keep my options open," Solstice said with a shrug. "How do you feel about theater?"

"I am quite a fan."

"And singing?"

"I enjoy a good song, especially live." The mare raised an eyebrow. "Where is this line of questioning going?"

"I have tickets to the famous Heart Song's concert, if you'd care to join me."

"Oh, the famous Million Voice Maiden? I've heard her songs are amazing." Sunrise smiled gently. "I have heard her songs before, but never had the opportunity to see her on stage."

"She's the only unicorn I know to use her magic on her voice."

Sunrise smiled. "I'd love to go. I do not believe I have had the opportunity to go to a concert of hers."

"Well, I haven't been either. It'll be an experience!"

The mare laughed at his joviality, and the two of them started walking. It was less awkward than the first time they spent the day together, and Solstice found her much easier to talk to. Sunrise was even more responsive, laughing at his jokes and even replying to his good natured teasing in kind. They were almost to the concert hall when Sunrise asked him a heavy question. "How is your daughter?"

"Sunset?" Solstice frowned. "She's… alright."

The mare beside him frowned. "You're not sure?"

"I haven't been in touch with her since the Gala. Busy with work, and all that."

"Have you tried?"

Solstice flashed the tickets at the door, allowing his date and himself to enter. The concert hall was large, and their seats were on the second level. As they ascended the stairs, the stallion finally answered the question. "…No, honestly I haven't."

Unsurprisingly, Sunrise frowned. "You haven't? Since then?"

"Like I said, busy."

"Not too busy to go out on a date," the mare said, smirking.

Solstice chuckled. "Touché. Although I'm sure Sunny would probably be happy I've found an amazing mare to blow her off for."

Despite herself, Sunrise smiled. "As I said before, you seem quite fond of your daughter."

"Sunset is the best part of me," Solstice said quietly. "She's everything I wish I could have been."

They took their seats, noting that the concert would not begin for a short period. "Certainly you don't consider yourself a bad parent?"

"Bad parent?" Solstice scoffed. "Not to sound like every other parent, but I sacrificed everything for Sunset. We weren't even Canterlot natives, but I moved here with her so she'd have a chance to go to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. And when she got in… I was so proud."

Sunrise nodded. "Your daughter is an exceptional mare."

"Although she hasn't aged a day!" Solstice grinned. "I guess going to another world will do that to ya. She told me all about it during the Gala, how she ended up in a world with ponies that stood up straight on two legs."

"Humans," Sunrise said with a little giggle.

The stallion raised an eyebrow. "You know about them?"

"I was… er, one of the ponies that vanished."

"Oh, you're one of the Returned then?" Solstice nodded. "I heard the name a couple years back, saying that all the ponies that vanished along with the Princesses came back."

Sunrise suddenly looked a little sad. "…Not all survived."

Solstice stared at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but the lights began to dim. They both turned their attention to the stage, where a lone figure was walking out. Or rolling out. Seated in her usual wheelchair, the elegantly dressed Heart Song came out onto the stage. The muffled whispers and mumblings of the crowd quickly died away to an expectant silence. Heart Song smiled slightly before opening her mouth to sing.

Her voice spilled out over the crowd like a physical wave, wrapping them in a blanket of dulcet tones and comforting rhythms. The lights around the stage lit up and glowed in time with her song, almost as if her very voice controlled them. Solstice managed to spare his date a glance—she was just as absorbed in the song as all the rest. He turned back to the stage, listening back into the song.

 _Welcome my honored guests_

 _I ask you to stay, and listen_

 _To my quiet songs of pain_

 _And my lively songs of passion._

It was a welcome, Solstice realized. She wasn't singing a song, she was singing a welcome to all the listeners in the concert hall. And as her voice reached his ears, he felt the magic wash over him. There would be no focusing on anything else. The Million Voice Maiden required—no, _demanded_ —his attention.

And she would have it.

–V–

"That was… that was…" Solstice was finding it hard to find words as they left the concert hall. After a long minute of trying, he let out a sigh. "An experience."

Sunrise smiled. "Heart has that sort of effect on ponies."

The stallion glanced at her. "You sound like you've heard her sing before."

"She sang at the Gala."

"Oh? You were at the Gala? I don't recall seeing you."

Sunrise glanced at him. "I… I work at the castle."

"Oh, I see." Solstice nodded. "I probably would have liked to meet you there. Maybe gotten this whole dating thing going a lot earlier…"

"I suppose, although I do recall spotting you speaking with the Princess herself…"

"I kinda ran into her…"

The mare giggled lightly. "I thought you seemed quite taken with her!"

"Well… I… uh…" Solstice blushed lightly, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. "She's a very attractive mare, y'know?"

"Oh? I do believe some do say her sister is quite attractive as well."

"I don't doubt it, but that's comparing the sun and the moon. Literally. Plus, she's married."

"A fair point."

"But I'd rather spend time with you," Solstice said with a smile. "You're a lot easier to talk to than the Princess. That and you're not a whole pony's height taller than me."

Sunrise blinked, before looking away. "I suppose that is true."

"…Something the matter, Sunrise?"

"I do believe I am hungry," She said, smiling back at his concerned face. "Should we go out to eat?"

"The usual place?" Solstice asked.

"Actually, I have a place in mind, if you wish to indulge me."

"Sure, I don't mind. I'll follow your lead."

The mare smiled at that, before heading off into the city. Solstice followed, keeping pace with the slightly taller mare's stride. It wasn't a big height difference, but just enough so that she was able to look down on him when they spoke. It wasn't like how most of the nobler ponies in Canterlot looked down on others, but when he spoke to Sunrise he got the feeling she didn't want to seem overbearing or self-important. She wanted to at least be spoken to as an equal. He was so caught up in his personality evaluation of the mare when she suddenly stopped. "Here we are," She said cheerily.

Solstice looked up at the place, eyes widening slowly. "…Donut Joe's Donut Shop? You want to eat here?"

The mare pouted cutely. "What? I was craving some doughnuts. Do you not like them?"

"What crazy pony doesn't?" Solstice grinned. "Let's head on in then!"

Sunrise smiled, following him into the shop. However, unlike the activity they were expecting, all eyes were on a pair of figures in the corner, one happily eating a donut while the other watched in mild amusement. "You seem to enjoy those, Princess Esperanza," The orange pegasus said, with a light grin.

Hope paused, halfway through her third jelly donut. She glanced up at Flash, a slight frown creasing her brows. "I like donuts! Don't you?"

"I do, but You like them way more than I do."

"You haven't had any! Eat one!" She pushed a pair of chocolate donuts over to him.

Flash rolled his eyes before picked up one and taking a bite from it. "Happy now?"

"Yes!" Hope beamed. "No fun eating alone. Makes it feel like I'm being mean to you."

"You couldn't be mean to me if you tried," The Pegasus knight said with a little chuckle.

"I could, I could!"

"You're pouting."

"Ooh! You tease me more than Grace!"

Solstice looked completely flabbergasted. "That's… Princess Esperanza, right? And that's the Solar Knight Flash Sentry…"

"Seems even celebrities eat at places like this," Sunrise said, taking a seat at a table. Solstice joined her.

"Yeah, but royalty? Never thought I'd be seeing them here…"

"Is it that strange? The Princess did say she liked donuts."

"I mean more like seeing them here now," Solstice pointed out. "We must be lucky to run into one of the Princesses here."

"…Quite."

The stallion glanced over at her, before chuckling lightly. "Heh. Right. You work at the castle, so seeing royalty must not be that much of a novelty."

"I suppose you could say that." A waitress came over, and they placed their orders. They had a nice selection of donuts in front of them in short order.

"What did you do at the castle anyway?" Solstice asked, biting into his own jelly donut.

"I was in administration," Sunrise replied evenly.

"Hm. Did you work with Princess Celestia?"

The pink maned mare frowned slightly. "I did. On occasion."

"So what's she like? Most ponies think she's like a god or something."

"…She's overworked, from what I can tell," Sunrise said after a moment. "So many ponies look to her for leadership and instruction, and yet they forget she is just a pony like all of them. Yes, much stronger and blessed with a longer lifespan, but a pony nonetheless."

Solstice stared at her for a long minute, chewing the piece of donut in his mouth. "…You sympathize."

Sunrise's head snapped up sharply at that. "What?"

"I mean, from what you just said, it sounds like you're overworked at your job." The stallion smiled apologetically. "Sorry for asking about the Princess. This is our date, I shouldn't be bothering you about work."

"What…?" She blushed lightly.

"I should be paying more attention to you, right?"

Sunrise smirked. "You are surprisingly suave for somepony who says they are bad with mares."

"I guess I'm getting more comfortable around you," Solstice replied with a smile of his own.

"I suppose that is true. Waiter, may I have some water?"

As the waiter went to go get what she wanted, Flash and Hope got up. "I suppose it's time to go back to the castle."

"I wanna stay out!" Hope complained. "I gotta do all that work if I go back now!"

Flash rolled his eyes. "You can't just leave Sherry to do all the work. Princess Luna isn't back yet, so you have to help."

Hope pouted, but let out a sigh. "…Since Sherry needs me, I'll go."

"Wonderful." They began heading to the door, passing by the table where Solstice and Sunrise sat. Hope glanced over at Sunrise, who met her gaze. The light gold Alicorn narrowed her eyes slightly, slowing her pace. Flash glanced back at her. "Something wrong?"

The waiter came out then, carrying the glass of water over. Just before they reached the table, Hope crossed their path, knocking the cup over. "Ah!"

The cup impacted the table, spilling water all over it and several of the leftover donuts. Sunrise and Solstice jumped away, barely managing to avoid being splashed too much. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hope said, panicking slightly.

"It is alright little one," Sunrise said, before catching herself. She glanced up at Hope, who had a knowing smile on her face. The Alicorn straightened up, and suddenly her demeanor changed. "…Ah."

"Then if it is not a problem, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." She turned and left, a confused Flash on her heels and an apologetic waiter trying to clean up the spill. The knight caught up with the princess a short ways outside the shop.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

"Hm?" Hope gave him an innocent look. "Whatever do you mean, Flash?"

The knight stared at her for a while. "…You know, I don't think I'll ever figure out what goes on in that head of yours. One minute you're acting like a child, the next you're sounding as almost as wise as Celestia."

"I have no idea what you're talking about—ooh! Kittens!" Hope suddenly galloped off, stopping in front of a pony carrying a box full of kittens. Flash watched her gush over the little demons before sighing and trotting over to join her. While Hope was letting the little kittens meow at her and try to get to her for attention, her mind was already working. There was one question on her mind.

When did Aunt Celestia get a coltfriend?

–X–

"You're going to be dealing with dragons, Operator?" Cindy asked, a little worriedly. Tyr was in his armory, checking over his assortment of tools. There were several knives and a number of vials each filled with liquids of varying colors.

"That seems to be the case," Tyr murmured, using a mortar and pestle to crush a flower of some kind. He had a few empty vials, and was planning to fill them with the potion he was making. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Just a little worried, operator. You are an Ice Elemental, after all. Fire is your weakness."

"I'm aware, Cindy. I'm making dousing potions. I had to fight a fire breathing creature while working for Jehu, and jamming one of these down their throat tends to stop that sort of thing quickly."

"They are… effective?"

Tyr let out a small sigh, before turning to face his Controller. "Yes, they are Cindy."

Cindy blushed slightly, looking away. "Well… in order to sate my worries… will you take this?"

"Take…?" Tyr looked at the small bundle in Cindy's hands. She unrolled it to show that it was a long white cloak with a ruffled fur collar, a stylized snowflake on the chest. "…Where did you get this?"

"This was your mother's battle-cloak," Cindy explained as Tyr took it from her. A look of pure delight crossed her face as the snowflake symbol in the cloak glowed as Tyr's hands touched it. "It seems the enchantments woven into it react to your magic as well."

"Enchantments?"

"Yes. You mother had a powerful mage write enchantments into the cloak that made it fireproof and naturally cold. The perfect sort of attire for an Elemental such as yourself."

"Well, as much as a shame it'll be to leave the cloak the Striate's gave me, as far as I know it isn't fireproof. Thank you Cindy." Tyr smiled, letting his fingers run across the fabric. It was old—probably older than he could even consider. But it was well cared for. "…Having something of my mother's… I really appreciate this."

"Of course, Operator. May it serve you well."

He finished with his potions, filling up each vial quickly and cleanly before sliding them gently into the small star covered pouch. "Well, I think that's all I needed to do. We'll be taking Ranger-1, alright?"

"Of course." Tyr swung the cloak around his shoulders, finding the silvered cross clasp to hook it just below his neck. "Wow. This is really comfortable."

"I did take the liberty to extend it a little bit," Cindy admitted. "Your mother was a bit shorter than you are now, Operator."

"I appreciate the thought. Now, I should get going before Pinkie comes running in here—"

"Tyr~!" Came Pinkie's voice from the hall. "Are you ready yet~?"

"I'm coming, Pinkie!" Tyr called back. He gave Cindy a wry smile and shrugged. "My dear Pinkie Pie calls."

Cindy giggled. "Then shall we?"

Tyr nodded, heading out to the common room with his smaller satchel of tools and assorted gear slung over one shoulder. Cindy followed dutifully in his wake. In the common room waited Rarity, Pinkie, Chrysalis and Luna, the former two with saddlebags over their backs. Mitta was also there, seated on the circular couch. Along with all five of his kids. "Dad, you're leaving again?" Aurora whined, galloping over to him to hug his leg. Jubilee and Cori came over as well, giving their father worried looks.

"Sorry my little cubs," Tyr said, kneeling down so that he could pull them all into his arms. "Your parents have to run off and go save the world."

"Mother told me you're going on a diplomatic mission to some dragons," Ancè said.

Aleron chuckled. "Come on, Ancè. You know dad has to make it sound more exciting than it is."

"Obviously we can't come with you," Cori said sadly.

Chrysalis nuzzled her daughter. "We will not be gone for too long, my little one. And when we return, we will spend as much time together as you want."

"Same goes for me," Tyr said.

"We will hold you to that, father," Ancè said.

"Yeah!" Aurora and Jubilee said together.

Rarity gave her daughters a smile, before turning to Tyr. "Shall we go, darling? We do not want to keep the others waiting."

Luna moved over to Tyr. "A kiss before you leave, beloved?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," Tyr said with a grin, before leaning over to kissing his princess. Jubilee and Aurora made faces at the open display of affection, while Ancè simply smiled warmly and Cori blushed.

"To the Ranger!" Pinkie said bouncing down the hall to the hangar. Rarity followed her, shaking her head, while Chrys nuzzled her daughter one last time before leaving.

Tyr glanced over at Mitta. "You going to be alright watching the kids?"

"I will be fine," Mitta assure him. She smiled. "If this is how I can repay you for saving me, then so be it."

Tyr wanted to correct her, but figured against it. If that's how she wanted to feel, that's how she wanted to feel. "We shouldn't be gone for more than a few days. There's at least a thousand bits, and if you need help with anything, Aleron, Ancè or Cindy can help you."

"I can help too!" Aurora pouted, nudging her dad's leg. She was rewarded with a light bop to the top of her head. "Owie!"

"You, my little one, are silly. Therefore, I rely on my two more mature children."

"We can be mature!" Jubilee countered.

Tyr smirked. "Oh? Then don't cause Mitta any trouble."

The two fillies saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Be safe dad," Cori said softly. Tyr gently ruffled her mane before turning to follow after the other two mares. After a short round of goodbyes from Luna, the Princess of Dreams left as well. The kids stood around for a minute before a sigh escaped the Changeling filly's lips. "…I miss them already."

"Same," Jubilee said.

"Ditto," Aurora agreed.

"Well, sitting around moping doesn't help anything," Aleron said. "We just have to wait for them to come back."

Ancè frowned. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's go on an adventure!" Jubilee said.

"An adventure? Wherever to, Bibi?"

"I dunno. Let's get Vi and the others and have fun!"

"Within reason, please," Mitta said worriedly. "I do not want anything to happen to you while you're in my care…"

"We'll make sure they don't do anything too crazy," Aleron assured her with a smirk.

Ancè nodded. "We will be sure to not do nothing overly dangerous."

Mitta frowned, but nodded. "Alright…" Despite the assurances the two children gave her, Mitta still felt a bit worried. Hopefully her worries were unfounded.

–x–

"Today was a good day," Solstice said softly, looking up at the sky. He and Sunrise were in one of the many parks that dotted Canterlot, simply watching the city move in front of them. They were seated on a bench, simply enjoying the last bits of the day.

"I will agree with you on that," Sunrise said with a small smile. She leaned back in her seat. "I feel… happy."

"Oh?"

"I normally don't get the chance to go out like this." The mare turned to him, and gave him a heartfelt smile. "…Thank you, Solstice."

Solstice never claimed to be good at knowing what a mare was feeling. Flame Ruby had told him in so many words almost so many times. But the sincerity in Sunrise's words and the smile on her face conveyed her emotions plainly to him. This one day he had given her was more than she had probably given herself in such a long time. In that moment of warmth, he felt like the sun itself was shining down on him in happiness. He swallowed heavily. Sunrise wasn't looking at him, her eyes half lidded and that sickeningly sweet smile on her lips as she gazed out at the city. Sunlight streamed through her mane, almost as if she was part of the horizon herself.

No guts, no glory, he thought to himself.

"Sunrise." He said her name as clearly and firmly as he could. She turned to him, the obvious question in her eyes. But the moment her attention was focused on him, he lifted one hoof up to gently caress the side of her face. And before she could say a word, he pressed his lips against hers. His eyes were tightly shut, so he couldn't see her facial reaction, but she didn't jump back or push him away. A moment later, they separated. "…Wow."

"I believe that is my line," Sunrise said softly, raising a hoof to her lips. "I was… I was not expecting you to steal a kiss."

Solstice chuckled nervously. "Not the first thing I've stolen…" He murmured, before pausing. He shot a worried glance at the mare, but her attention was away from him. She seemed entranced by the sensation of the kiss itself. He let out a sigh. He wouldn't take advantage of her, but he really wanted to kiss her again.

The mare suddenly sat up straight. "Oh dear. It's late!"

"Late?"

"I… I need to go, Solstice," Sunrise said, getting up. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm really sorry to keep running off on you like this."

"No, I need to get going myself," the stallion said. "I have some business I need to do anyway. No rest for the wicked, you know."

For his wry joke, he was rewarded with a soft kiss. When they broke apart, Sunrise was smiling. "You are far kinder than you realize, Solstice. And if you are wicked, then I am pure evil."

"Well, run off before I find a reason for you to stay."

"Ha!" Sunrise giggled. "Whenever you're back in town, we must meet again."

"Same place same time?"

"On Friday, if you please."

"Then one more kiss. As a promise?"

Sunrise smiled, but obliged him. "I will see you Friday, Solstice."

"Celestia willing."

The mare giggled at that, before glancing back up at the sky. "I really must be going. Stay safe."

"Same to you," Solstice said. Sunrise gave him one last smile before galloping away. No sooner was she out of sight that the sun began to set to make room for the moon. "Almost poetic. She leaves, and then the sun sets. Huh."

–x–

* * *

 **There we have it, we have a whole new crisis to solve! And this one involves dragons. And yes, Celestia (Sunrise) has herself a boyfriend! Hopefully she doesn't shirk her duties in order to see him.  
**

 **So, as always, please read, review and return. Don't hesitate to leave a comment, for the Library accepts all.**

 **I will be waiting patiently, and I hope you do the same.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Greetings, my dear readers. I have another two chapters again this week. But before I let you go read (although I can't really stop you from skipping all of this) I must address my comments.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: There will be references. I hope you catch them. There will also be references to other games as well. I hope you catch those as well. And Hope is a lot more clever than you think. No doubt Luna will freak out, Sherry will freak, Twilight might blue screen, and Chrysalis will no doubt laugh until she can't breathe.**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: I was hoping people would pick up on my hints. And when's the last time you saw a peaceful dragon?**

 **Kevin Lapse: Ragglefraggle.**

 **chaddmychal: I'd suggest a translator of some kind. And Tyr isn't a weapon smith. He does have a friend that can do it though.**

 **And that's enough out of me. Onto the chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Fathers and their Daughters

"This thing is super convenient," Ace muttered, watching the world pass by as the Ranger flew through the sky. Rainbow was asleep in his lap, and he was aimlessly stroking her mane. "How many did you say you had?"

"Only two," Tyr replied from the cockpit. Chrysalis was in the co-pilot's seat, watching her Master's skill at piloting with obvious interest.

Ace made a snorting noise. "Damn. Hoping you'd have like, six or something."

"You wouldn't be able to pilot them anyways," Tyr said, glancing back into the passenger compartment. The Mane six plus the two knights were arrayed behind him, all either watching the world pass by or sleeping. Rarity was looking out the window, hoof aimlessly running along her collar. Almost as if noticing his glance, she looked over, met his eyes, and smiled. He smiled back, before turning back to the front window. "…I'm seeing wasteland. Is this where we need to be?"

Grace got up from her seat to walk up to where she could see. "Yeah, this is the Badlands. We got here way quicker than if we rode the train."

"Trains even come out this way?" Applejack asked, a little surprised.

"Some do. There is some trade to the south, although I'm not big on where to."

"My sister Maud came out this way before," Pinkie said, popping up. "She said there's so many different kinds of rocks that she'd never seen before."

"Well, the Badlands are just that," Ace said. "Bad."

Tyr let his fingers play across the controls, frowning slightly. "Deploying a Recorder. Let's find out where these Dragons are…"

"What's a recorder?" Chrys asked, curiously.

"A small drone that transmits what it sees back to this screen," Tyr said, gesturing to the screen in the control panel. Outside the Ranger, a small spherical drone shot across the sky, a bright blue light in an imitation of an eye swiveling around rapidly to scan the countryside. Twilight had come up to the front as well, a look of awe on her face.

"By the sky," She murmured. "That must be so useful…"

"Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to take advantage of," Tyr said with a shrug. "Cindy tells me that we don't have a lot left."

"That is true, Operator," came the expected reply from his wrist. "The one I lent you was the only spare one we have at the moment."

"Well, we don't need it to do too much—" Tyr trailed off as his eyes fixed themselves to the screen. "…Found them."

Grace and Twilight craned their necks to see. Indeed, the screen was showing a large gathering of dragons, some hiding out in assorted caves or just lounging around. There was a large crevice running through the middle of the group, probably large enough for Tyr or any of the ponies to fall into, but too large for most of the dragons to fit into. There were dragons of all shapes and sizes and colors, but the one that drew the most attention was lying in a crater in a sort of position of importance. It seemed to be the largest dragon, and was covered in dark almost black blue scales. "Oh goodness…" Twilight whispered.

"There has to be at least thirty of them down there," Grace said, a slight note of fear in her voice.

Rarity blinked, slowly turning to look in their direction. "…Thirty, you say?"

"I believe an accurate count is thirty two," Cindy supplied helpfully. Fluttershy made a terrified squeak.

"Even better," Came the reply from Ace.

"And there's what, ten of us?" Applejack frowned. "I ain't liking these odds."

"It's just a diplomatic mission," Twilight reminded them. "We go down, talk to whoever is in charge, figure out why they're here, and then we ask them if we can help."

"And then throw a party!" Pinkie said with a wide grin.

"Uh… no. If they want our help, we help. If not, we probably have to tell them they need to leave. And if they react poorly to us doing that…"

Ace grinned. "We fight?"

"…No. WE apologize for taking up their time, and then we leave. You can come back here with more of the guard if you want, but I don't want to try fighting a dragon."

"Fine…" Ace nudged the sleeping mare in his lap. "Come on Dashie, time to get up."

"Whazzat?" The blue pegasus blinked several times as she woke up. She yawned widely. "What? What's up?"

"We're going to be setting down soon," Tyr said. "It would probably be best if we left the Ranger a short bit away from them."

"Fair enough," Chrys said. "It would be detrimental if we lost our method of transportation."

Tyr glanced over at his Changeling, a thought occurring to him. "Chrys."

She looked over at him, tilting her head quizzically. "Yes, Master?"

"I want you as Crystal for this one, dear."

"What? Whatever for?"

"I don't know how much these dragons know of Changelings, but having you transform might serve as a useful distraction, if only for a couple seconds."

Ace nodded, agreeing. "A couple seconds could be all it takes."

"Very well," The Changeling muttered. A short moment of concentration later, and the all grey form of Crystal Chain stood in front of him "Is this to your liking?"

"No," Tyr said cheerily, reaching out to caress her face. "You know I prefer your normal form. But I'll deal with it for now."

She giggled. "As you say, my dear Master."

Tyr turned back to the controls, sending a command to the Recorder to return. Once the drone had done just that, he brought the Ranger in for a landing, setting down behind a tall rock outcropping. He shifted back in his seat with a small sigh. "Well, that's that. Let's go, shall we?"

There was a chorus of agreement from his passengers, and they all filed outside. The first thing that struck Tyr was the heat. It wasn't crazy hot, but it was a dry heat that felt like standing in a desert. "I do not like this place," He muttered.

"Your irritation is clear, Master," Chrys said, staying by his side. "Will you be alright?"

Tyr pulled his mother's cloak closer around him, noting that it did the opposite of a normal jacket—it kept him cool. He smiled. "I should be alright. Will everypony else be?"

"We should be okay," Twilight assured him. Her horn lit up and cast some sort of spell over the entire group. Most of the others noticeably relaxed. When she noticed Tyr's curious look, she smiled. "A cooling spell. Should make it a bit easier to go about our business."

"And thank Celestia for that," Applejack muttered. "I'm not against working in the heat, but this is too dang hot."

"There are a bunch of dragons waiting for us," Grace pointed out as they began walking. The others fell into a sort of formation, Ace, Grace and Rainbow Dash out in front, Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie in the middle, and Applejack and Fluttershy next, and then Tyr and Chrys bringing up the rear. They didn't have to go far before they could hear powerful wing beats in the air. "…Looks like they didn't want to wait."

Fluttershy made a scared little noise, while the others spread out a little bit. Tyr turned his eyes to the sky, easily spotting the large black dragon they had seen, along with at least seven other dragons, mostly his size or slightly larger.[Hubris] Fenrir thought, obviously awake yet hiding in his cloak. [They see themselves as superior]

[They are far larger than any of us] Chrys thought back. [And they are in fact intimidating]

[I've seen and killed larger] The wolf spirit said imperiously.

Tyr ignored the two, instead watching the approaching dragons with undisguised interest. He'd read plenty about them in the Library, and all their various differences, but he had only ever seen Vanna as a dragon. Hopefully the similarities were too few. The largest of the dragons dropped to the ground close enough to make in shake, while the others stayed in the air nearby. With a short huff of smoke, the dragon spoke. "You little ponies are far from home," he rumbled.

"Same to you, scaly," Rainbow countered before Twilight could stop her. The Princess of Friendship shot her friend a sharp look before glancing back towards the dragon.

"Excuse her, sir. We were sent by Princess Celestia in order to determine why you're in Equestrian lands."

"Do we need permission to go where we please?" One of the other dragons said with a snort.

The larger dragon glanced over at his companion before turning its gaze to Twilight. "My young ward speaks true. What business of yours is it where we dragons fly? Do you aim to stop us?"

"We simply wanted to know why you were here," Twilight said, drawing back a bit. The curious gaze of the dragon unsettled her.

"…What is your name, little pony? I know of the sister Princesses, but I have never seen an Alicorn like you."

Twilight smiled a little. She was making some progress. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship."

The smaller dragons began to laugh. "Princess of _friendship_?" One gray one chortled. Twilight's smile quickly vanished, replaced by an embarrassed frown. She obviously hadn't expected to be made fun of.

A blue dragon laughed as well. "I thought those sissy ponies couldn't get any lamer!"

The black one snorted, a signal to the rest to quiet down. He redirected his attention to Twilight. "A Princess, hm…? I see. I am known as Groundshaker."

[An apt name] Fenrir thought dryly.

Groundshaker glanced past Twilight, eyes focusing on Tyr. "…and what is that creature?"

"My name is Tyr," The man said, not moving. "And I'm an Elemental."

"An Elemental…? I'd not seen your kind before."

"Currently I'm the only one."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Um… Sir Groundshaker? If I may be so bold, what are you and the other dragons doing here?"

The black dragon snorted and glanced down at her again. "You are persistent, I give you that. We are here searching for something."

"For what, exactly?" Applejack asked.

"Certainly not a new home," Rarity said, scrunching up her nose.

A low rumble came from Groundshaker—a laugh. "No, little pony. We are searching for treasure."

Rainbow snorted. "Treasure?"

"A lot of it," one of the smaller dragons said. He sneered. "A lot more than your little pony brains can even imagine!"

[I'm getting the impression that dragons and ponies don't get along] Tyr thought.

Fenrir laughed quietly. [Whatever gave you that impression, Alpha?]

"I'm guessing it's down the ravine," Tyr spoke up suddenly. The dragon's eyes flicked to him, before giving a slight nod.

"You would be correct, Elemental. However, as you can no doubt plainly see, the majority of my kin are too large to enter the ravine."

Twilight saw the opportunity. "Perhaps… we could help you in some way?"

Groundshaker snorted, before opening his wings. "…Follow."

He took off, not bothering to look. Twilight glanced back at the others, a victorious grin plastered on her face. Tyr felt and heard Fenrir snort inside his cloak. [Naive girl. Hopefully it doesn't get her killed]

[That's what I'm here for] Tyr thought back, following as the group trailed after the black dragon. The other dragons flew around them, a few taunts thrown their way but otherwise they simply seemed more like a guard. This seemed to be completely necessary as they entered the dragon camp. Many of the younger dragons seemed furious that ponies had arrived, while the larger and older dragons seemed more curious than anything else. Groundshaker took his spot in his crater and waited for the Equestrian group to come before him.

"So…?" Twilight began, but a look from the black dragon made her fall silent.

"The artifact we seek lies inside the crevasse," Groundshaker stated.

"Artifact?" Chrys repeated, frowning. "I thought you said treasure."

"It is a treasure," another older dragon said. "One that we wish to uncover."

"However," Groundshaker said, "It is deep in the earth, and we cannot dig our way to it."

"Yeah, this ground is solid rock topped with a layer of dirt!" Pinkie said. "I don't think even I could dig through it!"

Applejack tested that theory, digging a small hole with her hoof. It only took her a couple seconds to reach stone. "Well, what do ya know? That's solid."

Groundshaker nodded slightly. "Therefore, it seems we can come to an agreement. Your smaller forms will do much better in the chasm. You retrieve the artifact and the treasure for us, and we will… return home."

"And what should we be looking for?" Rarity asked.

"…A gem. A large one, with the appearance of a dragon's eye."

"Perfect," Twilight said with a nod. "However, I don't think we have the tools needed for cave searching…"

"Those can be provided." Groundshaker glanced over at a young dragon nearby. "…Wire. Take them to the Forge."

The young dragon, covered in dark green scales, snorted. "Only cause it's you, Groundshaker. Come on, you ponies." He glanced at Tyr. "And whatever you are."

Tyr scowled back, but didn't say a word. Wire gestured with one claw and began lazily flying towards one of the larger rock spires. Twilight glanced back at her friends before making to follow, the entire group following her lead. [I am wary of these dragons] Fenrir thought.

[Same,] Chrys agreed.

[They hold no love for these ponies, that much is true. So why so easily accept a proposal of assistance?]

[Perhaps they really do need their help] Tyr thought, adding into the mental debate. [From what the Recorder showed, that chasm is indeed to narrow for them to get into.]

[But several of those dragons are barely taller than you, Master]

Fenrir was silent for a moment, before her thoughts chimed in one more. […Perhaps they don't trust the young ones to go find it?]

[Or there are tunnels involved…] Tyr thought.

[That would be likely] Chrys admitted.

The small discussion cut off when Rarity moved up beside Tyr. He glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised. "Something the matter?"

"I just feel a bit safer beside you, dear," She replied with a nervous smile.

"Don't worry, my dear. That's why I'm here, after all."

Rarity glanced away, letting out a soft sigh. "To be honest, I would rather you weren't here, if you understand."

Tyr nodded, understanding her meaning. His presence meant that there was a fear of danger, and he might be needed. "I understand, Rarity. Don't worry about it."

Suddenly, Wire's voice cut the air. "…We're here."

The group had stopped outside a cave, carved out of the spire. A faint light could be seen from around the curve of the entrance. "This is it?" Rainbow asked with a frown.

"Yeah, this is the forge," Wire said, still obvious in his disgust for the ponies. He turned to the cave. "Hey! Half-Breed! Get out here!"

A rather loud and belligerent voice replied almost immediately. "I told ya the last time Wire, you call me Half-Breed again, and I'll kick that scaly ass a yours all the way back to Dragon Isle!"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. The voice seemed thick with frustration, but his advanced hearing was already noting how… familiar the voice sounded. Wire stomped up to the entrance of the cave. "As if you'd be able to take me!"

There was a growl of frustration, and then the owner of the voice came around the corner. There was no mistaking it now. Both Tyr and Grace spoke up at the same time. "…Vanna?"

The half-dragon metalsmith blinked several times, his golden eyes widening in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't really say a word as an unbidden smile crossed his tanned features. "Hello dear friends. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five years since I saw you last," Tyr said, smiling himself. His friend was almost exactly the same as he had last seen him, tanned, muscular, and still mostly feminine. However, the majority of his limbs were sectioned as if covered in scales, and a pair of short horns poked from under his long black hair. Darker and thicker bronze scales covered his body from the waist down, and a pair of bronze colored wings were folded in close to his back. To top it all off, a long spaded tail trailed behind him. "You're a lot more scaly than I remember."

"Yeah, that is true, ain't it?" Vanna glanced down at his body. "Can't wear the stuff I normally wear since these bastards don't have a proper weaver among them."

"Clothes are for weak ponies," Wire snapped, folding his arms.

"Shut up, Wire," Vanna snapped, scowling at the dragon. "Another remark and I skin you and make a coat out of your scales."

"Yeah, whatever." Wire scowled back, but fell silent anyway.

Vanna shook his head. "Snobby little bastard. Just cause I look like this every one of em wants to eat me, kill me, or just spout nonsense at me." He glanced over at the still stunned group, a smile crossing his face. "Been waiting for some actual friendly faces to show up."

"Vanna…" Grace repeated, still in shock. The dragonkin's eyes scanned the group before he located her. His eyes widened, and then he gave her a wide grin.

"Flame-hair," He said warmly. The red-brown pony's face lit up.

Suddenly, another voice came from out of the cave. "Dad! I hope you weren't planning to have me forge this all by myself!"

Vanna froze on the spot. Everypony looked to Vanna. Grace looked especially confused. "…Dad?" She asked quietly.

A second dragonkin came around the corner then, her stride purposeful yet graceful. Obviously female due to the curves of her body, and the extra scales across her chest. A defiant toss of her head sent her dark gold hair out of her face to reveal a striking set of golden eyes. She was shorter than Vanna, yet the scales covering her body were the same coloration albeit a bit lighter red. She was also just as tan. Her white colored horns curled close to her head, like a ram's. Upon seeing the group, her strong steps gave way to more nervous ones as she realized there were a lot of people—ponies—she didn't know. When she spoke again, she was a bit more timid. "Uh… Dad? Who are all these people?"

"Friends," Vanna said, just as nervous.

Tyr's shocked eyes glanced from the newly arrived girl to his friend. "…Vanna, is she…?"

The dragonkin gave an almost imperceptible nod. He motioned for the girl to come over to him, putting an arm about her shoulders. "Well. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Seraphina Charlotte Pyrros. My daughter. Charlie? Meet my friends."

"Um… hi," The blonde girl offered with a small wave. There was silence for a long minute. Tyr's look of confusion didn't go away, the man still glancing between the two dragonkin. Grace's look of shock went away to be replaced with thoughtfulness, and then barely contained fury.

"Well," Ace said with a quiet sniff. He glanced around at everypony, noting their expressions. "This is awkward."

Vanna reached up with his clawed hand to scratch at the back of his neck. He glanced up at the sky, where the sun was beginning to set. "…We should… go inside."

"Yes," Grace said flatly, eyes boring into him. Her bright blue eyes narrowed. "Let's."

–x–

Sunset sipped at the bottle of blood Grace had left for her. She was sitting in the living room of Bright Soul's old home, apparently an old widow's house that the Lunar Knight had bought with her first paycheck. It wasn't very large, but it could easily house three adult mares with no issue. Her two roommates were quite accommodating, giving Sunset one of the upper rooms while they took the bottom ones. It wasn't like she was trying to avoid them, but the solitude was… safe.

Until her supply ran out.

"Sunset?"

The soft voice jarred her from her thoughts, and she glanced up to see Heart Song wheeling herself in from the kitchen. "Oh… Heart Song. Something you needed?"

Heart Song frowned lightly. "Shining Light is asleep already. So shall we speak?"

"…I'm not following, Heart Song."

"Song, if you please," Song said with a small smile. "And you haven't smelled it yet?"

"Smelled…?" Sunset unconsciously sniffed the air. There was the scent of blood on the air, but it was thicker now. And it was coming from Song. As the realization hit her, Song's smile grew.

"Ah, there it is. You can tell now."

"What in the name of the Sun…?"

"I'm a killer, Sunset," Song said with a small shrug. "The desire to kill is etched on my heart. And the smell of blood never goes away no matter how much I wash or scrub myself."

"…You don't seem quite put off by that," Sunset pointed out.

Song looked at her with such a surprised look. "What? No, I absolutely _love_ the smell of blood."

Sunset paused, staring at the pure white mare. "…What?"

"It's a familial thing," Song said with a small shrug. She rolled herself over to a chair and gently worked her way out of her wheelchair and into it. "The members of my family, if descended from the male line, are all slightly bloodthirsty. Killing is about as fun for us as reading for Twilight or racing for Rainbow Dash."

"That's…" Sunset trailed off, realizing the situation she found herself it. She was afraid of losing control of her desire to feed, and possibly hurting somepony. Heart Song struggled with that daily, and had to also live with the fear that she would actually _enjoy_ it if it happened. "…You're stronger than I am."

"I have a brother to watch out for me," Song said with a crooked smile. "Plus, seeing him get beat up for my sake and his, and having to clean his wounds when he came home… I guess it sated my bloodlust."

"I see."

"Doesn't mean I don't have the urge sometimes," Song said casually. "But that's why I sing and help others. I suppose it sates that desire."

"If you say so."

Song frowned. "I tell you all of this to let you know that I can help you."

"Help… me?"

Song nodded. "Grace sent her raven to me with a letter explaining everything. You're a vampire, no?"

Sunset blinked. Grace had told her? "Uh… I… Yes."

"So you drink blood. Hm." Song looked thoughtful. "And where do you get it from?"

"…Grace left some bottles for me."

"Hm. That will only last for so long. I can always mesmerize a pony if you like, and allow you to feed."

"What!?" Sunset spluttered, droplets of blood hitting Song's face. "Ah, sorry…"

She watched in mute horror as Song rubbed her face with one hoof, saw the stain of blood on it, and gently licked it off. "Tastes alright. But wouldn't you be happier with it fresh?"

"I can't just…"

"I'll be there to stop you," Song assured her. "I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you just go around killing ponies."

Sunset sat there in silence. "I… Would that… would that be right?"

"You're trying to keep it a secret, right?" Song frowned. "So you need to do things that may or may not be in line with your morals in order to do so. If you simply told mom…"

A sharp look. "…Mom?"

"Oh!" Song giggled. "Sorry. Princess Celestia treats me and Ace like her kids, and occasionally I call her mom."

"I see… And she's okay with that?"

"Been doing it for years."

Sunset sighed. "I wish I was that close."

"Perhaps you can be?" Song said. When the other mare looked at her in confusion, she continued. "Tell Princess Celestia about this. I don't doubt she'd help you."

"But—!"

"No buts! You can't keep living in fear." Song shrugged. "But until then, I'll be your conspirator. I'll help you with your urges, and you help me with mine."

Sunset frowned. "How am I going to do that?"

"I'll explain tomorrow." The white mare said with a small yawn. "You have a visitor, and I'll see you in the morning."

"A visitor?" She blinked, before Song took her bottle. "H-Hey!"

"I'll leave this in the fridge. Goodnight!"

Sunset scowled, but let Song take the bottle and leave. The other mare pulled herself back into her wheelchair before wheeling herself out of the living room. Sunset let out a small sigh. She hadn't finished, and she was still thirsty. Probably should go see who was waiting on her. With a bit of a shrug to nopony in particular, she got up and went to the door. The pony waiting on her was a shock.

"Dad?"

Solstice grinned awkwardly. "Hey Sunny. I went to the castle to find you and the guards told me you had moved."

"I…" Sunset shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Princess Celestia thought it would be a good idea for me to have roommates. Make friends and all that."

Her father chuckled. "I was telling you to make friends when I first brought you to the school."

"Well, I tried!" Sunset countered.

"The guards tell me you've spent most of your time in the library."

The mare blushed heavily. "I got a lot to catch up on. Things have changed since I left."

"Well, I understand that. But this is an opportunity to make close bonds with other ponies. Don't pass this up."

"Okay, okay…" She paused, looking at her father with a small frown. "So why were you looking for me? Wait… are you leaving on a job?"

Solstice nodded. "I got a pretty high paying job, but I gotta meet with some prude named Lord Elegance."

"Lord _Elegance_?" Sunset couldn't help but giggle at that name. "Sounds like somepony is really self-centered. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"Hopefully no more than a week." He shrugged. Then suddenly, his face turned serious. "…Sunny, there's something I wanted to tell you."

Caught off guard by her father's serious tone, Sunset blinked rapidly. "What? Uh… What is it?"

"I uh… I went on a date."

"You did!?" Sunset suddenly rushed up to her dad, eagerness on every feature. "Who is she? Would I know her? Is she pretty? Did you like her? Have you kissed yet? Have you gone all the way yet?"

Most ponies would probably have been really thrown off by the rapidity of the questions. But Solstice was used to his daughter's easily excitable nature. So he managed to answer all her questions smoothly. "Her name is Sunrise, yes probably, very much so, yes, and no."

"Sunrise?" Sunset frowned. "You met a mare with the opposite of my name?"

"Ah… seems so. I actually didn't think about it."

"Probably too busy staring at her flank," his daughter teased.

Solstice grinned. "Probably. It is a very nice size."

"Oh stop! Don't turn my teasing back on me!"

They both shared a happy laugh. "Sorry Sunny. But she's amazing."

"More amazing than mom?"

Solstice paused, shooting his daughter a reproachful look. "I wouldn't compare them, Sunset."

"Ah… sorry. I wasn't thinking. I guess whenever we get like this I kinda revert back to 'Little Sunset' mode." Her father was quiet for a long time. After a minute of silence, he moved forward enough to hug his daughter. Sunset was caught off guard by the sudden display of affection. "…D-Dad?"

"I really messed up, didn't I?" Solstice asked softly, squeezing his daughter slightly more. "I left you and went off on my own…"

"I know you were doing it for me," Sunset replied softly, hugging her father back. "I knew that no matter where you were, you still cared for me. I knew it was true since you never missed sending me money on my birthday."

Solstice chuckled. "I didn't know what to buy a little filly. I thought about sending toys and stuff, but…"

Sunset pushed her father out a short distance to look him in the eyes. "It's fine, dad. I knew you cared about me. I just… well, yes, I would have liked it if I saw you more often."

"…You know what? I think this will be my last job."

"What?" She blinked.

Solstice nodded. "I've been offered a lot of money for this retrieval. I should have enough to open up a shop of my own. Maybe sell some of the crap I've stored up over the years…"

"All those trinkets and stuff?" Sunset asked, blinking. "You'd… you'd do that?"

"For you, Sunny." He reached up to caress her face. "I never spent any time with you when you were little. After spending time with Sunrise, I realize I want to be around more for those I care about."

The gold mare let out a small snort. "Seems this girlfriend of yours is really changing your life."

"She's pointed out some things, yes," Solstice agreed with a smile. "Maybe a marriage prospect?"

"One hoof at a time, dad," Sunset said with a shake of her head. But she was smiling widely—her father hadn't been this eager about a mare since… well, her mother. "I hope she's right for you."

"It's more so I feel like I need to be better for her. And for you."

"This last job…" Sunset frowned. "It's… It's not illegal, is it?"

"I haven't done anything illegal since you vanished, Sunny. I don't have all the details yet, but if it is anything sketchy, I'll drop out immediately."

"Okay. Thank you."

Solstice reached up and gently mussed up her mane. It was something he had done a lot when she was little, and it still brought a smile to her lips. "You worry too much."

"You worry too little," She countered playfully.

He laughed softly. "Thanks for keeping me honest, Sunny."

"Speaking of honest… This mare, Sunrise… you said I'd know her?"

"She told me she works at the castle." He tilted his head. "Do you know her?"

"Well, I've spent most of my time in the library…" Sunset wracked her brain for a minute. "Can't say I have, actually. Although I probably will be looking for her from now on, you know?"

Solstice rolled his eyes. "Figures. Don't be too hard, will ya?"

"I'll do my best. You just come back home safe. I'll find a good spot for your shop."

They embraced again, and then Solstice made to leave. "Be good, Sunny. I'll be seeing you soon!" He waved a hoof as he went down the street. "Oh, and be careful of those contacts of yours! They look good, but they'll irritate your eyes!"

Sunset paused mid wave, horror spreading across her features. The moment her father was out of sight, she shot back inside and to the nearest bathroom. The moment she looked in the mirror, her fears were confirmed. Her eyes were a dark blood red. "Oh crap…"

Luckily, she had remembered to hide her fangs. Hopefully she didn't slip up in the future.

–x–

The inside of the forge was surprisingly uncrowded despite the number of ponies/dragonkin/Elementals in the space. Wire had chosen not to enter the forge, heading back to the other dragons and leaving what he thought were lesser creatures to speak. Although despite being in there for at least a couple minutes, no one had spoken. Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six were watching Grace. Even Pinkie was silent, apparently in tune with the situation. The medic was staring at Vanna, who was pointedly trying to avoid her gaze. Tyr was glancing between his friends, hoping that they would speak at some point. Charlie was quietly watching her father. Tyr let out a soft sigh just as he felt something pushing into his hand. It was Pinkie, trying to distract herself with something other than the situation. Obliging, he gently began to scratch behind her ears.

"Okay, I'm bored now," Ace muttered. Rainbow punched him in the side, but it seemed to be the spark to ignite the whole situation.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Grace asked softly.

Vanna visibly winced. "You know, for the same reason I never told you I was a dragon."

"But you have a daughter! You don't think I would have liked to know?"

"How old did you think I was, Grace?"

"Does it matter?"

Vanna narrowed his eyes. "I went to high school with Tyr. Most people would have pegged me for being at least in my early to mid-thirties."

Tyr glanced over at Charlie. "…How old are you?"

"Twenty-six," Charlie said calmly. When all the ponies in the room looked at her in shock, she winced. "But when you account for me being a dragon, I might as well be ten."

"So you had her when you were…?" He looked back over at his friend, who slowly shook his head.

"I'm actually closer to eighty-seven," Vanna said with a small chuckle. "I'm an old dude."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Compared to uncle, you might as well be in your thirties, dad."

"I heard that dragons mature and age slower than other races," Twilight said thoughtfully. "So it is true…"

"Yeah, I'm gonna be small till I'm at least forty," Charlie said flatly.

Vanna grinned a little at that. "Hey, your mom was a DD at thirty two."

"I didn't need to know that!" She scowled and hit him in the arm. "And that's not what I meant!"

"I still wish you had told me," Grace said softly, cutting the good natured joking off. "I thought you trusted me."

"I didn't know how you'd react!" Vanna countered.

"Obviously like this, because you didn't tell me."

"Um," Rarity spoke up. "Not to undermine this conversation, but… where is her mother, darling?"

Vanna was silent. It was Charlie who answered. "My mother is no longer with us."

"…Oh. I'm so sorry, darling…"

"It's fine." She gave her dad a smile. "I have my dad, so I'm fine."

The older dragonkin reached out to gently rub his daughter's head. Suddenly, Grace stood up. "I'm going outside," She said shortly, and left.

"I think she's really upset," Fluttershy offered.

"I reckon that's an understatement, Shy," Applejack said with a small grimace.

Vanna sighed and scratched at his neck. "Ya know, I had this planned out a little better in my head…"

Rarity gave him a sympathetic smile. "These sort of things never go as planned, darling."

The dragonkin glanced over at Tyr. "Am I going to have to reconcile with you too?"

"Well," Tyr said after a moment of thought. "There's a lot I need to talk to you about myself, so I'd say not this time. I'm just happy to see you."

"Same to you."

"So how did you enter this world, Vanna?" Twilight asked. "Was it the same way as Tyr?"

The dragonkin grinned. Charlie giggled as well. Rainbow glanced between them. "Uh… did we miss something?"

Charlie shook her head. "It's just… I'm sure you're going to react the same way the last person who asked us did."

Vanna grinned even wider. "We walked."

Twilight blinked. "…You… You walked?"

The dragonkin held out his right arm. Emblazoned on the back of his wrist was a black circle with a cross superimposed over it. At the sight of the emblem, Tyr felt Fenrir stir. [The symbol of the Gray Lady…]

"Gray Lady…?" Tyr murmured without thinking about it. Vanna looked at him sharply.

"How do you know of the Lady?" He asked, confused.

Tyr opened his cloak enough for the wolf spirit to emerge and take her place on his shoulder. "It has been some time, Dragonkin," She said.

Charlie's eyes widened and sparkled. "OH! She's adorable!"

Fenrir jumped. "A-Adorable? I am Queen of the Wolves! I am fearsome!"

Tyr chuckled and pulled the wolf spirit into his arms before gently scratching at Fenrir's ears. "You know you're adorable, so stop fighting it."

Like any canine, the sensation was too much to resist. She devolved to happy growls and her tail began to wag. Charlie looked like she was in love. "Vulcan's forge, she is so cute!"

"Want to try?" Tyr asked.

"C-Can I?"

"Yeah, come over here." Charlie came over next to him, reaching out gingerly to pet Fenrir. The wolf spirit tried to retain some semblance of dignity, but she couldn't stop her tail from wagging happily.

Vanna smiled. "Nice to see you getting along."

"So what—or who is this Gray Lady?" Ace asked.

"The Lady of Death," Vanna said solemnly. "A walking embodiment of death itself. And the Matriarch of the End. Lady Terminus gave me the power of the Travelers, and that's how I got here."

"Matriarch of the End…? Is she some sort of goddess?"

"Of a sorts. She is the one who oversees the end of a plane, ushering it into the sweet oblivion of destruction."

Applejack frowned. "That's a… an interesting outlook ya got there."

"What can I say? Spending time in the company of a woman who literally kills the world around you kinda forces you to see the beauty in death."

"I totally want to meet this woman," Ace said. Rainbow hit him again. "Ow! What?"

Twilight chuckled. "As interesting as meeting somepony that 'kills' the world around her, we have bigger matters at hand. Vanna, what do you know about this artifact Groundshaker is looking for?"

The dragonkin frowned. "That scaly bastard doesn't even know what he's looking for. Apparently there was a legend of a powerful dragon who held an equally powerful artifact. Back when Dragons were more widespread, he led a flight of dragons that lived in the Badlands."

"From what I've heard, they ended up killing each other," Charlie said. "The artifact was lost somewhere out here."

Vanna nodded. "Groundshaker believes it to be buried somewhere in the tunnels below us, but none but Charlie and myself can fit."

"And they haven't sent you down there yet?" Applejack asked.

"Well, we've only been here a few days," Charlie pointed out. "Plus… we're not in good standing with these dragons either. They only trust us to make tools and weapons."

"Half of them would be dead by now if I had my way," Vanna growled suddenly. Charlie let go of Fenrir to go over to her father. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his.

" _Zu'u los yuvon, bormah,_ " She said softly. Tyr felt Fenrir's ears perk just as his own enhanced hearing alerted to the sound of her voice. It echoed in his head, like there was magic in her voice. Vanna seemed to calm down noticeably.

"…Right. Thank you Charlie."

"Always, dad."

"What was that language?" Twilight asked, getting their attention.

Charlie immediately blushed, letting her father go and sitting down next to him. Vanna blinked. "What…? Oh. That was a language of dragons a world removed from here." He gave a toothy smile. "We'd have stayed there longer, but dragons were hunted there as well."

"We learned it in order to speak to one another if we feared eavesdroppers," Charlie explained. "Also, words have power, especially in that language."

"So why don't they like ya?" Applejack asked.

"More like they like _her_ too much," Chrys said evenly. Everypony looked over at her, Charlie only blushing.

"How do you know?"

"I'm an empath, of course I know."

Charlie glanced away. "Some of the other dragons want to…conquer me. Like Wire. I'm an exotic thing they've never seen before."

"And my daughter just so happens to have inherited her mother's looks," Vanna said, getting hit by his daughter again.

Twilight frowned. "Have you seen the caves down there?"

"We have," Vanna said, realizing that the Alicorn wanted to get back on track. "Like I said, Charlie and I can fit down there, but we couldn't go full dragon."

"I'm about the size of a van," Charlie offered as a benchmark. Tyr nodded, remembering that Vanna himself would no doubt be house-sized in comparison.

"The dragons here want to try and dig into them," Vanna said with a derisive snort. "They expect me to provide tools to do it with."

"We hardly have anything to work with," Charlie agreed.

"So how do we come in?" Rainbow asked.

Vanna frowned. "I guess they expect you to go down there for them. Although dragons trusting ponies seems a little farfetched given what I know of them. How'd you convince them?"

"I just offered," Twilight said with a sheepish smile.

"…I see. Just know what you're getting into, alright?"

"I'm pretty sure we're getting into some caves," Pinkie said. Tyr glanced down at her, amused.

"Couldn't hold it in, huh?" He asked.

The pink pony grinned up at him. "Nope!" She said cheerily.

Fenrir's ears perked up again. "…Someone is at the entrance."

Vanna scowled, obviously not looking forward to another confrontation with one of his 'kin'. He got up and went to the entrance. A minute later, and he came back, Grace on his heels. The medic didn't take long to distance herself from him again, taking a spot in one of the far corners. Vanna watched her quietly before turning to Tyr. "That was Thrash. He says that Groundshaker is allowing you to spend the night here. Seems he's gracious enough to let you rest before sending you into the depths."

"That's awfully nice of him," Fluttershy said. Rainbow gave her friend a look, before simply sighing and shaking her head.

Rarity nodded. "But, er… where will we be staying?"

Vanna frowned. "I did say _here_ right?"

The white unicorn looked around at the dusty cave. " _Here_? Oh dear… I… er…"

"We'll make do," Tyr said, putting a comforting hand on his marefriend's back. Rarity looked up at him, saw his comforting smile, and sighed.

"I suppose… oh, thank goodness I brought multiple blankets…"

Applejack looked around, seeing that Charlie was already shifting the forge equipment around and Grace was already settled into her corner. "Well, I reckon we better get settled. Wanna be ready ta go into these caves…"

As the ponies started getting settled in, Tyr glanced down at Fenrir, who was in his lap still. [Watch the entrance while we rest?]

[A wise choice] Fenrir agreed, nodding. She bolted off to the entrance, no pony or dragon noticing that she had gone. As Pinkie and Rarity got their things arrayed near him, Tyr glanced over at Vanna. He and Charlie were speaking quietly, the younger dragonkin glancing over at the ponies. Tyr let out a sigh and leaned against the wall, feeling the two mares and Chrys gathering near him. Aimlessly running his fingers through Chrys's mane, he realized that both he and his friend had changed a lot over these past five years. They had a lot of catching up to do.

–x–

* * *

 **Familiar face(s)?  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 27: Emotional Depth

Despite all of Twilight's assertions, Starlight still felt like she was being watched closely as she walked through Ponyville proper. The stigma of being a tyrannical town mayor obviously wouldn't sit well with anypony, even with a writ of confidence from the Princess of Friendship. She sighed. She needed to stop being so self-conscious. All she had to do was go to the market, buy some food, and take it home. A flash of light made her pause.

"Hi miss Starlight!" A happy violet Alicorn filly said. "Are you going to the market?"

Starlight blinked several times, momentarily unable to understand the arrival of the filly. After taking a moment to calm her nerves she spoke. "…Aurora?"

"Yes?" The filly tilted her head to the side.

"…You know how to teleport?"

"Yup!"

"…That's mildly terrifying." Starlight shook her head. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I'm with my brother and Miss Mitta! We were going to get some ingredients for a cake!"

"A cake?"

Aurora nodded. "Jubilee wanted to make a cake for our dad when he came home. His birthday is coming up soon!"

Starlight blinked. "It is?"

"Mmhm! I think dad forgot, since he hasn't said anything about it. So we were going to make him a cake!"

"You really love your father, don't you?"

Aurora nodded vigorously, before her horn began to glow. "Ooh, Aleron is calling for me!"

"What do you…?" She began, only to then see Mitta and Aleron round a nearby corner, the colt with his horn aglow. "What kind of spell is that?"

"Just a locator spell," Aleron said, dropping the spell. "Aurora does like to teleport randomly, so I had to get used to finding her."

"It was only when I had the magic flu," Aurora complained, frowning.

"Still uncontrollable random teleports."

Starlight chuckled and shook her head. "You two are amazing."

"We had a good teacher," Aleron pointed out. "Aunt Twilight taught us alongside Evie."

"She did? Well then." She couldn't help but smile. "I suppose I made a good choice in mentor."

Aurora's eyes widened. "You study under Aunt Twilight?"

"I'm learning about friendship," the lavender mare said. At that comment, the mare with the twins perked up.

"You're… learning about making friends?" Mitta asked somewhat softly.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I am her student." Starlight smiled awkwardly. "I haven't actually… made any friends."

"That's perfect!" Aurora said happily. She beamed up at Mitta. "You can be friends with Miss Starlight, Mitta!"

Mitta blushed. "Aurora…!"

Starlight blinked. "F-Friends? With me?"

"Ro has a point," Aleron said, glancing from Mitta to Starlight. "Aunt Twilight did tell you to make friends, right?"

"How did you know that?"

Aurora grinned. "Aunt Twilight is _always_ telling ponies about the value of Friendship!"

"…Good point." She glanced up at Mitta. "I mean… not the way I would have liked to do it, but… Oh goodness, this is awkward…"

Aleron rolled his eyes. "Why don't you two just go out to eat or something? Get to know each other."

"I mean…"

Mitta nodded. "I think that's fine. Will you two be okay?"

Aurora nodded. "Of course! Al and I hardly get into trouble!"

"I guess I'll take your word for it…"

Starlight shrugged. "So where do you want to eat?"

The two mares began walking away, conversing about where they wanted to go. "So what now?" Aleron asked, giving his sister a sidelong glance.

"I guess we go to Sugarcube Corner," Aurora said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Jubilee, Cori and Ancè are probably there already."

The dark blue colt shook his head as they began walking. "Cori wanted to go spend time with Goldie, remember? So Goldie should be there too."

"Oh, that's right! Duh."

"What would you do without me?"

"Be very sad."

Al smiled softly. Then, something seemed to click in his mind. "Hey… Ro?"

"Hm? What is it Al?" Her silver eyes met his, curiosity shining in them. Aurora could act as ditzy as Jubilee at times, but there was a sharp and intelligent mind hidden behind her actions. Only Al and probably Chrys had seen her like this.

"…Do you like anypony?" He managed to ask, fulfilling the request Bramley and Vibrant had asked of him the day before. He didn't want to ask, but he couldn't just let them down, not after how desperate they had seemed.

His sister blinked. "What? Like anypony? I like a lot of ponies, silly."

"I mean in a romantic sort of way."

"Hm…?" She actually looked thoughtful. A sly smile crossed her lips. "You wondering if I'm going to start looking at colts?"

Aleron blushed. "It was just a curious question!"

Aurora giggled. "You're too much fun to tease, Al!"

Her brother bopped her in the back of the head. "And I'm going to turn your mane yellow if you keep it up!"

"No~!"

"Ugh. So are you going to answer my question or no?"

"What was it again?"

Aleron face hoofed. "Do. You. Have. A. Crush. On. Any. Pony."

"Like…?"

"I dunno… Pound? Vibrant? Bramley?" He frowned. "Do we even know that many colts our age…?"

Aurora stuck out her tongue. "Me? Dating Pound? Pass. After what happened with him and Cori, he's lucky I don't blast him or something."

"I don't think our parents would look too kindly on that," Aleron said with a shake of his head. "Or the Cakes for that matter…"

"Boo~"

"What about Vi or Bram?"

Aurora looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Vi and Bram? I don't like either of them that way."

"I see…"

"What about you?" His sister sidled up beside him, a conspiratorial look on her face. "You have a crush on anypony?"

He gave her a flat look. "Ro. We're related to two of the four fillies we spend time around."

"That leaves Goldie and Evie, you know."

"Goldie likes Cori—!" He paused, glancing over at Aurora. She grinned at him. "…What?"

"So you can see it too?"

"Of course I can! You're been putting your wings around me since we were little. I know what it means," Aleron muttered, frowning. "Plus, they spend so much time together…"

"I suppose that is true," Aurora said, doing just that. She pulled her brother close, resting her head against his. "…I do it because I love you, Aleron."

"You keep reminding me," He said dryly, but there wasn't any hostility in the comment. Neither did he try to pull away. "…I love you too Ro."

"Yay!"

With a roll of his eyes, he disentangled himself from his sister. "Oh, quit it."

"So, I didn't hear you disqualify Evie."

Aleron paused. "What?" He glanced back at her, eyes narrowing.

"I…well…" He blushed. His sister beamed.

"Aha! Valid proof!"

"Shut up!" He hissed, sticking a hoof in her mouth. "Don't go singing it to Aunt Celestia or anything!"

"But that would be so cute! You and Evie would make a wonderful couple!"

"Shh!"

"What? Who's going to overhear?"

"Just quit!" He frowned.

"Okay, okay!" She giggled. "I'll stop Al."

"…Good." He paused, finding themselves outside of Sugarcube Corner. A small frown creased his lips as they walked in. The store was virtually empty. "…Are they closed today?"

"I think the Cakes are off visiting family. So no customers."

"…Goldie and Cori are here, right?"

"They should be," Aurora said, pushing the door to the kitchen open.

–V–

"Ancè and Jubilee have been gone for a while," Cori said, watching Goldie put up the cooking tools they had been using. The practice cake they had been making was cooking away in the oven, placed there a while ago before the other two fillies left. The Changeling watched it begin to rise with undisguised amazement. "Ooh…"

"Never made a cake before?" Goldie asked, smiling.

"No! Me and mom didn't have a lot of food before daddy came, and all of it was premade…"

"Well, I've been around Jubilee and Miss Pinkie Pie for a while, and they always make cakes."

"Must be nice to eat sweet things all the time…"

"Well, I get a headache if I eat too many sweets in one sitting," Goldie said, taking a seat beside the other filly. "So I have to go slow."

Cori made a face. "That sounds uncomfortable."

"It really is."

They lapsed into silence for a minute. After a bit, Cori spoke up again. "Hey, Goldie… are things okay with you and Bramley? I mean…"

"We're okay," the brown pegasus said, leaning against her friend. "Bramley and I had a little talk after the stargazing night. He promised not to be so… overbearing." She giggled, and Cori joined her.

"That's good to hear."

"And you? Are you okay?"

Cori blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean… you got your Cutie Mark, and all the stuff that's been happening…"

"It's been a little hard," She said honestly. "But I've had my brother and sisters, and… you…" She trailed off, blushing a little bit.

Goldie looked at her, confused. "…Me?"

Cori nodded. "You… like I said, you're special to me. I'm… happy when I'm with you."

"R-Really?" She blinked. "I'm happy with you too!"

"Really?"

"Mmhm! I love—!" The pegasus paused in midsentence, a deep blush emerging on her face. Cori stared at her in quiet surprise. Silence took over the room. Goldie looked away, her blush too much to hide. Cori's gaze never wavered. Suddenly, the timer on the counter began to ring, prompting Goldie to get up and check on the cake. A soft voice made her stop in her tracks.

"…You love me, Goldie?"

The pegasus tried to find a way to deny it, to say anything at that point… but Cori was a Changeling. She might as well have her emotions on a giant billboard above her head. She let out a shaky sigh. "I didn't… I didn't want to say it…"

"Why?"

"I didn't know… how you'd feel about it." She looked at the floor. "When Ancè brought up Pound having a crush on you, I saw your reaction. I thought you'd only be interested in colts."

"Why would you think that?"

"I hear the ponies around town. Even though most of them say otherwise, they still see my moms as weird. And I guess… I'm weird for liking fillies."

Cori stared at her friend in confusion and shock. "Goldie… if that's how you felt, you could have just told me… you should have known I'd notice…"

"I forget!" the other filly cried. "Whenever you're with me, I forget that you're a changeling, an emotion eater. You play with us, talk to us, spend time with us… you're just like us except for how you eat."

"I… You really don't see me any differently?"

Goldie shook her head, sitting down in front of her friend. "I do. I do see you differently. Because I really… I really think I love you."

Cori looked down at her hooves. "You really do, don't you… I never thought…"

"I know that it might be weird, but I hope this doesn't change how you see me…"

"No, it does!" Cori said immediately. "Goldie, I am a Changeling. Love is… well, it's how I live. My mother told me once before that when someone loves you, you never refuse them for a ridiculous reason. And just because you're a filly doesn't mean I can't love you back. And I actually happen to love you back."

Goldie's head snapped up. "What?"

"I mean…"

"Yes!" The pegasus said eagerly. "I want you to be my fillyfriend!"

Cori frowned slightly. "Fillyfriend, huh… I think I heard dad saying girlfriend once…"

"I think it means the same thing, right?"

"So… we're together now?"

Goldie blushed a little bit more. "I um… yes. C-Can I sit next to you?"

"I… I um…" Cori settled on nodding, which made her new fillyfriend smile happily. The brown pegasus nearly flew to sit beside the Changeling, gently wrapping a wing around her back and leaning up against her. Cori let out a content sigh. "The love I get from you is so warm, Goldie…"

The other filly giggled. "I'm happy to hear it."

"So… what do we do now?"

"I… um… I don't know."

"We could… um… try… um…?"

"What?"

Cori had thought Goldie couldn't get any redder, but she was swiftly proven wrong. "…We could k-k-kiss…"

The Changeling blushed as well. "O-Oh! Right. That's… something we could try. Should I… or…"

"I could, um…" Goldie faltered, staring at the floor. A moment later, she felt Cori's hoof under her chin and lifted her head up. The mismatched eyes met hers with a sudden surge of maturity. "C-Cori…?"

"Let me," The Changeling said, her voice taking on its two tone effect again. Goldie felt Cori's magic wrapping around her, calming her and making her feel secure. Almost as if she could feel the love the Changeling princess had for her. She felt so safe with her. "Are you okay?"

"Much better," the pegasus said quietly.

"Should I go ahead?"

"Please do."

And there was no hesitation as their lips met in a brief yet sincere kiss. The moment felt so amazing for them both that they didn't realize the twins were standing in the door until Al cleared his throat.

"The cake is probably burning, you know," He said.

"Aleron!" Goldie squeaked, nearly flying up to the ceiling. "A-Aurora!"

The Alicorn filly had a massive grin on her face, almost rivaling one from Jubilee or Pinkie Pie. "You two… were… KISSING!" She squealed.

"R-Ro, please…!" Cori said weakly, looking from her siblings to Goldie. The pegasus filly was clinging to one of the higher cabinets, a blush running through her like no other.

Aleron shot a glare at his sister. "Ro. Quit it."

"Roger that!" the Alicorn said with a salute.

"And Cori, can you get Goldie to come down?"

Cori looked up to where the pegasus was still trying her best to hide. She frowned, a let a little bit of her Changeling powers into her voice. "Goldie? Could you come down please?"

"…O…O-Ok…" Her tone seemed to calm the pegasus, as she quietly left her hiding place to fly down beside Cori. She was still blushing and hid her face behind her mane.

Aleron looked between the two of them. "So. Either of you care to say anything?"

"Al…" Aurora began warningly, but Cori cut her off.

"Goldie is my fillyfriend now," the Changeling said matter-of-factly.

Aleron nodded. "And that makes you happy?"

"Yes it does."

"And Goldie, are you happy?"

The pegasus jumped slightly, before nodding quickly. "Y-Yes!"

"Well then. I have no problems with it. You plan to tell dad?"

Cori blushed. "I'm pretty sure he knows already…"

"Ah, right. Mental link." He smiled before walking over to his half-sister and gently mussing up her mane. "Glad you're happy, Cori."

"T-Thanks Al…" She smiled warmly. When Aleron removed his hoof, she hugged him. "Thank you for being such a wonderful brother."

Aleron didn't seem to know what to do at first, awkwardly patting the Changeling's back. "I, uh… I mean… I really didn't do that much…"

"Aw, Al has a loving little sister!" Aurora giggled.

"Technically I have three," Al said dryly, rolling his eyes. "Speaking of which, two are missing. I should go find them."

With a barely noticeable blush, he turned and hurriedly left the kitchen. Aurora giggled. "Oh, isn't he just adorable when he's embarrassed?"

"Aleron doesn't seem the type to be embarrassed," Goldie said, finally speaking up again. She glanced over at Aurora. "And Aurora… when you say that, you sound like…"

"Sound like…? OH! No no no no no no! I am not like that!" She blushed. "I love my brother a lot, but not like that."

"Oh! I'm sorry to assume…"

Cori made a face. "I'm a creature of love, but even that's a little weird."

"S-Sorry…"

"It's okay." The changeling nuzzled her. "I think a lot of ponies thought the same."

Aurora blushed at that. "Ouch. I should probably be a little more careful then…"

Cori giggled. "Yeah, I guess. Oh, and Ro?"

"Yeah?"

"My mom said you lost the bet. Do you know what she means?"

"Lost the…? Oh, darn it!"

–x–

"Master, are you awake?" Tyr's eyes flicked open, before he glanced to the side to see Chrys watching him, still disguised. He didn't reply, but the smile on his Changeling's face indicated she noticed. "I see."

"Any change?" He asked softly, quickly noticing the sleeping Pinkie in his lap. Rarity was by his side, also still asleep with a frilly face mask. The other ponies were beginning to get up, albeit quite slowly. A quick scan of the room showed that Vanna and Charlie were both wide awake.

[There is a group of dragons approaching the cave] Came Fenrir's thought.

"Wonderful."

Chrys glanced up towards the entrance. "Should we…?"

"Nothing aggressive," Tyr said quickly, scooping the sleeping Pinkie into his arms. She squirmed a bit at being moved, but settled down when he set her beside Rarity. He got to his feet, nodding to Vanna as the dragonkin noticed he was awake. "Are they usually this early?"

Vanna shook his head. "Normally they don't even come by until they want something."

Fenrir came bolting into the cave, taking her perch up on Tyr's shoulder just as a trio of dragons a bit larger than him entered. They scanned the half-asleep ponies with undisguised murderous intent. Twilight sat up, groggily rubbing at her eyes. "Wha… what's going on?"

"Our complimentary wake up call," Tyr said, moving forward. He gently shook Rarity's shoulder, waking her and Pinkie up. Chrys was already moving about to wake up the others.

"You need something?" Vanna asked the trio, a frown on his face.

The lead dragon snorted. "Groundshaker wants to see the ponies. He wants them to go down into the chasm."

"Already?" Twilight remarked, blinking. "This early?"

"Of course the weaklings need more sleep," One of the other dragons said. "Yes, this early. So get up!"

"I've heard noisier alarm clocks," Came Ace's amused voice. "Seems Groundshaker is the impatient type."

The lead dragon scowled, but turned to Vanna. "He wants you and your kid too, halfie."

Vanna's eyes narrowed. "The hell does he want with us?"

"I didn't bother asking. If Groundshaker wants you, you go. He expects the lot of you out there within ten minutes."

"Fragging bastard," Charlie hissed quietly.

The three dragons left then. "Ten minutes?" Rarity whined. "That's hardly fair!"

Vanna snorted, a small bit of smoke shooting out of his nostrils. "Hospitality is a foreign subject to this group, Rarity."

"I guess we gotta get up then," Ace said. Rainbow, lying beside him, grumbled as she got up as well.

Applejack nudged Fluttershy awake. "I guess it coulda been worse. They could've just come in here and tried to eat us."

"They might still do it," Grace offered dryly. Fluttershy squeaked in fear. Applejack shot the medic a glare.

"Good job."

"Sorry."

Twilight shook her wings out. "Come on, everypony. Let's get going. They might be rude, but that doesn't mean we have to be."

"I think we have a good excuse," Rainbow offered. "I got your back Twi, but I can't promise I'll be too nice."

"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it!" Pinkie offered helpfully. Rainbow gave her a flat look, but didn't get to respond for Twilight was already headed to the entrance.

"Let's go before they send more dragons," The Alicorn offered. The others consented, following after as she led them outside. Rarity and Pinkie stayed close to Tyr, a bit of worry on the former's face. Tyr was about to say something to comfort her, but he felt a soft punch to his arm. Vanna was behind him, and he moved up a step.

"Something up?" He asked his friend.

Vanna glanced from him to look up to the front of the group, where Grace was walking close to Twilight. "…Think she's mad?"

"Really mad," Tyr replied. "I can feel it radiating off her."

The dragonkin frowned at him, glanced over at Chrys, and then nodded slightly. Tyr would have to ask later how he had known it was Chrys even through her disguise. "…Wonderful. Think I can make it up to her?"

"As long as you're sincere…" He frowned. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because she looked like she could be my sister when we were in high school," The dragonkin said flatly. "How could I explain the whole dragon thing? You weren't even a bit fantasy buff back then."

Tyr rolled his eyes, but a light chuckle escaped his lips. "I was more into science fiction, huh?"

"Now look at us," Vanna smirked. "A dragon and a man, best friends and extremely far from home."

"How the hell did we get here, huh?" The two men shared a short laugh, a moment of comradery they hadn't enjoyed in a long time. Despite the obvious differences they now had, the friendship they had wouldn't die out that easily. Vanna was still the same contemplative yet blunt man he'd always been, more at home with a hammer in his hand than a well-placed comment. Just that now Tyr understood why Vanna always seemed thoughtful whenever it concerned family—he valued his family very highly. Tyr didn't even need to see the interactions the dragonkin had with his daughter. The bit of Changeling he had showed him that much at least.

They didn't have much time to continue speaking, for they found themselves in front of Groundshaker and at least five other large dragons, all looking down at the small party of ponies with barely disguised indifference and contempt. A myriad of other dragons milled about, waiting to see how this meeting would go. Tyr felt the hairs on his neck bristle—he did not feel confident in this situation. "Princess Twilight Sparkle," Groundshaker rumbled.

To her credit, the Alicorn Princess didn't shake or quiver in fear at being addressed. "Yes?" She asked, replying evenly. Behind her, Fluttershy squeaked again and hid closer to Applejack. Pinkie looked a little nervous, keeping close to Rarity and Tyr. Grace, Ace and Rainbow kept their composure, watching the surrounding dragons warily. Charlie was scowling at a trio of younger dragons staring at her behind, and Chrys was lazily examining a colorful stone under her hoof.

"We have deliberated on your offer of help."

Twilight blinked. "Deliberated? I thought you had accepted…?"

"There are particular… conditions."

"Conditions? What conditions?"

"This is not going to end well," Ace muttered.

The grey dragon to Groundshaker's left lifted his head up. "We accept your offer of assistance, for we obviously cannot enter the caverns in the chasm ourselves. However, part of your party must remain here, as a show of goodwill."

The ponies in the group reacted in shock "Goodwill?" Rainbow snorted. "You just want hostages."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. Hostages? Whatever this treasure was, the dragons were afraid of losing it. Twilight looked a bit worried, although from the look in her eyes, she had reached the same connection that Tyr had. "Is this treasure that important you'd be afraid of us stealing it?"

"Afraid?" the green dragon to Groundshaker's right chuckled. "We are not afraid. We simply do not wish for a reason to bring fiery death to you ponies because of a broken promise."

"Thinly veiled threats are not needed," Twilight countered. "We would never betray another's trust like that."

Groundshaker regarded her as one would look down on an ant. "Forgive us for not holding the same standards as you ponies do."

Laughter coursed through the gathered dragons. There was a quick bristle of irritation Tyr felt shoot through his group, but Twilight's determined stance kept her friends in check. "Will those we leave behind be left unharmed?"

"Of course," Groundshaker said lazily. He glanced over at Charlie. "…The half-breed's daughter will remain behind."

"What!?" Vanna nearly roared before two hands clasped at his arms. One was from Tyr, obviously seeking to keep his friend from rash action. The other was Charlie's, a slightly worried look on her face.

"Dad," She said quietly. "Please. I'll be fine."

The dragonkin frowned, but fell back into silence. Tyr let him go, glancing back over at Twilight. The Alicorn mare was watching the exchange with a look of pain on her features. She bit her lip, and then turned back to Groundshaker. "…We'll accept those conditions."

"Erm," Rarity spoke up. "Who will be staying behind?"

Groundshaker glanced over at the green dragon. "Gust?"

"The white unicorn, the yellow pegasus, the red unicorn, and the gray unicorn." The dragon rattled off the descriptions so easily it took Tyr a moment to register who he had picked. Rarity, Fluttershy, Grace, And Chrys. Once this realization had been made, a wail came from Fluttershy's throat.

"B-But Jackie!" She cried, clinging to Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie looked similarly worried, glancing up at Tyr.

The farm pony frowned. "I don't wanna leave Shy behind," she said, glaring pointedly at Twilight, who winced. But before she could give her friends any assurances, Charlie spoke up.

"I'll watch over her," She said, kneeling beside Fluttershy and Applejack. She glanced over at Groundshaker. "I'll watch over all of them. They'll stay with me in the forge."

Tyr's frown deepened. It struck him as a little odd that the dragons would have picked who would stay behind, but then his mind began to analyze the selections. The five that had been picked, save for Grace and Chrys, were the weakest when it came to combat. On a deeper level, the two ponies with any medical experience were being forced to stay topside. "…Clever bastard," He muttered through his teeth.

Groundshaker's lips curled back in a semblance of a smile. He was well aware of what he had done. "So will you submit to these conditions, Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

[She has no choice] Fenrir thought. [We are backed into a corner]

[This is going to end terribly] Chrys thought with a sigh.

"I accept," Twilight said. "…My friends will not be harmed?"

"I give you my word," the black dragon said. "Now, you must be on your way. You are wasting precious time."

"We'll get our tools from the forge," Vanna declared loudly. He met Twilight's confused gaze with a small smirk. "What? I like to be prepared."

The dragonkin led them back to the forge, ignoring the jeers and laughter from the other dragons as they retreated. It wasn't until they were back in the relative safety of the cave that Rainbow exploded. "I can't believe this!"

"Can't believe what?" Vanna asked nonchalantly, retrieving a travelling cloak and pack from one of the far walls and beginning to fill it with tools. Charlie joined him with a long coil of rope and something else wrapped up in a cloth. "Thank you, Charlie."

His daughter gave him a small smile and nod. Rainbow snorted. "Just give in like that! I don't want to abandon anypony up here with all these dragons! Can we even trust them to not just eat Fluttershy and the others while we're spelunking?"

"Dragons are nothing if not prideful," Vanna said, setting the wrapped bundle to one side before retrieving what looked to be a climbing axe. "Groundshaker gave his word—if anything, he'll wait for us to come back before trying to eat us. Tyr? Mind coming here for a moment?"

"Me?" Tyr frowned, going over to his friend and his daughter. Charlie unwrapped the bundle, revealing what looked to be an armguard of some kind. A coil of rope was wrapped around a mechanism on the underside, with a spiked hook at the other end. "What is that?"

"A grappling hook," Charlie said, taking Tyr's arm and putting the armguard on him. She gave him a little smile. "…I made it."

"You did?"

Vanna beamed. "My little Char is a bit of an inventor, you know?"

Charlie blushed a little bit as she adjusted the straps to fit Tyr. "The original design had a blade mechanism, but I don't have the right kind of materials in order to make it yet. See this little ring hook around your finger? Pull that and twist your wrist a little bit and—"

She was cut off by the hook shooting out, spearing Applejack's hat off her head and pinning it to the wall. Fluttershy jumped while Applejack looked a bit more miffed. Tyr gave her a sheepish smile. "…Sorry."

Charlie pressed a small switch on the grappling hook's underside to cause the mechanism to wind itself back up. The hook met the armguard with a small clink noise. Applejack dusted off her hat with a roll of her eyes and put it back on her head. "That's how you retract it," Charlie said with a small giggle.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Right."

"Just watch where ya shoot that thing," Applejack said dryly. "I'd hate for my hat ta have more holes in it."

"Sorry AJ."

Vanna pulled his cloak around himself before shouldering his pack. A longsword was sheathed on his back, along with the climbing axe strapped to his hip. "I think I've got everything I need. What about you all?"

The ponies going on the excursion nodded. "I guess we just have to deal with it," Rainbow muttered.

"I'll watch over them all," Charlie offered. When the blue pegasus gave her a skeptical look, she blushed. "Hey, I've saved my dad's scaly behind more than once!"

Vanna put a hand on his daughter's head. "And I've yanked your little behind out of the fire more than once. Need I remind you of Auriga?"

The blonde's face turned a dark color. "Please don't. Dust sickness is no joke."

"Fair enough." The older dragonkin glanced over at Rainbow. "Don't worry Rainbow. Charlie can hold her own in a fight. She's my kid, after all."

Grace made a small 'hmph' noise at that, making Vanna's prideful gaze shrink a bit. The other ponies looked back over at her, with mixed expressions of sadness and regret. "We should… ah… go," Twilight offered weakly. Obviously she wasn't prepared for this sort of situation.

"We'll deal with it when we get back," Tyr said pointedly, looking at Grace. "Hopefully you're willing to talk when we get back, little sis."

The red unicorn blinked at him, a bit surprised at the comment. She glanced from him to Vanna, before looking down at her lap. Surprisingly, a little smile had formed on her lips. "…Right. Both of you better come back alive."

Tyr gave her a smirk. "We will. Come on everyone, let's get going."

"Be safe," Chrys offered, to which Tyr gently ran his fingers through her mane and kissed her forehead. [I will alert you if trouble arises]

[Thank you, my dear]

"I am not looking forward to going into a cave," Rainbow said as the members of the expedition team formed up and headed outside. "Why couldn't we just leave the fliers behind?"

Ace grinned at his wife. "Come on love. You staying behind? You'd be too frustrated to sit on your flanks and wait for us to come back."

"…Fair enough. Hopefully these caves are somewhat large…"

–x–

Celestia watched the chocolate Alicorn pace back and forth in her study with a small smile of amusement. "Sherry, I may have missed something, but what in Equestria has your mind so preoccupied?"

Sherry paused mid stride, looking up to find her aunt watching her with a smile. "What? Auntie?"

"We're in here as well," Luna pointed out, glancing up from her chess game with Hope. Surprisingly, the golden Alicorn was holding her own against the Princess of Dreams. "However Hope and I thought it rude to watch you for too long."

"I just arrived a few minutes ago," Celestia pointed out.

Sherry was momentarily at a loss. "I… I was thinking about something I just recently remembered."

"What was it?" Hope asked, magic taking hold of one of her knights. She stared at the board for a long minute, before triumphantly knocking over one of Luna's pawns with it. "Check!"

Luna examined the board for only a moment before taking Hope's knight with her rook. "Check."

"Aw!"

Celestia giggled softly. "So, my dearest niece, what troubles you so?"

Sherry let out a sigh and sat down on a cushion. "…Dad's birthday is coming up next week."

The other three Alicorns paused. "Tyr's birthday is truly coming up?" Celestia asked, eyes wide.

"I had… completely forgotten," Luna whispered in shock. "After five years of not celebrating it…"

"Has uncle said anything?" Hope asked.

Sherry shook her head. "No, he probably hasn't even thought about it. Knowing my dad, he hasn't bothered celebrating it."

"A good point," Luna said thoughtfully. "He didn't even bring up his birthday back in his world."

"So I wanted to do something for him," Sherry said resolutely. "Something special."

"We could always plan a party for him here in Canterlot," Celestia suggested.

"You know dad isn't one for big occasions."

Luna looked thoughtful. "True enough. So then what could we do?"

"I think he'd be happy just for a cake!" Hope said innocently, beaming. The other three Alicorns simply smiled at her.

"I think Hope might have an idea," Celestia said with a smile. "We could give him something from each of us, something to remind him of us whenever he sees them."

"And you can't give him more kids," Sherry said, giving Luna a pointed look. "Nobody can beat that!"

Luna blushed. "I-I was not planning to have any more foals, not for some time," She admitted.

Celestia smirked. "So you were planning to have more foals?"

"I…I meant… I was…" Luna devolved into confused muttering while Celestia simply laughed at her.

Sherry rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Auntie. Leave mom alone. And what about you anyway?"

Celestia blinked, glancing over at the chocolate Alicorn. "Whatever do you mean my niece?"

"Are you ever going to have foals of your own?"

"Yeah!" Hope said, bouncing up and down "If you had foals, they'd be so cute!"

Both Celestia and Luna shared a look. When the Princess of the Dawn looked back over at Sherry, her small smile was tinged with sadness. "Little one… I am unable to have children."

"What?" Sherry stared at her aunt in horror. "You… you can't?"

"No, unfortunately. A long time ago, I cast a spell in order to defeat an ancient evil. It was not a spell one pony, even with my strength, should have attempted. In return for my folly, I lost the ability to bear foals. No magic we know of could repair my womb, so after several centuries, I gave up." Celestia gave a wry smile. "Although having my sister's little ones around rekindled the desire in me. I am a mare, after all."

"Aunt Tia…" Sherry murmured. She stared down at her hooves. "I'm… I'm sorry for bringing it up…"

"It is alright, Sherry. I have come to terms with it."

"If you say so…"

"So what do we do about Uncle's birthday?" Hope asked, steering the conversation away from touchy subjects.

"Perhaps we—" A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

Sherry stood. "Please, come in."

A young unicorn guard entered the study, his helmet under his arm revealing his youthful face. "Excuse me…" He began, before seeing all four Princesses in one room. The amount of royalty in one room left him speechless.

"Is… something the matter?"

The guard swallowed heavily, running a hoof through his dark black and messy mane. His dark blue coat was glossy with nervous sweat. "Erm… I was… er… Sergeant Ferrous sent me…"

"Your name, young sir?" Celestia offered, smiling gently.

The young stallion nodded quickly. "Capstone, ma'am. I mean, your highness!"

"Capstone?" Luna frowned at the name.

"I was… born into a family of builders, your highness," Capstone offered with a small blush. "And I found I had a talent for defensive construction."

"And so you became a guard. How interesting."

"I thought I'd be more use serving in the Guard than back home," the young guard offered. "No real need for castles out there, you know?"

Celestia nodded. "I see. So what did you need to speak with us about?"

Capstone blinked. "Oh! My apologies, I had almost forgotten. There is a… well; you might want to come to the throne room. It would be more believable if you saw it for yourself."

The four Alicorns looked at one another before silently agreeing. As one, they got up and followed after the young guard. A feeling of apprehension came over them all as they followed Capstone to the throne room, partly due to the fact that so many guards were standing at attention as they got closer to their destination. "Okay, this is freaky," Sherry muttered.

"Should we be on guard?" Luna asked softly, looking up at her sister.

"The last time this happened, Tyr came home to us," Celestia said thoughtfully.

They entered the throne room, finding Flash and Bright Soul awaiting them. Along with a third individual that made them all pause with mixed looks of horror and shock. A light, pale blue female dragon stood before them, wearing form fitted metal armor and carrying what looked to be an axe on her back. She turned at the arrival of the Princesses. "Ah, the Princesses arrive… aren't there only supposed to be two of you?"

"Our numbers have grown," Celestia said. She frowned slightly. "To what do we owe the pleasure, miss…?"

"Ember," The dragon said. "Princess Ember of the Dragon Isle."

Sherry's eyes widened. "Princess… of the Dragon Isles?"

Ember nodded. "Yes. I come on behalf of my father. I believe we have a common enemy, for the moment."

Luna's brows creased. "…We do? This is unusual."

"We normally don't have dragons come to our lands," Celestia pointed out. "It has been some time since our diplomats have travelled between our lands."

"A fair point, Princess." Ember nodded. "But we have never had a rogue dragon before."

"You speak of the dragons currently taking up residence in the Badlands," Hope said, losing her childish tone and taking on a more mature one. Celestia and Luna spared her a surprised look before schooling their gazes back into professionalism. "You know of them?"

Ember's eyes narrowed. "I've been hunting them. And thank you for the tip—I'll be heading to the Badlands immediately."

"I have already sent Princess Twilight Sparkle and her advisors to negotiate with their departure," Celestia said.

"…You did what?" Ember blinked. Suddenly, her features were twisted with a mix of fury and pity. "The leader of this splinter faction is one of the unfortunately many dragons who hate ponies with a passion. You may well have just sent this 'Princess Twilight Sparkle' to her death, Princess Celestia."

* * *

 **Crisis time. And it will be exceptionally hot.**

 **And as for the young, blossoming love... I pretty much said it was going to happen. And Aurora lost a bet.**

 **So! Our favorite cross-dressing Dragonkin has reentered the story, and he brings a relative of his own along. Young Charie Pyrros. Will she and Grace get along? Or will the pain of having secrets kept from her be too much for the medic? I know, and you don't so come back to the next chapter with eagerness, for the Library will be waiting.**

 **And don't forget to Read (which you should have done to get this far), Review, and return. Comment away, for the Library will accept all.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Greetings as usual, my dear readers, and I hope that your week has been relatively pleasant. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to slow down a bit on my posting, since I've got a bunch of stuff to prepare for, and my EMT test is coming up soon. So, for a bit, just one chapter a week. Which is infinitely more manageable. But anyway, on to the comments.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Yes, the Skyrim reference was easy. The grappling hook is kinda a mishmash of the hook shot from Zelda and the the grappling hook from Assassin's Creed Syndicate. There was one other reference: Dust poisoning. It's from the Endless series of games, and is an integral part of Charlie's character. Details to follow, of course. And on the subject of Vanna being a single dad, it was his choice. He really doesn't like the other side of Charlie's family.**

 **Kevin Lapse: It might be something you say. Tyr never tried to form a herd.**

 **Dragonlord RyuKizoku: It was going to come up sooner or later. Best I deal with it when I can.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Things happen in five years, although technically Wanna was a parent long before anyone else. And in regards to the art of the Shout, typically Charlie uses it more than her dad. There are reasons for that. And I'll find a place to include that phrase, although it won't be this chapter. Grace quoting the Medic? I might have to look into that.**

 **Chaddmychal: Time will tell, friend.**

 **And that's it for comments. I won't blather on, so here is the chapter for the week:**

* * *

Chapter 28: Going too Deep

"It's dark," Ace muttered, breaking the monotony of hoof and footsteps along the cave floor. Ahead of him, Twilight was doing her best to light up the way forward. The group had descended into the chasm not more than a half hour ago, and had found the entrance to the tunnels in short order. However, they were deep into the tunnels now and had found nothing of note.

"We know it's dark," Rainbow muttered in response, wings fluttering with the desire to take off and fly. But considering that the party's two tallest members—Tyr and Vanna—had to stoop in order to move comfortably; there was no way she'd be able to. That fact seemed to frustrate her.

Ace gave his wife an appraising look. "I'd rather be able to see you, ya know."

"…Quit it."

"Is there anything we can do ta light up the way a bit more?" Applejack asked from the rear of the group. "Y'all don't have any trick up your sleeve, do ya Tyr?"

"Nothing I can really carry with me," Tyr said with a shrug. He was already using his magical aura to provide a little bit of light.

"Too bad I don't have any wood," Vanna muttered ruefully. "Be a cinch to make some torches."

"That would be helpful," Twilight admitted. "But maybe—ooh! Found an opening!"

They entered into a large room, the light from Twilight's horn playing over the walls. "Finally!" Rainbow cried, taking off. It wasn't a high ceiling, but it was high enough to allow her to do several rapid laps around the top. Twilight was more interested in the multiple exits to the cavern.

"Somepony's happy," Applejack said dryly, trotting over to a stalagmite and sitting next to it. Tyr watched her for a bit, noticing the aura of frustration that was radiating off the farm pony. She had not been happy about leaving Fluttershy behind, and it showed. Pinkie was in a similar predicament, although she was hiding her feelings behind her near constant smile. Vowing to speak to Applejack once the pink mare was comforted, Tyr knelt down beside Pinkie.

The party pony looked at him with a curious look. "What's wrong, Tyr?"

"Worried about you," He offered with a small smile, reaching up to mess with her mane. Despite how puffy and wild it looked, it was surprisingly neat and not tangled at all. On top of that, it constantly smelled like cotton candy. "Your smile is a bit fake."

Pinkie stared at him in shock, before looking down at her hooves. "Y-You can tell?"

"I'm part Changeling," Tyr said with a chuckle. "I can tell, Pinkie."

"Oh… right." She sat down on the ground, Tyr sitting next to her. Without warning, she put her head against him. "…I miss Rare-bear."

Tyr smiled and put an arm around her. "I miss Rarity too."

"…I miss Lunie too."

"Lunie?" Tyr chuckled. "That's your nickname for Mani?"

"Well, I can't call her that!" She stuck out her tongue at him. "That's your nickname for her!"

"Fair enough. And I miss her too."

"And Chrissy."

"And Chrissy."

"And Ancè, and Jubilee, and Aleron, and Aurora and even little Cori!"

Tyr chuckled. "I miss them all too."

Pinkie let out a sigh. "Did we have to leave them?"

"I wish we didn't have to leave them either," Tyr admitted, stroking her mane. "But we had to. Don't worry, they'll be fine. We'll be seeing them soon."

"You sure?"

"Very sure."

"Pinkie Promise?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," He intoned, doing the motions. Pinkie grinned widely before leaping up onto him, planting a kiss directly on his lips. When she pulled away, Tyr spotted Vanna watching him, a curious look on his friend's face. The Elemental inwardly groaned. Too many people/ponies he needed to talk to.

"I'll go talk to Applejack," Pinkie said, her pep renewed. She hopped up onto her hooves. "You go talk to Vanna."

Tyr shot a glance at her, but let a smile of his own cross his face. "Thanks Pinkie."

"Of course!" She grinned at him, before trotting over to Applejack. Tyr in turn rose as well and went over to Vanna. The dragonkin was examining a rock formation on a far wall, allowing the other members of the group some relative privacy. When he noticed Tyr approaching, he turned so he was leaning against a stalagmite.

"What's up?" He asked nonchalantly.

"You looked like you wanted to ask me something," Tyr countered evenly.

"…You always could read me like a book," The dragonkin said with a chuckle. Then, his face grew serious. "…Nothing happened between you and Luna did it?"

Tyr blinked. "What?"

"I mean, the pink one… that's Pinkie Pie, right? She kissed you." He frowned. "And you didn't seem too against it."

"Ah. That. That needs a little bit of explaining."

"Obviously."

"First off, nothing bad happened between me and Luna. The truth is I'm… in a herd now."

Vanna raised a questioning eyebrow. "A herd? I thought you were a wolf, man."

"Things happen," Tyr said with a shrug. "Remember the whole 'donating' thing?"

"Yeah, I remember you telling me about… oh. You met your kids, huh?"

"Two daughters. Two wonderful little girls who were willing to give the strange guy they had never met the chance to be their father."

Vanna whistled. "Wow dude, that's… crazy. So their moms were okay with it?"

"Okay with it?" Tyr chuckled. "They were too happy to have me in the lives of those two girls. Rarity and Pinkie were happy to form a herd with me anyway."

"So… what's that like? Having three women to satisfy?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Difficult. And it's four. Did you forget about Chrissy?"

"Ah, right. Your pet. She looked like she was doing alright."

"She is, mischievous as always. I love her for it regardless."

Vanna nodded. "Here I was worried about my one girl. You've got four kids to worry about."

"Actually… five."

"Five!?" Vanna's shocked reply caught the attention of the others in the cave. The dragonkin lowered his voice and spoke again in a more measured tone. "You have _five_ kids?"

Tyr nodded. "Chrys, remember? And technically seven if you want to count Sherry and Hope."

"Her too? Jeez bro, are you like super fertile or something? Only reason Cinder and I were allowed to keep Charlie is because of how seldom our species of dragons actually have children."

"Was it really that unlikely?" Twilight asked. When the two men glanced over at her, she smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear."

Vanna shrugged. "No big deal. Birth rate was low among my kin."

"So… your wife's name was Cinder?" Ace asked.

The look that passed over the dragonkin's face was equal measures frustration, remorse, and sadness all in the span of an instant. He turned away to the far wall, letting none of them see his face. "…No. Cinder and I were never married. We—"

A low rumble caught their attention then. "The buck was that?" Rainbow asked, hovering a bit closer to the ground.

"Y'all think we ain't alone down here?" Applejack asked warily, coming over to the group with Pinkie.

"Silly filly, we're not alone!" The pink mare said with a giggle. "We have each other!"

"Not what I meant, Pinkie…"

The rumbling stopped. "Well, whatever it is, it passed," Vanna said with a small frown. "But if anything, that's a cue to continue on."

"Great," Rainbow muttered, landing beside Ace. "More tunnels."

"Large caverns like this tend to connect," Twilight offered. "Hopefully we'll find more?"

"I hope so."

The group pushed forward then, Twilight taking the lead once more. Silence fell over them all as they focused on the task ahead. After a few more tense minutes of walking, Ace groaned. "It's dark."

"Please don't start that again," Vanna muttered.

"Just an observation, man."

Twilight glanced back. "Come on you two, focus. We need to—Oh, another open area!"

"Seems we lucked out again," Tyr muttered, looking around. This cave had more entrances than the last one, although most were too small for them to enter. "…Hold a moment, Twilight."

"Huh?" The Princess of Friendship looked over at him, a frown on her face. "What is it, Tyr?"

"What normally lives underground like this?"

"Um… Diamond Dogs, as far as I remember. I don't really…" She trailed off, ears perking up. She looked up at one of the smaller tunnels. "What…?"

"You hear something?" Ace asked.

A scraping noise could be faintly heard from the walls. Twilight backed up a bit, casting a worried glance in Tyr's direction. "Tyr… you can still do that sonar spell, right?"

Tyr nodded wordlessly, his magic flaring out in a pulse. Twilight shivered as she felt the man's magic wash over her. The silver wave passed through the walls with ease. But what Tyr found made even his cold resistant skin prickle. Hundreds of creatures were poised in the tunnels, waiting for some unspoken command. "…Twilight?"

"Yes Tyr?" The violet Alicorn blinked, noticing Tyr's quiet tone. "W-What is it?"

"Pick one of the larger tunnels and run."

"What?"

"This one!" Ace hissed, shoving Twilight into the nearest tunnel. "Go!"

Pinkie shrieked suddenly, and then the chittering began. A sea of small crab-like creatures began to flood down the tunnel behind them. "Move, move, move, MOVE!" Vanna yelled, spurring the whole group into motion. Twilight's horn lit up the way forward, the light jumping up and down as they ran. The chittering grew louder and louder, the sea of cave-crabs almost on the heels of Tyr as he brought up the rear.

"They're catching up!" Applejack cried, galloping as hard as she could.

"Tyr!" Rainbow called, "Do something!"

Tyr frowned, but his mind was already running through his options. Ice would work, but blocking off the tunnel would only do so much. There were a number of smaller tunnels that crisscrossed the one they were in at the moment, and the cave-crabs would only flood around and get in front of them. So a more direct solution would be needed. "Fire Burst," Tyr murmured, hand slipping into his cloak. Fenrir was waiting on it, a spherical vial in her smaller hands retrieved from the pouch in his cloak.

"Here," She muttered, shoving it into his hands. "And you're welcome!"

Tyr grinned back at her, before turning sharply to face the tide. "Cover your ears!" He yelled, hurling the vial back down the tunnel. It struck the floor in front of the cave-crabs, detonating in a bright plume of fire. A screech of pain came from their pursuers.

"Vulcan's embers, Tyr!" Vanna remarked, looking back at the fire. "Learned some new tricks since we've seen each other?"

"You'd be surprised," Tyr said with a smirk. "We'll talk about it later—!"

"No, no, no, NO!" Twilight screamed suddenly. The two men looked forward to see the five ponies ahead of them crowded together. "Stop!"

"What's going on?" Vanna asked, only to pull up short. "…Hellfire."

Tyr joined them then, eyes widening. They were on the edge of a chasm, an underground river a good distance below them. There was no other way to go. "…Oh. Damn."

"What do we do?" Pinkie asked worriedly.

"Unfortunately only half of us can fly," Applejack said. She spared a glance behind them. The cave-crabs were surging forward again, and would be on them within the minute. "And we don't have a lot of time."

"Do we jump?"

"Better idea," Tyr said. "Don't think, just follow me!"

With his friends staring at him in shock, he leapt off the cliff edge. "Crazy bastard!" Vanna yelled after him. Tyr had a wild grin on his face, white aura flaring to life. With a wave of his hand, an angled platform of ice formed under him, becoming a slide. "What the hell—when did…!?"

"Skadi's spear!" Fenrir hissed as they slid rapidly along the ice track. "Why did you consider this!?"

"Seemed like a good idea!" Tyr replied, more focused on controlling the path of the ice track. Behind him, he could hear Pinkie's whoop of glee as she followed after him, obviously enjoying herself. A worried yell came from Applejack, and several cries of distress as those who could fly followed after. Tyr glanced back only momentarily to see the cave-crabs surging over the cliff side, plummeting to the ground below. "And look—it's working out!"

Fenrir's teeth clamped down on his arm. "Watch where we're going!"

Tyr glanced back around, barely managing to angle the slide to keep them from hitting the wall. Instead, he sent them shooting down to a lower cliff. He ended the slide at the edge so they could land. "Get ready to land!" He called out. He threw himself off the slide at the very end, tucking into a roll before hopping back up onto his feet.

Pinkie was first, tossing herself into his waiting arms. She giggled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Applejack came sliding down next, staggering as her hooves met rock and tripping over into a heap. The rest of the group—all able to fly—alighted a moment later. "Everypony okay?" Twilight asked.

"I think I'll be okay," Applejack said as Ace helped her up. "Thanks."

"No problem," the knight said. He looked back behind them, seeing the cave-crabs smashing into the rocks behind them. "Looks like they're done for."

"That noise is going to haunt my dreams," Rainbow said with a disgusted look.

"We'll ask Lunie to help when we get back," Pinkie offered. Her pegasus friend stared at her with a frown, obviously confused about the nickname.

"Right…"

"Let's get moving again," Vanna said, adjusting his pack. He glanced over at Tyr. "You're gonna need to explain where the ice powers come from, bro."

"I've got an interesting family tree," the Elemental offered. "But that's a story for later."

"We're gonna have some serious catching up to do," Vanna muttered with a small smile. "Come on, we got more tunnel to—"

He was cut off by a loud cracking noise, and then the part of cliff Applejack was standing on broke under her. "BUCK!" The farm pony yelled, scrabbling for purchase. But hooves weren't made to grab stone like that, and she slipped past the edge before anyone could grab her.

"Applejack!" Twilight cried, but Tyr was already moving. With a twist of his wrist, he shot the grappling hook into the rock wall and then threw himself over the edge. He managed to snag Applejack around the body before she fell too far. The rope went taut and their fall was quickly arrested. "Tyr, did you get her?"

"I got her," Tyr said, wincing from where the rope had pulled hard on his wrist. "You alright, cowgirl?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah… thanks for the save, Tyr."

"No prob. Can you guys pull us up?"

"On it," Vanna called, reaching down to grab the rope. Ace and Rainbow leant their strength as well and in no time the man and mare were back on solid rock. Just to be sure, they moved into the nearest tunnel for added stability. "Well, that was close."

"Tell me about it," Applejack said. She smiled at Tyr. "Thanks again, sugarcube."

Tyr smiled. "Of course. I have to make sure you get back safe to Fluttershy, right?"

"Right."

"Well, glad you're both okay," Rainbow said with a relieved sigh. "Next time don't just jump off like that!"

Tyr smirked nervously. "Sorry, instinct."

"He can't help it," Vanna said with a grin. "Natural hero instinct."

"Oh, shut up."

Twilight smiled. "This was pretty close call. Let's try to be more careful?"

"Not much we can do if we're being chased by crabs," Ace said. "Plus, we don't even know where we are…"

"I have an idea…" Twilight's horn lit up, and a violet wave of energy went sliding down the tunnel near them. After a moment of waiting, she shivered. "There's… a magical signature coming from this tunnel. We can follow that."

"Lead the way, Princess."

Yet again, Twilight took point, leading the group down the tunnel she had picked. But instead of getting darker as they went deeper, the tunnel was surprisingly getting lighter. "Guess you can't complain this time," Rainbow said with a smirk towards Ace.

Ace grinned. "I could still say it."

"And I could implement a sex ban."

Applejack glanced over at the two pegasii. "Really? We're wandering down in a tunnel to Celestia knows where, and y'all two start talking about sex?"

Rainbow shot her farm friend a saucy look. "What, haven't enjoyed Shy's 'companionship' in a while?"

That actually managed to get a blush from the normally tough farm pony. "What? Why in Equestria would you even ask that!?

"Just a curious question!"

Vanna chuckled and rolled his eyes. "This is what you guys talk about when you're on dangerous missions?"

"Not normally," Twilight said flatly.

"What, soft spot?"

The Princess gave him a flat look. "I don't get to see my husband that often."

Vanna held up his hands in mock surrender. "I won't press ya."

"What about you, Vanna?" Rainbow asked, flying forward to hover near the Dragonkin's shoulder. "Any special dragons in your life?"

"Just one pony," Vanna replied evenly.

"…Oh. Grace, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Jeez bro. Hung up on her much?"

"Dragons don't give up on things they care about that easily."

"I'll take your word for it."

A small smirk crossed the dragonkin's face then. "Why don't you ask Tyr? I'm sure with four mares at home he's seeing plenty of action."

"Tyr hasn't done it with me yet!" Pinkie complained.

Tyr's hand suddenly clamped down on the mare's head. "Pinkie, stop."

"Yes sir!" She said happily. The other ponies in the group stared at the two for a long minute.

Finally, Ace glanced up at his wife. "Why can't you be like that?"

"Oh, shut up!" Rainbow snapped.

"Come on everypony," Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. "Let's stay focused and not run into any more problems, okay?"

Ace saluted. "Roger that, Princess."

"Sometimes I actually forget I technically have authority over you, Ace."

"Familiarity breeds contempt?"

"I think I would actually be hurt if my friend's husband didn't like me."

Ace chuckled. "Well, Flash is pretty much my brother, so no worries. We might as well be relatives."

"Perish the thought—ooh, what's this?" Twilight turned away from Ace and glanced down an adjoining tunnel. The others moved to see, gasps coming from all of them upon discovering that the tunnel was lined with glowing stones in the walls. "These look interesting…"

"I don't think I've ever seen stones like those," Applejack muttered.

Pinkie walked forward and sniffed one of the glowing stones. "They're crystals, not stones."

"Guess our resident rock farm expert would know…"

Twilight moved a little down the tunnel, looking at the crystals. "These crystals… they aren't naturally forming. These were placed here."

"They were?" Vanna asked, a frown on his face. He looked closely. Each individual crystal was set into a small indentation, almost like a light fixture. "Hm. I see. These were indeed put here. But by who?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "…There's someone living down here."

"Who would want to live underground?" Rainbow asked, obviously confused.

They moved down the tunnel, no need for magical light now that they had the crystals. A new sense of anticipation at the discovery of whoever placed the crystals filled them. If anything, they had a lead on where they needed to go. A nervous silence hung in the air over them. And then they entered another open cavern. However, this one wasn't as empty as the previous ones. The group paused as they saw what looked to be large, cordoned off gatherings of moss, almost like farms. But the real attraction wasn't the moss farms. It was the trio of ponies standing in a small group near one, obviously checking on the farms themselves. They were smaller than your average pony, and their coats were varying shades of gray. Their manes were a bit of a wider range, going from white to black, but all muted colors. However the most interesting thing about the appearance of the ponies in front of them were the varying colored gems set in their foreheads. Not like they were wearing them, almost as if they were _born_ with them. "Flame of the forge…" Vanna murmured.

His voice was enough to catch the attention of the three ponies, and their heads turned sharply to spot them. Their eyes glowed a soft yellow light, giving them a forbidding glow. Judging from the looks of surprise and shock, they looked like they were about to run. "Wait, please…!" Twilight began.

Then their eyes fell on Tyr. A look of recognition fell over them, and then they quickly rushed forward to then bow at his feet. The lightest shade of the three of them scooted forward an inch. "We humbly welcome you, Moonhowler, to the Underhome."

Rainbow was flabbergasted. "…What."

"Moonhowler?" Vanna glanced over at Tyr, an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "Titles now too?"

Tyr shrugged. "I don't even know what is going on…"

"Excuse me," Twilight said, coming over to Tyr's side. "Who… who are you ponies?"

The light gray pony looked up, the sapphire in his forehead shining. "I am known as Moss Hoof, and I am the head pony in charge of overseeing the moss farms. These are my assistants, Stone Breaker and Cave Light. We are of the Dwellers."

Twilight blinked. "Dwellers…? I've never heard that name, let alone heard of a race of ponies that lived underground…"

Stone Breaker had an emerald in his forehead, while Cave Light had a diamond. The two stallions nodded in greeting. Pinkie bounced over to Cave Light, eyes narrowing as she squinted at his gem. "Why do you guys have gems in your heads? Did somepony put them there?"

"All of us are born with our Mind Gems," Cave Light explained. "They grant us the power we need to live here."

Twilight frowned. "Power? What power?"

"This." The dark gray stallion went over to one of the cave walls, and pressed both of his hooves into it. A moment of concentration passed, and then the diamond in his head glowed brightly. The wall shifted and split apart, revealing a closed tunnel lined with more light crystals. The collective jaws of the ponies in the group dropped. "They can control the stone itself…?" Ace muttered. "That is too cool…"

Vanna rolled his eyes. "Earthbenders. Go figure."

"We should take you to the Seer," Moss Hoof said. "Please, take this tunnel. Cave? Lead them if you will."

"It would be my honor to escort Moonhowler and his companions," Cave Light said with another bow. "Please, follow me."

"This has hit a whole new level of 'what the hell are we doing'," Ace muttered.

"This is so exciting!" Twilight said with a happy giggle. "Learning about a whole new race of ponies!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Glad somepony is enjoying herself…"

–x–

"You learned how to forge from your father?" Rarity asked, watching Charlie as she wiped down a blade she was making. The dragonkin had started working moments after her father and friends had left, no doubt trying to find something to distract her from worrying after them. Rarity had decided to strike up a conversation with the girl, since Fluttershy was either too worried or scared, Chrys was watching the entrance, and Grace was still staying silent. So it was up to the fashionista to do something to pass the time.

Charlie glanced over at the unicorn. "Um… Yes. He told me all the Pyrros family members learn how to shape metal at a young age. And… well… I like it."

"You do?"

"It let me bond with my father," Charlie said, setting aside her rag. She set the blade aside and sat down on a relatively flat rock. "I mean, I'm not exactly a frilly sort of girl."

"Oh? So you are more tomboyish?"

"Quite. I'm bisexual."

"Oh. Oh my." Rarity blinked. Even Fluttershy looked up at that. Chrys, overhearing from her spot, chuckled quietly.

"You're… comfortable saying that?" The yellow pegasus asked.

Charlie shrugged. "I mean, look at my dad. You all obviously know him, so you must know his… lifestyle choice."

"He modeled for me once," Rarity said. "You do not… approve of his crossdressing?"

"Approve? I hardly care. If he likes it, he likes it. Under all the dresses and skirts and stuff he's still a guy, and still my dad. Doesn't matter what he wears, I'll still love him." A small smirk touched at her lips. "Odd saying my dad looks better in a skirt than I do, though."

"You really do love your father a lot," Fluttershy said, getting up and walking over.

Charlie fell silent for a bit, looking down at her hands. "…Only family I really care for, to be honest."

"Really? You don't have any other family?"

"I have my grandparents," Charlie offered with a shrug. "But they only took care of me while Dad worked."

"Why didn't you stay with your father, darling?" Rarity asked.

"…We live a lot longer than normal humans. Plus, my dad couldn't keep me without questions being asked."

"Ah… I see."

"I wanted to." The dragon girl pulled her knees up to her chest. "Every time he came back to see me, I wanted to go with him, damn the consequences."

Fluttershy blinked. "You really love your father."

Charlie nodded. "More than anything. Most dragons have gold or jewels or treasure to hoard… my treasure is my father."

Rarity smiled. "That is the sweetest thing I have heard all day. And from what I have seen of your father, he feels the same way about you."

The dragon girl blushed. "Just d-don't tell him I said that. I'm not good with mushy stuff…"

Fluttershy giggled. "You are really cute when you do that."

"Stop~!"

Grace snorted quietly, catching their attention. She was focused on the ground in front of her, where her knives were laid out for inspection. "Grace…" Rarity murmured, but suddenly Charlie got up to her feet and stomped over to the knight.

"The hell is your problem?" She asked darkly, golden eyes narrowed.

"Does it matter?" Grace asked evenly, sparing a glance up at the dragon.

"Yes. You have some issue with my dad, so of course it matters to me."

"He hid you from me. Never told me about you. He apparently didn't trust me enough to tell me."

Charlie scowled. "You know what? You're a lot more whiny than my dad said you were."

That caught the knight off guard. Her expression went from one of irritation to one of confusion. "He… he talked about me?"

"Of course he did! My dad only talked about one other woman as much as you, and that was my mom!"

Grace's features were rapidly schooled back into impassivity. "He never told me about her either."

"That's because my mom died giving birth to me."

Rarity and Fluttershy gaped. Chrys glanced back sharply. "She… she did?" Fluttershy asked softly, one hoof coming up to cover her mouth.

"Yes, she did. Labor went too long, and she was exhausted. Died shortly after giving me my name; Seraphina. Dad named me Charlotte."

"And I assume your nickname as well," Rarity said. Charlie gave her a short nod.

"Yes, he did. And I like it. Because it let me be close to my father." She turned back to Grace. "But here's this mare who my dad spoke the world of, suddenly dropping all feelings she may have had for him because he didn't tell her he had a daughter."

"That's a big deal!" Grace snapped. "It was one thing to find out he was a dragon, another to find out he had another relationship and a child!"

"My dad told me he was willing to kill for you."

Grace's anger faltered and she blinked. "I… He said that?"

"Yes, he did. He told me that he regretted not making your relationship official. He missed you."

"I…"

"But when he gets back, I'm probably going to tell him to find a better mare to give his affections to."

"What? N-No!"

"He'd be better off with one of those two," Charlie said, gesturing back to Fluttershy and Rarity. The two mares blinked.

"Oh no darling," Rarity said quickly. "I am taken, and so is dear Fluttershy here."

"Oh. Sorry, it was just an example."

Fluttershy smiled. "I understand. But Grace really does love Vanna. You can see it easily."

Grace blushed. Charlie glanced at her for just a second before sighing. "Do you? Do you love my dad?"

"…I do," Grace said with a small sniff. "Five years I've wanted to see him again, and until Tyr showed up I was afraid I'd never see him again. And now, I guess I was just… overwhelmed."

"Understandable," Rarity offered.

"So yes, I do love your father," Grace said, looking Charlie in the eyes. "And I will apologize for my behavior. But even if you don't accept my apology, I'm going to make amends with Vanna."

Surprisingly, the blonde dragonkin smiled. "Good. I'd hate for you to give up that easily." She went back over to her seat, leaving a very confused Grace in her wake.

"W…What?"

"Give my dad that look and tell him you love him. That'll make him swoon."

Rarity giggled. "Swoon? Oh dear, I can actually imagine Vanna doing that."

Grace stared at Charlie. "You… you want me to get back with your dad?"

"Yes?" Charlie sat back on her rock. "My dad couldn't stop telling me about you. He really does like you. And if you make my dad happy, that's all I need from you."

"I see…"

"I think seeing how much you care about your father is heartwarming," Fluttershy said gently. Her comment only served to get a blush from the girl.

"And seeing you blush is just so cute!" Rarity added.

Charlie groaned. "Please save the cute comments for my dad…"

"I do hope they're doing alright down there…"

Fluttershy nodded. "I do too…"

"They've got Tyr, Vanna and Ace down there," Grace said with a small smile. "They'll be okay."

Rarity frowned. "You're not counting Twilight?"

"Those three will probably act a lot faster than she would. But they'll be fine." Grace winced. "…I hope."

–x–

Twilight was too giddy to say anything as the expedition group exited the tunnel and entered a massive cavern. Towering structures of stone lined the walls and formed a city easily large enough to hold several hundred ponies. Each building was expertly carved from the very stone, looking both utilitarian and elegant all at the same time. Crystal lights sat in elegant holders along the walls, bathing the streets in a bright golden glow. And the population of this city was not lacking either. Ponies just like Cave Light wandered the streets, going about their business just like in any other pony town. "Welcome to the Underhome, Moonhowler and company," Cave Light said, waving a hoof in the direction of the ornately decorated stone houses.

"This place is amazing…" Twilight finally managed to say. Her eyes grew wide as she admired all the buildings. "You… you built all of this…?"

"We've lived down here for many generations," Cave Light said. "We live in concert with the stone."

"What do you eat?" Pinkie asked. "Stones don't make good cakes. I know—I've tried. My sister Maud likes them though."

"The moss farms you saw are part of our diet. We also eat scuttlers and there are even some edible crystals."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Scuttlers? You mean those crab things?"

Cave Light seemed surprised. "Oh? You saw some?"

"More like ran from some," Rainbow replied with a snort.

"Ah, you must have disturbed a nest."

They continued to walk down the streets, many of the Dweller Ponies stopping to look at them. Most seemed interested in the vibrant colors of Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie, but many of them stared open mouthed at Tyr. Many moved aside to make space for him. "Why does everypony seem afraid of Tyr?" Pinkie asked.

"They are not afraid," Cave Light corrected. "Moonhowler was seen in the Seer's dreams as the one to take us out of the Depths. If anything, they are in awe of the Seer's prophecy coming to life."

Tyr frowned. "Hopefully I'm not some kind of harbinger of doom."

Cave Light chuckled. "Nothing such as that, Moonhowler. The prophecy regarding your arrival is a positive one."

They approached a somewhat large and decorated building with a pair of guards outside a very ornate and well decorated door. The guards were wearing robes that obscured their figures, but the stones in their foreheads shined brightly. Upon seeing the group approach, their glowing eyes narrowed quickly. With quick stomps on the stone below them, they crossed large stone bars in front of the door. "State your business!" The one on the left said.

Cave Light stepped forward. "I have brought Moonhowler to see the Seer."

The two guards looked up at Tyr in obvious shock. "F-Forgive us, Moonhowler! Please, go in and speak with the Seer." With a short motion of their legs, they retracted the stone bars. They stepped aside to allow them entrance.

"Moving stone with just a thought," Applejack said as Cave Light moved to lead them inside. The farm pony shook her head. "I reckon that would be a mighty fine skill to have."

"I wonder if it can be taught," Twilight said excitedly.

Tyr shook his head, but a smile was on his face. "Save your excitement, Twilight," He warned softly.

The interior of the building was just as well designed as the exterior, with a separated balcony that was high enough up to not show what was above it. But from the magical tingle in the air, this place was obviously a site of power. A quartet of guards near the base started at their arrival, but one look at Tyr's eyes made them back away. Cave light turned to the Elemental. "I will take my leave of you and your friends now, Moonhowler. Unfortunately, I must return to my duties."

Tyr nodded. "You've done enough, Cave Light. Thank you for your help."

The gray pony bowed deeply before exiting the building. Ace moved forward a step. "Let's go see this seer then—whoa!"

He jumped back a step just as stone stairs suddenly jerked into place, creating a staircase up to the upper platform. "That's so cool!" Pinkie said.

"What are we waiting on?" Rainbow demanded, taking to the air so that she could hover. The Dweller guards looked at her with undisguised amazement and interest. With a small scowl, Ace flew up to his wife and pulled her close. "W-What is it?"

"Guy thing," Ace said, glaring at the guards. The display of possession made them look away.

Tyr chuckled and began going up the steps. Pinkie quickly joined him, with the rest of the party following behind. When they reached the top, a small gasp of surprise escaped all of them. Atop a floating stone dais sat a normal sized white mare, her long raven black mane tied into a number of small braids that hung loosely about her face. In the center of her forehead was an opal, the colors swirling and mixing of their own accord. Several stones floated around her, no doubt being controlled by her power. As the group arrayed themselves around the dais, the mare's eyes opened, revealing the same glow that the other Dwellers had. She smiled softly, and the stones around her seemed to resonate with her voice. "Hello, Moonhowler. Welcome to the Underhome. You are expected."

"I am?" Tyr remarked with a raised eyebrow. "That's… a bit surprising."

"I had seen your arrival in my dreams," The Seer said. She lifted her hooves up. "Companions of Moonhowler, be welcome."

Seats made of stone pulled themselves up in a semicircle around the dais, one for each of Tyr's companions. There were even two larger seats for Vanna and Tyr. "Thank you, Miss…?" Twilight prompted.

"My name is Serenity," The mare said. "And I am the Seer of the Dwellers."

"That is the name of your race?" Twilight asked.

"I suppose you could also call us the Deep Ponies," Serenity offered. "But the Dwellers is the one we have become most familiar with."

"This place is so cool!" Pinkie said, in awe of the crystals lining the walls.

"I have to agree with Pinks on this one," Rainbow said. "This place is pretty rad."

Twilight looked up at Serenity. "Your power… how are you doing that…?"

"You must have noticed that the ponies here had a very close bond with the stone," Serenity said with a small smile. "We all can control the stone, to varying degrees. Some of us are more skilled than others."

"And this… power of prophecy?"

"Something unique to my bloodline," the Seer confirmed.

Vanna frowned. "So you saw Tyr coming?"

"Ah yes, Moonhowler. Our savior."

Tyr blinked. "Savior?"

The dais lowered as Serenity gently released her hold over the stone. The smaller surrounding stones fell down into recessed grooves around her. The mare let out a soft sigh, suddenly seeming many more years older than she looked. The stresses of leadership had aged her, Tyr noticed. "My ponies are threatened every day from the dangers that lurk this far below the surface. There are creatures called Lurkers that hunt us from the darkness, and we are at risk of collapsing tunnels and other dangers. My Shapers and I defend as best we can, but…"

"Are these Lurkers dangerous?"

"Mostly. But they can easily be repulsed by closing off the tunnels to their territory. We have Shapers assigned to watch the tunnels and feel for any attacks."

"I see…"

"But!" Serenity smiled suddenly and stood up. She was a little shaky, but quickly steadied herself. "The hour grows late, and you must be tired from your journey. Rooms will be prepared, so you may rest. Petrus?"

One of the nearby guards saluted, a quick smack of his hoof against his chest. He quickly went into a side door. A moment later and he returned. "The maids will be done momentarily, so please follow me."

Twilight glanced from the guard to Serenity. "But… I have so many questions…!"

Serenity smiled. "I will answer any questions you have once you are rested, Princess."

"…Fine…" Twilight joined the others as they respectfully left and followed the guard. He led them into a side building with a staircase. Once they were up on the second floor, he directed them to a hallway with four doors.

"Take your pick of the rooms," Petrus said. "There are two beds in each, but if you require more we can easily make them."

"There's only seven of us," Applejack pointed out. "I reckon we'll be fine."

Ace nodded. "Rainbow and I can room together, of course."

The farm pony rolled her eyes. "Of course. I guess I'll share a room with Twi then."

"I'll sleep with Tyr!" Pinkie declared happily, to a few weird glances that she didn't notice. Even Petrus gave the man an appraising glance.

Vanna glanced over at Tyr and smirked. "Phrasing?"

"Shut the hell up," Tyr muttered, pushing Pinkie into one of the rooms. "And enjoy your solo room."

"Wait, what—aw!"

There were a number of good natured giggles and chuckles as the dragonkin fumed quietly. Tyr took the opportunity to follow after Pinkie and close the surprisingly light door behind him. He let out a sigh. "Pinkie…"

"Yes?" Those two surprisingly clear blue eyes turned to look up at him, pure in their innocence.

"…You need to be careful how you say certain things around our friends," He said with a shrug. He went over to one of the stone beds, surprised to see cushions and blankets lying atop them neatly. The other bed was also prepared in similar fashion.

Pinkie frowned, watching the man as he set down his things and situated himself on the bed. "…I meant what I said," She admonished.

Tyr glanced at her, noting the serious look on the mare's face. He let out a small sigh. "I see. Okay then."

"Okay?" She blinked.

The man put his things away, laid down on the stone bed, and patted the spot beside him. "Come on then."

Pinkie's face brightened so fast that even Tyr was surprised. She darted over, neatly sliding into a spot at his side like a puzzle piece. The man was subjected to the pleasant smell of baked treats as her pink mane filled his vision. Happiness radiated off the mare, causing Tyr to smile as well. "You're cool, Tyr," Pinkie murmured into his chest.

"And you're soft," The man replied. He gently stroked her mane. "So, sleep?"

"Twilight's gonna have a lot of questions tomorrow," the mare in his arms said thoughtfully.

"So will I."

"So, we can sleep, if you want," Pinkie offered.

Tyr frowned. "You don't sound like that's what you want."

The party pony sat up slightly so that she could look him in the eyes. "It's just… You've been with Luna, Chrys and Rarity already, but not me…"

"Pinkie… you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I don't want to force you."

"Rarity told you about my crush, didn't she?" Pinkie frowned. "It never really went away, you know."

"I remember. And… really?"

"Uh huh! I really, truly do love you."

It wasn't a lie, and Tyr didn't have to use his changeling abilities to sense it. Instead of torturing the already worried mare any further, he simply slid himself up and kissed her. After a short moment of tasting sugar, he pulled back. "Sorry Pinkie."

"It's fine as long as you don't leave me out," Pinkie replied, placing a hoof against his cheek. She smiled nervously, suddenly blushing. "I… um… Rarity told me that you're not… um… rough."

Tyr blinked a couple of times. It was the first time he had ever really seen Pinkie being shy. "You've… never been with a stallion either?"

"I've had stallions ask me out before," the mare admitted. "But not a whole lot. I think I party too hard for them."

"That I can understand," the man replied with a chuckle. "But don't rush things. If you're not comfortable, then you're not comfortable."

Pinkie was silent for a moment, hoof dropping lightly to Tyr's chest. With a small sigh, she laid her head back down on his chest. "…Sorry."

"No need to apologize, dear. I understand."

"When we get back home… Can we ask Rarity and Lunie to join us?"

Tyr glanced down at her, finding those innocent blue eyes looking up at him. As a man, he couldn't say no to her request. But as a married man, he was a bit more skeptical. However, he was alpha of a herd. The happiness and wellbeing of all of his mares was his responsibility. He wasn't sure how well Luna or Rarity would take Pinkie's suggestion, but he would at least ask. "…Yeah, we can ask, Pinkie."

[What about me?]

[Of course you get to join] Tyr thought back at his upset Changeling. He shook his head, and let out a sigh. "We'll talk to them when we get back."

Pinkie snuggled up against him. "Okie-dokie-loki!" She said softly, yawning slightly. In a few moments, she was asleep, Tyr wondering how quickly Pinkie ran through her normal energy reserves in a day.

–x–

* * *

 **I couldn't resist the Archer reference. Now that I have someone else from Tyr's original world, expect this sort of thing to occur between them. Enjoy the hilarity.**

 **And the Dwellers are my own personal creation, I was very much looking forward to their inclusion. We'll hear more about their prophecy including 'Moonhowler' as time goes on. Don't get too anxious, for the Library will return next week with another chapter, and answers to your inevitable questions. Don't hesitate to review or leave a comment, for the Library will accept all.**

 **And it is very patient.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Well, hello, dear readers. Firstly, I apologize for my lateness. I didn't get home from my clinical until around 11 at night, and I kinda went straight to bed. And then today, I was working on finishing chapter 30, mainly because the cliffhanger for 29 was pretty... well, bad. But I got the both of them done, and once these are posted I'm going to sleep. Although I do apologize for making you wait.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Yeah, spot on. Although the Dwellers actually were exposed to magic gems during the first 'Lunar Scare' (Luna going nightmare the first time) when they fled underground. After a catastrophic cave in, they simply decided to stay down there.**

 **Kevin Lapse: ...Yes?**

 **SaiyanUltima: I appreciate the comment! I remember reading your works before and being very impressed. I'm happy you're enjoying more success on fimfiction as well. I'll do a little better with Tyr's thoughts and emotions, especially since he's a bit of a Changeling now.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: This expedition isn't going to be over that easily. And happy you like the Dwellers. There will be hateful dragons, however.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: I had a lot of studying to do and online work to finish. I had less this week, ad more of an impetus to write faster. Fortunately, Vanna is a lot more understanding of ice, since he's more associated with metal than flames. Charlie is 'technically' a bastard, since her parents didn't marry, but Vanna had full intentions on marrying her mother. And yes, Dwellers are akin to dwarves with earthbending powers. More akin to Last Airbender styled Earth Benders. In regards to Vanna's various curses and whatnot, he technically worships all gods of the forge. Flame related curses are simply due to having a close relationship to fire.**

 **Chaddmychal: Vanna did go to Skyrim. He enjoyed it except for all the dragons challenging him to prove his worth. Sorry about not being able to help on the posting issue however.**

 **Captain Alaska: Well, in defense of Tyr, he is part Changeling at the moment, and shares a special mental bond with his daughter. So her emotions were affecting him. And the punishments of the kids were coming more from the idea of breaking the promise they made to care for Cori and not judge her for who she was. But no worries, only Tyr's kids get punished like that, and even then not for very long.**

 **I do believe I've said delayed enough. Onto the chapters!**

 **And yes, that is plural.**

* * *

Chapter 29: Drums from the Depths

"Damn internal clock," Tyr muttered, feeling his body waking up. His grumble was met with a small chuckle. He looked over to see Fenrir curled up on the other bed, watching him with an amused look on her face. "What?"

"Oh nothing, Alpha. Just getting some entertainment at your expense," the wolf replied smoothly.

Tyr glanced down at his chest, finding Pinkie sprawled across it perpendicularly. She was sleeping relatively peacefully, rear leg twitching slightly as she dreamed. "…Ah."

"She tosses and turns."

"I noticed," the man replied, gently rolling the mare off. "Has anyone come by?"

As if to answer his question, there was a light knocking at the door. From the sound of the voice, it was Vanna. "Yo Tyr, you awake in there?"

Tyr got up off the bed and went over to the door. He opened it to find his dragon friend standing there with a big grin on his face. "…Why're you smiling?"

"Just curious," the tan skinned man replied, smile never fading. "Sleep well?"

"As well as someone unaccustomed to sleeping on a stone bed could," Tyr muttered. He had slept well enough, the cushions and blankets being enough to mask the hardness of the stone. But Vanna's curious attitude was bothering him. "Why are you worried about how I slept?"

"I just thought you might not get a lot of sleep. Considering what that pink pony of yours said…"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "…Pinkie and I didn't do anything. We literally only slept in the same bed."

That seemed to catch Vanna off guard. "You didn't? I figured, she was obviously eager…"

"She's still nervous. I'm not going to force her to do anything."

"Right then…" Vanna scratched at his head. "Sorry man. Just hearing about the whole herd thing is a little confusing. How are you managing?"

Tyr let out a sigh. "Luna's yelled at me once already, and just trying to manage the affections of four different mares is a struggle."

"I hear you. Hey, one of the guards came by a minute ago and said they had prepared breakfast for us. You coming?"

"Let me wake Pinkie up first." The man went back into the room, kneeling beside the bed the sleeping mare was on. His cold aura came to life, and he gently poked her forehead.

"WHOA!" The mare shot up, catching air time as she leapt off the bed. "So cold~!"

Tyr smirked. "Morning, Pinkie."

She recovered quickly, beaming up at the man as though she hadn't been so rudely awakened. "Morning muffin!"

Both Vanna and Tyr raised an eyebrow at that. "Muffin?" Vanna asked.

"I wanted a nickname for Tyr!" Pinkie said happily. "So I decided to call him Muffin! Or Sweetie. Or Honey! Well, I guess anything that sounds sweet. "

Tyr smiled and patted her head. "I appreciate it Pinkie. But let's go eat breakfast, shall we?"

"Sure!" She hopped off the bed and joined them as they left the room. It was a short walk to the dining hall, where they found the rest of their group waiting on them. A bright smile grew on Serenity's face as she saw them enter.

"Ah, you finally join us, Moonhowler," She said in her usual musical fashion. "Please, have a seat."

Tyr glanced around the stone table, noticing the two seats larger than the rest. With a small shrug, he and Vanna took the offered seats. Pinkie bounced over to an empty spot beside Applejack. "Did you two sleep well?" Ace asked, looking over at Tyr.

"Peacefully," Tyr said, hoping his point got across. Ace spared a quick glance at Pinkie, who seemed no different from usual, and seemed to get what he meant.

"So what are we dining on today?"

"We have a few dishes prepared for you all," Serenity said. A group of servers came in then, carrying several trays of food.

Applejack sniffed the air. "Well, at least it smells good."

"There are a few spices and herbs we can use for seasonings," Serenity pointed out. "When all we really have to eat is mosses, mushrooms and scuttlers, we have to make do with what we have."

The trays were placed on the table, revealing their contents to be a myriad of salads and some prepared scuttlers. "I actually can't believe you eat those things," Rainbow said with a small grimace.

Serenity chuckled, reaching out to lift one of the apparently steamed scuttlers to her plate. "Once you break the shell, they do actually taste alright." As if to demonstrate, she brought one hard hoof down sharply on the crablike creature, and the shell broke. With a flat spatula like utensil, she scooped out the innards and quietly ate her prize.

Vanna frowned, but instead of cracking open the shell, he pried one scuttler open with a claw. His face brightened one he had eaten the meat inside. "Oh, that is good! Nice and flaky, yet there's a sweetness to it. Tyr, you gotta try this."

With a bit of suspicion in his eyes, Tyr cracked open his cave-crab. But when he ate the food himself, he tasted… nothing. The surprise on his face seemed to worry Serenity. "Is… Is something the matter, Moonhowler?" She asked, sparing a glance back at the servers. They too seemed scared that Tyr found the food unsavory.

"I can't taste it," Tyr murmured.

"Y-You can't?"

Even Twilight seemed confused. "What? Why can't you…?"

Fenrir hopped up onto the table, a small smirk on her lips. "It still counts, Alpha. Remember the Contract?"

Tyr frowned, before realization hit him. "…Oh, right. My Downside. I can't taste meat."

"Downside…?" Ace repeated, not following.

Twilight seemed to remember. "Oh! After you fought the Angels, I remember now!"

"I can eat meat, but I can't taste it," Tyr clarified, glancing over at Serenity. He gave her and the servers an apologetic smile. "I'm sure this is really good, so I'm sorry."

"An unforeseen circumstance, Moonhowler," Serenity said solemnly. "But as you have found no fault with us, we will accept it."

"Why do you keep calling him Moonhowler?" Ace asked, digging into his own meal. "His name is Tyr."

"That was the name we gave him after my vision," Serenity explained. "I saw him surrounded by an army of silver wolves, all howling towards the moon. They had led my ponies to the surface. Thus, we named him Moonhowler, or the long version; He who Howls at the Moon."

Twilight blinked. "Tyr led you to the surface?"

"Indeed. Thus, we spread the word of our eventual savior."

"You were waiting on him to come…"

"To be perfectly honest, I had been prepared to not have even met Moonhowler in my lifetime."

The ponies at the table stared at her in shock. "That's… mighty… interesting, sugarcube," Applejack said. Her expression was anything but interested. She seemed more confused than anything.

Serenity smiled. "When you have random visions of the future, you become well aware of your own mortality."

"Mare after my own heart," Vanna murmured quietly.

"Well, for what it's worth," Tyr murmured. "You don't have to call me by a title. I am fine with you just calling me Tyr."

"…Forgive me if I take some time to get used to that."

"Fair enough. And for what it's worth, the salad is quite good."

That made the Seer smile. Twilight spoke then, taking over the conversation. "Serenity, I have to ask—Are all your ponies born with those gems in their foreheads?"

"Oh?" Serenity frowned. "No, but from what I am told, we are born with a particularly hard spot at the front of our skulls. That is where the gem forms."

"So the gems actually grow along with you? How interesting…"

"Do many ponies have a horn on their head like you?"

"Hm? Oh not really—although a lot of them do live in Canterlot. That's the capital of Equestria, by the way. Where we live."

"Equestria…"

"A lot of different kinds of ponies live there. I'm an Alicorn, and my friends Rainbow Dash and Ace Guard over there are Pegasii. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are Earth Ponies."

"Earth Ponies?" Serenity seemed to suppress a smile. "Why are they called that?"

"Well, we Earth Ponies are the best farmers," Applejack said proudly. "We grow all sorts a things, like apples, oranges, grapes… you name it."

Serenity stared at the farmer like a deer caught in the headlights. "…I… Truly, I do not know what those things are…"

"Well, we should fix that if you ever come up to the surface!"

The Seer glanced over at Rainbow and Ace. "And… Pegasii… where do they live?"

"All over," Rainbow said with a shrug. "Although most Pegasii come from Cloudsdale. Which is actually made up of clouds."

Yet again, the Seer was dumbfounded. The jaws of the servers were similarly on the ground. "…A city made of clouds?"

"Yep!"

"There are a lot of things to show you on the surface," Twilight said with a smile at the Deep Pony Seer.

Serenity nodded slowly, still attempting to process the information she had just been given. "Although… our eyes have long since adjusted to the light down here. Er, lack thereof, I should say. I doubt my ponies would be able to handle the Bright."

"The… Bright? You mean the sun?" Pinkie asked.

"That's what you call it?"

"Well, yes. Princess Celestia raises and lowers it every day," Twilight pointed out.

The serving ponies and Serenity stared at the Alicorn in shock. The Seer glanced around slowly before turning back to face Twilight. "This… Princess Celestia… controls the Bright?"

"Tyr's wife, Princess Luna, controls the moon," Rainbow pointed out.

"Oh… oh my." Serenity looked a bit overwhelmed. "I… that is… I… well."

Ace grinned. "I believe we've just 'rocked' your world, huh?"

"…That was poor form," Vanna chastised with a shake of his head. "Really terrible dude."

"The situation asked for it."

Twilight continued to educate Serenity about the surface while the others chimed in or chatted with the other servants. Pinkie kept stealing glances at Tyr during breakfast, usually only looking at him for no more than a few seconds at a time. He smiled slightly, but didn't do anything that might cause the pink pony to make a scene at a table. However, the peacefulness of the meal was broken by a guard in a dark red cloak running in. "Seer, we have a problem!"

Serenity frowned, the opal in her forehead swirling with color. "Calm yourself, Stone Chaser. Please, what has happened?"

"The Lurkers have breached the Bulwark, and are marching in force on Underhome!"

"What? Lurkers?"

"You mentioned those before," Ace said, trying not to sound eager. "What exactly are those things?"

A frown creased Serenity's features. "The Lurkers are a race of monsters that inhabit the lower levels of the tunnel. They… eat us."

Applejack's eyes widened. "…Did I hear y'all right? They… eat Ponies?"

"Yes. They do. I have seen it myself." The Seer turned to the messenger. "How far in have they gotten?"

"The outer posts are already moving to seal them off, but it is looking dire. They might enter the city proper…"

"We need to evacuate the nearest sections of the Underhome," Serenity said, getting up from her seat. "Coordinate with the Guides to get the innocents away from the fighting. Petrus, please signal the Shapers to begin defensive protocols."

Petrus, near one of the walls, nodded. "As you wish."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Twilight asked as the guard and messenger went about their duties. "I'm no stranger to combat magic, and I'm sure Tyr, Vanna and Ace can be of help."

"How big are these Lurkers, if you don't mind my asking?" Ace asked, trying not to seem too eager.

Serenity frowned in thought. "Perhaps just a bit larger than Moonhowler—er, Tyr."

"That's pretty big." Ace turned to Twilight. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, I humbly request to be allowed to help fight against these Lurkers."

Twilight blinked. "Uh… sure? I guess the rest of us will help with the evacuation and protect the civilians…"

"How will you fight them?" Serenity asked as the two men and stallion got up. "My Shapers can barely hold them off in combat, and resort to simply blocking them off."

Vanna grinned. "No worries love. We're good at this sort of deal."

"…I will take your word for it. Crater? Take these three to the defense."

The addressed guard nodded. "As you wish. Please, follow me. Your help will be greatly appreciated."

Pinkie caught Tyr just before he could follow Vanna and the two ponies out. "Um… Tyr?"

"Yeah Pinkie?" He looked down at her. "Something the matter?"

"You'll… be okay, right?" She looked up at him, worry in those big blue eyes. Tyr could help but kneel down and pull her into a soft embrace.

"I'll be fine, Pinkie. These Lurkers won't be a problem."

"O-Okay…"

He kissed her forehead. "Just wait for me, okay?"

"Mm!" She gave him a happy smile and a nod. "Be careful Honey!"

"Promise." He let her go then and jogged over to where Vanna and Ace were waiting on him. The two males were looking at him with barely contained grins as they began to follow Crater out into the city. "…What?"

"Better be careful," Ace said. "I've heard she's a party animal."

"Yeah, she seems pretty wild," Vanna agreed. "You up to handling her?"

Tyr gave them both flat looks. "Yeah, laugh it up you two. At least I've got the charisma to get four different mares to fall in love with me."

"Oh, touché!"

Ace chuckled. "Yeah, well, I think Rainbow would kill me if I tried to make a herd. Plus, the only other mare I've ever had a crush on was Princess Celestia. And she's technically my mom now."

Vanna raised an eyebrow. "How does that work?"

"Well, she's always been a mother figure to me and my sister."

"Ah, I see."

Crater glanced back at them, a look of surprise on his face. "Uh… forgive my interruption sirs, but… are you always this calm when going into combat?"

Tyr glanced over at the stallion. He just now noticed how young he looked. "First time in a fight?"

"Well… I've only been a Shaper for a couple of months. This would be the first Lurker attack I've been through…"

Ace grinned. "Sorry friend. But we're used to this sort of thing. No worries just leave all the front line stuff to us."

Crater nodded. "Our defensive plans are usually only to wall them off…"

"Oh, that's no fun!"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Ignore him. Where should we be?"

Crater thought for a moment, the ruby in his forehead glowing slightly. "…According to my sense, the other Shapers have walled off the residential areas. That leaves central road for the Lurkers to come down."

"Then that's where we want to be."

The group of four quickly made their way down the stone streets, taking note of the massive stone walls that had been pulled up to block off certain streets. Before long, they reacted what seemed to be a forward command post, and a Shaper in a golden cloak was directing several dozen of his men. He looked up as they approached. "Crater, I assume Stone Chaser informed the Seer of our situation?"

"Yes, Commander Boulder." Crater nodded. "And… Moonhowler and his friends wish to aid us."

That got the Deep Pony to pause in shock. "…Truly?"

"I think you'll find our help more than welcome," Tyr said with a confident smile. "Just tell us where the fighting will be the worst."

"Er… well, we predict the Lurkers will charge down the road we are currently on, Central. Other Shapers have already walled off the side streets to funnel them."

"Can't just wall them off permanently?"

"We would not be able to bring our walls high enough in time," the commander pointed out. "We will have to make a stand here."

"Fair plan. We'll stand with you."

Boulder saluted, one hoof striking his chest. "We would be honored to have your help, Moonhowler."

"Just Tyr is fine," The elemental said, nodding and going back over to Vanna and Ace.

"So what's the plan?" Ace asked.

Tyr shrugged. "The Lurkers are apparently being funneled into a trap. They'll be coming right to us."

"Sweet!"

Vanna drew his sword and a piece of paper containing some kind of material out of his travelling cloak. "So we know what these things are?"

"Giant bug like creatures," Crater said, rejoining them.

"Scared of fire or anything like that?"

"Well, I believe so. We normally only smash them with rocks and all."

Vanna raised an eyebrow momentarily before chuckling. "Fair enough. I guess fire will do for now." While the other three watched, the metalsmith rubbed the paper against the blade in a single stroking motion. After applying the reddish powder to the blade, he rapped a small metal object against the weapon. Instantly, it burst into flames.

"What the hell is that?" Ace asked, more curious than surprised.

"Something I picked up in a world consumed by darkness," Vanna replied evenly. "Powders imbued with different properties that can be applied on weapons."

"Useful," Tyr said.

"You better believe it. What tricks do you have, brother?"

The Elemental smirked as he drew his own frost sword. "Nothing I can prepare right now. But I think you won't have to wait so long to see…"

"They're coming!" A voice cried, and suddenly the street was full of motion. Shapers were running to and fro, rock formations emerging from the ground to provide cover and smaller sets of tiles being prepared as weapons.

Ace frowned. "I don't hear any—"

The sound of what seemed to be thousands of insects filled the air, and the rumble of weight against stone shook the earth. In the distance, the first glimpses of the Lurkers could be seen. They were large creatures, possibly a foot taller than Tyr, and moved on four spiked legs. They had upper torsos like a man, but were covered in dark greenish scales that were dull and scarred. They even had arms that ended in three fingered hands. "Nasty little buggers," Vanna murmured.

Fenrir popped up on Tyr's shoulder. "…Well, hopefully they at least bleed…"

Ace growled in anticipation, pounding his front hooves on the ground. Tendrils of magic wrapped around them before coalescing into what looked to be golden armor. But at the ends were a number of scratches and dents. Tyr stared at his friend in confusion. "Uh… Ace?"

"Cestus," The stallion replied with a smirk. "I'm a stallion that likes blood, and how much of it comes when I fight. So smashing something seems a lot more fun to me than slashing it."

"No kidding. Well." Tyr drew his sword. "Let's get ready for combat, shall we?"

Crater stared at the three of them in horror. "Surface dwellers are strange…"

The Lurkers drew closer, hemmed in on either side by the rock walls and buildings. A screech emerged from the coming horde as they spotted their prey in front of them. "Begin bombardment!" Boulder cried, and several large rocks were launched from the rear of the Dweller formation, arcing through the air to crush several Lurkers. Screeches of pain rewarded the first volley, and a second followed shortly after. But the rush kept coming.

"They're not stopping," Crater whispered.

"Then that means they'll be getting close," Ace said eagerly.

The smaller sounds of the tiles being shot through the air added to the noise then, the small stones acting like bullets and dragging down the leading Lurkers. However, those that followed simply trampled over their brethren, single minded in their direction. At this rate, there was no way the attempts of the Deep Ponies would hold them at bay. Vanna seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Tyr. "Ready to get your hands dirty, Tyr?" He asked, lifting his flaming sword up slightly.

"You better be ready to follow up," The Elemental said, dashing forward. He was out in front of the Shapers before any of them could react, silver magic flaring to life and expanding outward. As the cries of surprise and worry came from the ponies behind him, he felt a grin cross his face as a familiar word left his mouth. "PHALANX!"

The silver soldiers materialized in a wave, shields locking into place and pikes held out in front of them a moment before the Lurkers hit. Screeches pierced the air as the Lurkers were skewered on the magical spears, and smashed by weight of numbers against the unyielding shields. The Shapers were watching in mute shock as the singular man held the tide. "That's… impossible…" Crater said.

Vanna grinned. "Wait till you see this." He and Ace charged forward then, the Pegasus lifting up to the sky. "Tyr! Coming up behind you!"

Tyr nodded, a wave of his hands creating a set of soldiers behind him. Vanna took a running leap, using the shields of the soldiers to get extra height. The Lurkers screeched again, no doubt believing their food to be jumping towards it. But they were very wrong. Vanna crashed into the Lurkers, flaming sword clearing a space for him to continue forward. Ace landed nearby, laughing in delight as Lurkers crunched and dark blood spurt into the air under his Cestus. "About damn time I got to fight on this trip!" He yelled happily.

"Am I going to be held back while he gets to fight freely?" Fenrir demanded as Tyr marched his soldiers forward a step, crunching Lurkers under their magical boots. The man rolled his eyes.

"As easy as it would be to hold formation and do this the easy way…" A sadistic grin crossed his lips as he felt his own predatory instincts surge to the fore. "Fine. We'll have some fun. _Carnage!_ "

"What?" Ace murmured distractedly, pausing in smashing open a Lurker's surprisingly small head to glance back. The line of silver soldiers had vanished, replaced by Tyr and a pack of silvered wolves. The man himself was armed in his furred armor, and a killing light was in his eyes. Behind him stood the massive form of Fenrir in her wolf form. A howl split the air as Tyr and the wolves charged forward into the fray. One leapt on a Lurker near Ace and tore its throat open. "Hey! Kill steal!"

Tyr weaved his way into the Lurkers, ice magic coming to his aid to blast away a trio that thought to catch him off guard. His frost sword became a battle axe, and he cleaved through another with ease. Fenrir crashed into their foes ahead of him, a happy howl as she was let loose for the first time in a long time. Tyr tossed up a wall of ice to protect his flank as he tore into his enemies. "Ice Magic?" He heard Vanna yell. "Really dude?"

"Blame my parents!" Tyr yelled back, feeling the satisfying crunch of Lurker under his axe. Somewhat galvanized by the display of the three professional warriors slaying their enemies in such numbers, the Shapers began to contribute once again. The creatures died in droves, but there always seemed to be four more to replace each that died. On top of that, the creatures weren't entirely bad at combat. Tyr decapitated another Lurker, only to have one barrel into him from behind. It managed to slash at his back, only for Vanna to impale it from behind shortly after it scratched Tyr. The man barely had a chance to mentally discover the wound wasn't serious before Vanna was above him.

"Your parents were human!" The dragonkin growled, pulling him to his feet.

Tyr pulled a trio of vials out of his cloak and threw them into the crowd of Lurkers, scattering a few with the resultant fiery explosion. "Not in the slightest!"

"WHAT?"

"Long story short, I was adopted!"

Vanna caught the arm of one Lurker as it tried to take off his head. With what amounted to a burp, he spewed flame into its face. "Adopted? Vulcan's flames bro, we really need to catch up!"

Tyr's weapon became a hammer, and he swung wide in a circle to clear the space around him. The satisfying sound of crunching exoskeleton made him smirk. "You have _no_ idea!"

The Lurkers were focusing on the three of them, seeing the threats in their midst a more pressing concern than trying to get a meal. But as the horde made to converge on them, a deep throaty roar came from the rear of the group. The Lurkers stopped their attack suddenly, drawing back. "…The hell?" Ace growled, moving to the top of the Lurker-pile he had made. He was covered in blood, but none of it was red.

"Boss time," Vanna said with a smirk.

The horde of Lurkers was parting for a much larger figure at the back. A Lurker much larger than any they had seen so far was striding forward, its black scales glinting in the crystal light. In one hand was a staff topped with multiple skulls. Each one was from a pony. But what was the real draw of the staff was what sat atop those skulls.

"A gem like a dragon's eye," Ace murmured, spotting the easily identifiable object. "Well, if that's not convenience at its finest…"

"If we question it, it tends to lose its validity," Vanna muttered.

The Lurker with the staff let out a screech and pointed it at one of the side walls. The gem glowed brightly like a small star before letting out a huge fireball. The spell smashed into the wall and destroyed it. "What in the name of the stone…!?" A Shaper cried out.

Tyr frowned. "That is certainly not according to plan."

"They're going to get into the rest of the city!"

The Lurker Shaman cast his fire spell several more times, blasting open several more walls so that his kin could run rampant through the city. "That bastard needs to die," Vanna snarled.

Ace smashed a Lurker under his rear hoof. "And how do you suggest we go about that? We've got at least another thousand or so to cut through."

"I have an idea. Cover me!" Tyr waved one hand, creating a block of ice twice his height. With a quick jump he was atop it.

"What the hell…?" Ace rolled his eyes. "Right. How big of a dragon were you again, Vanna?"

Vanna stared at him for a moment, before realizing what he meant. "Ah. Let me show you!" He growled savagely, extinguishing his sword. His body exploded into flames, scattering the nearest Lurkers with the action. When the plume of flame receded, Vanna had been replaced by a massive bronze dragon. The beast towered over the Lurkers, reaching up to the third stories of many of the nearby houses. Vanna's eyes glittered with mirth, and he breathed a plume of fire down on the Lurkers. Many of them died before they could even make a sound.

Even with the dragon stomping around, the Lurkers screeching in pain and fury, and Ace's loud laughter as he charged back into the fight, it was silent to Tyr. All that mattered to him at that moment was distance and wind. He was underground, so the latter wasn't much of a problem. He was far away, and there were at least several hundred screaming Lurkers between him and his target. However, his target was tall, and waving an angry red staff at him. He'd hit worse targets under worse conditions. And Vanna was going to be pissed about this one. He snapped his arm up, sending a shard of ice slicing through the air at the Lurker shaman. The creature noticed the projectile coming, and swung its staff up to deflect the attack. But in the same motion as the first, Tyr had thrown a second, adjusted shard. The second shard struck the gem directly before exploding into a storm of ice. "Freeze and Shatter!" He yelled.

His voice tore through the air with his magic, his voice bending the rules of the world around him. He had learned the trick early on during his time with Jehu's family, and it was the first lesson Isabel had taught him. Magic was in his words, and Words were Power. Plus, as a Chaos Mage, the stronger he felt about something, the more likely he could simply will what he wanted to happen. And freezing a magic gemstone was almost too easy.

Cracks formed in the red gem as the localized blizzard froze it solid. Then with a loud roar, it shattered. Bright red light filled the cavern, as a piercing screech seemed to fill the air. Tyr's blizzard was instantly dispelled, and a wave of heat seemed to roll through the street.

"That does not bode well," The ice elemental murmured, moments before everything in the street was knocked to the ground by a blast wave.

–x–

"What was that?" Twilight murmured, looking up to the… ceiling. By the Princesses, trying to understand directions while underground. She really wished to get back above ground where things made sense.

"It sounded like an explosion," Applejack offered, coming up beside the Princess. Behind them, Serenity was calming down the mass of Dwellers that were hiding in the shelter. "Y'all think Tyr and them are okay?"

"Of course they're okay!" Pinkie said with a bright smile. "Tyr and Ace are really strong, and Vanna is a dragon!"

"Did I hear you correctly?" Serenity asked, moving towards the three ponies. "Sir Vanna is a dragon?"

"That he is," Twilight said.

Serenity seemed to go deep into thought. "A Child of Winter and a Child of Fire…"

"Huh?"

"It's… nothing. Something my mother told me."

"If you're sure…"

Serenity smiled weakly. "Besides, it does not apply to our current situation. We were worried over Moonhowler and his companions?"

"Girls!" The four ponies looked up to see Rainbow Dash streaking around a corner, making a beeline for them.

Applejack frowned as the cyan pegasus got closer. "What's got your tail in a bunch, RD?"

"They're coming!"

Twilight blinked. "Who's coming?"

A roar seemed to answer her question, and a dozen Lurkers rounded the corner. "No!" Serenity hissed.

But before they could ready themselves to fight, a second roar caught their attention. Then Vanna came flying around the corner, breathing fire down on the Lurkers. On his back was Tyr, battle axe held aloft and a wild grin on his face. Those Lurkers that were left from Vanna's attack were swiftly frozen by ice. Behind the dragon flew Ace. Upon finding no more enemies, Tyr leapt off of Vanna's back, the dragonkin returning to his humanoid form before hitting the ground. Both men grinned. "Sorry we took so long, ladies," Vanna said with a exaggerated bow.

"The hell were you guys doing?" Rainbow demanded.

"Ooh, she's got a mouth on her," Vanna said, gesturing at Ace, who had just landed.

The knight grinned. "Well, spend enough time around me and that tends to happen."

"What's going on out there?" Serenity asked, looking past them as Shapers began to run around the corner. She looked back to the trio, noting the various scars and bruises they had. "Is… is the city lost?"

Tyr gave a nervous smile. "Well, not precisely."

"What happened?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, shattering the gem seemed to be a terrible idea…"

Twilight blinked. "Gem? What gem?"

"The Lurkers had a leader of some sort of staff," Ace explained, "And it had the gemstone we were looking for. He was using it to blast open the walls."

"Did you… did you get it?"

Rainbow frowned. "Didn't you hear Tyr? He shattered it!"

Tyr chuckled nervously. "Well, the explosion destroyed the supports out of all the nearby buildings, and collapsed them. On top of vaporizing a pretty decent number of Lurkers."

"They made a hilarious noise as they died," Ace said with a manic grin. "…Sorry. Battle rage and all that."

Vanna rolled his eyes. "Suffice it to say, we're not bringing that thing back."

The purple Alicorn raised a hoof to her forehead. "Oh dear, this is not going to end well… The dragons aren't going to be happy…"

A rumble interrupted them, and the ground began to shake. Serenity's eyes widened in horror. "The… the cavern… it's coming apart!"

"And that's what the explosion did," Tyr said with a frown. "That's definitely not good."

"Not good!?" Twilight yelled. "This is beyond not good at this point, Tyr! We're going to be buried down here!"

The man narrowed his eyes at her. "Twilight. We're surrounded by ponies that can move the earth with ease. Serenity, did your ponies ever go to the surface?"

The Dweller nodded. "Yes, Moon—Tyr. We had several tunnels to the surface, but since we do not have a good grasp on the passage of time, we always seemed to end up emerging during the Bright… or the day, as you would call it."

Ace was silent for a moment. "It's night time. I can feel it."

As the ground continued to shake and rocks fell from above, Serenity turned to address her ponies. "My brothers and sisters! We must take the tunnels to the surface!"

A shaper nearby gaped. "But… Seer! How can we…"

"It is no longer safe here," Serenity said sadly. "Our homes collapse and Lurkers roam the streets. There is no place for us to flee."

"Couldn't we go into other tunnels?" Another Dweller asked.

"And then what? The Lurkers attack us while we rebuild?" The Seer shook her head. She drew herself up, giving her ponies a look of authority. "No. We will follow Moonhowler and his friends to the surface, and we will make a new home."

"Please, listen to your seer," Twilight said, adding in her voice. "This cave is going to collapse, and we need to escape!"

[The Lurkers are still in the city] Fenrir thought eagerly, still in her wolf form. [We should hunt them more!]

Tyr frowned, not expecting the spirit to be that eager. [Fenrir, calm yourself. We need to help these ponies out to the surface]

[Calm myself?] She sounded frustrated. [It has been far too long since we have let ourselves loose in battle, Tyr! We should go back and push those Lurkers back into their holes]

[We are getting the Deep Ponies out of here, Fen. That takes priority]

[…Ugh! Fine!] The wolf snorted before vanishing altogether.

"Something up?" Applejack asked, noticing the chaos spirit's departure.

Tyr frowned, but shook his head. "She's upset. She'll be fine."

Another loud rumble shook the earth, and Serenity raised her voice once more. "Quickly! Guides and Scouts, lead the way! We make for the surface!"

As the large procession of ponies rushed to a nearby massive gate, Tyr felt a low growling behind him. He glanced back, noticing the anger in Fenrir's eyes. [I am not happy about leaving enemies so easily slain, Tyr] She thought harshly.

[Drop it, Fenrir] Tyr thought back, eyes narrowed. The wolf spirit growled at him again, before simply vanishing. The man stared at the spot where she had been, making a mental promise to take Fenrir out hunting again when this was all over.

Carnage did not do well chained up, it seemed.

–x–

"What in the name of the Forge?" Charlie snarled as the ground beneath her threatened to toss her to her knees. Across the room, Chrys, Rarity and Fluttershy were also having the same problem. Only Grace was serene, her face schooled into a look of impassivity as she held her spot against the wall. "It's like a stupid boat!"

"Not a fan of water?" Chrys teased with a grin. The dragonkin gave her a flat look.

"I'm a huge fire breathing lizard, Shapeshifter. Of _course_ I'm not a fan of water."

"You… you can tell…?"

Charlie grinned. "Dad and I are pretty good at noticing when someone's not comfortable in their own skin."

"Oh this is just too much!" Rarity complained, doing her best to avoid falling. "Whatever could have caused this!?"

Chrys rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know, but I have the odd suspicion my dear Master is the cause."

Grace scowled. "Knowing him and Vanna, they probably broke something they shouldn't have."

"That sounds about right," Charlie agreed. Her expression changed, and she glanced to the entrance. "…Something is going on outside."

"Should we go look?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

"Better than staying in here, I guess." The dragonkin led the way out of the cave, and the sight that greeted them made all their jaws drop. The chasm was _closing._ "What in the name of the ever burning flame…?"

"Your curses are very peculiar," Grace said with a chuckle. Charlie shot her an amused look before letting her eyes survey the area in front of her. Yes, the chasm was closing. But simultaneously, something seemed to be happening a distance away. Or at least the large grouping of dragons indicated something. "That doesn't bode well."

"Should we… go over there?" Chrys asked. Fluttershy moved closer to Rarity, hiding her face in her mane. Groundshaker, already part of the group, glanced back in their direction.

Charlie scowled. "…I don't think we have a choice. Stay close to me."

The three mares did just that staying close to the dragonkin as they approached the crowd. Surprisingly, the crowd parted to allow them to pass. Walking away from a collapsed hole was Tyr and the rest of the expedition group. A relieved sigh slid out of Rarity's mouth as her eyes met Tyr's. "Oh, darling…!"

"RARE-BEAR!" Pinkie squealed, nearly bowling over the white unicorn in her haste to embrace her. Just a short bit away, Fluttershy flew over to welcome Applejack with a teary hug.

Charlie leapt into her father's arms in the same moment, a warm smile on her lips. "You're okay," She muttered into his shoulder.

"Was there ever any doubt?" the older dragonkin asked with a smirk. He gently ran his clawed hand through her hair. "Missed you, Char."

"Missed you too, dad."

Chrys moved up beside Tyr, head gently resting against his side. [I am happy to see you safe, Master]

[Thanks Chrissy] He lovingly stroked her mane. He honestly had missed his Changeling—having her nearby was a calming influence on him.

"Twilight Sparkle," Groundshaker rumbled. The Princess stood up straight, Ace and Grace taking up positions to either side of her. "I suppose it is a… relief you emerged safely. We momentarily feared you had been crushed."

"Not for lack of trying," Vanna murmured.

"I trust you fulfilled our request?"

Twilight blanched. She bit her bottom lip and glanced over at Tyr. "Well…"

The look didn't go unnoticed. Groundshaker frowned. "…Where is the gem?"

"We… we don't have it."

A rumble of disbelief seemed to travel through the crowd of dragons. "You… don't have it?"

"…Unfortunately it was destroyed. These creatures below—!"

"You were tasked with retrieving the gem for us," Groundshaker growled, drawing himself up. "And you have failed in this task. I should have known better than to trust ponies."

The rest of the dragons seemed to agree with the statement. Tyr scowled. "We almost died down there, trying to find your damned gem. I had to destroy it—otherwise we wouldn't be standing here."

"Perhaps you would have been better off not coming back," One other dragon said.

Groundshaker nodded. The air became really tense, and Tyr felt a growl rise unbidden to his throat. Pinkie and Rarity moved behind him, worried looks on both of their faces. Chrys silently moved to a ready position at his side. Applejack was keeping Fluttershy close, and both Charlie and Vanna looked ready for a fight. The Elemental could hear the wolves howling in warning. The black dragon let a puff of smoke escape his nostrils. "Because you have failed to bring back the gem, our deal is null and void."

[Which means he's going to try and eat us] Chrys thought dryly.

Fenrir decided to add in her two cents. [Oh joy]

"My kin!" Groundshaker roared. "It seems the ponies are as worthless as I believed! Although they have provided us with a snack."

"No…!" Twilight protested hurriedly, looking around at the hungry looks the dragons around them had. "Wait, we can fix this…"

"I humbly suggest you start charging that horn, Princess," Grace said, pushing in front of Twilight. Ace did the same, golden cestus appearing on his legs again.

Ace had a steely look on his face. "Oh, I kept saying I wanted to fight a dragon, but I wasn't actually expecting to…"

"You know what they say babe," Rainbow said, also preparing to fight. "You break it, you buy it."

"KILL THEM!" Groundshaker roared, and the dragons descended.

A roar challenged them, Vanna transforming to sweep the first group of smaller dragons aside with ease. Ace, Applejack and Rainbow jumped into the fray, choosing to fight any of the smaller dragons that got past. Grace supported them with her magic, shielding her allies from any flames. Tyr summoned his soldiers, creating a formation around the others. "You won't break me," The elemental growled.

Ace crashed into the ground nearby, thrown down by a dragon three times his size. Grace was at his side in a flash, horn lit up with healing magic. Ace was back on his hooves a second later. Twilight threw up a barrier of her own to protect the group, keeping the majority of the dragons at bay. Even while she maintained the barrier, she kept shooting blasts of magic from her horn into the attacking dragons, sending most of them fleeing with new scorch marks.

[We can't win like this] Fenrir thought.

[We need to protect the others, Fenrir] The elemental replied evenly, ordering a formation of archers to pin down the dragons that were flying above. Another sweep of his arm sent a created cavalry charge to scatter a trio of dragons attempting to get behind him. With his soldiers and Twilight's barrier, they could win this fight. Ace could go out and get knocked around all he wanted, and Grace would get him back up on his feet easily. Vanna was easily the match of any of the other dragons as well. Even Charlie had pulled out what looked like a conspicuously large golden hammer and had smashed a dragon that looked just like Wire into the ground.

So why did he feel uneasy?

Groundshaker lifted up a stone in one claw, a smile on his scaly face. "We were prepared for this," He rumbled. Tyr heard Twilight gasp behind him, and he turned to look at her sharply.

"What? What is it?" He demanded.

"That's… that's a Null Stone…!"

Tyr didn't bother asking what that meant, because Groundshaker showed him. The Null Stone glowed brightly, and then a pulse of magical energy washed over the group. Twilight, Rarity and Grace cried out in pain, the Princess's barrier falling almost instantly. The two unicorns and one Alicorn collapsed to the ground. The stone seemed to affect the other ponies as well, the Pegasii in the group grounding themselves and the Earth Ponies looking like they were struggling to stay upright. It was just like when the humans had used their magic jammer, except it seemed to cause more pain than instant incapacitation. [And now we are all dead] Fenrir thought dryly.

Vanna roared another challenge, physically blocking four smaller dragons from attacking Grace. Another snarl signaled Charlie transforming, the girl becoming a slender yet still imposing bright red dragon with golden spines. Even with the Equestrians K.O.'d, Tyr could still—

Huh. His constructs weren't working.

A sharp smack of a dragon tail sent him flying, barely managing to tuck himself into a roll before jumping back to his feet. [The hell!?] He hissed mentally, glancing down at his arm. A second later, he tossed himself to the side to avoid another dragon trying to claw him in half.

[Seems the null stone affected your constructs as well] Came Fenrir's observation.

Tyr drew his sword, thankful that at least was still usable. A quick slash removed the offending claw from sight. [Oh gee, thanks for noticing that, Fen. Why aren't you helping me?]

[You didn't ask]

Tyr growled. "Little jerk. _CARNAGE_!"

The invocation stunned the nearest dragons, the burst of magical energy granting Tyr a reprieve to leap back to the defense of his friends. The disabled Equestrians were backed into a tight circle, only Vanna and Charlie keeping them from harm. Ace and Grace were doing their best, but stripped of their strength and magic, they could only do so much. "Can no one just fight fair?" Ace grumbled, hopping backwards away from a swipe.

"Complain later," Grace told him, managing to nail a dragon in the eye with a knife. The struck lizard screeched in pain as he flew away to recover. "Yeah, choke on it, you overgrown reptile!"

Tyr shoulder charged a dragon his size before coming face to face with a large grey dragon. The elemental and the lizard stared at each other for a split second before the latter breathed a gout of flame in his direction. "Damn it!" The elemental hissed, throwing up a dome of ice over himself. Even protected in that way, he could still feel the heat from the attack. His mother's cloak did a little to keep him cool, but it was still enough to leave him staggering away when the attack ended. He recovered enough to throw a gust of chilling air at his assailant, forcing the dragon to move away.

"Can't take the heat, can you?"

[That doesn't bode well] Tyr and Fenrir both thought, noticing the crowd of dragons gathering around them. It was further compounded when one of the younger dragons snarled out: "Roast him!"

Flames poured down on the man, stopped once again by a barrier of ice. Even encased in ice, the heat from so many dragons was unbearable. His senses were swimming as every part of his body told him to run. Under the assault of flames however, he was helpless. "Tyr!" Pinkie cried, just a moment before a clawed hand twisted itself into her mane. She screamed in surprise and fear a moment before she was smashed roughly into the ground. When they lifted her back up, she didn't move.

Vanna roared again as four larger dragons grouped up to restrain him. Ace shattered the jaw of another dragon before he was grabbed by the wing and thrown to the ground. Rainbow tried to run to his aid before she was also stomped into the ground. The sounds of bones breaking mixed in with her own distressed cries. Twilight and Grace lasted just a few moments more before both Unicorns were pinned by other smaller dragons. "I'm gonna enjoy eating an Alicorn," One dark brown one said menacingly.

Tyr heard—and felt—Rarity screaming. Sparing a glance through his ice dome, he saw the white unicorn pinned under a green dragon, her assailant was slowly dragging a claw along her abdomen, drawing blood as he did so. All pretense of being a proper lady had been dropped, and the poor mare was sobbing and pleading for her life.

[The life you were supposed to protect]

The man gritted his teeth, wishing that he could do something—anything—to save his friends. The dragons were sparing nopony. A group of them were finding some perverse pleasure in beating the unconscious Rainbow, while another group were torturing Fluttershy by slowly yanking feathers out of her wings. Applejack was still putting up a fight, no doubt galvanized by Fluttershy's cries of pain, but who knew how long her endurance would last? Chrysalis was attempting to rush to Tyr's aid, but there were too many dragons between her and her master. Tyr pushed himself up, trying to keep his barrier up, but the flames licking the ground around him sapped his strength. Was this how it ended? Surrounded by dragons, watching his friends die… With a weak smile, he chuckled.

There were worse ways to die, he thought ruefully as he closed his eyes and waited for death.

–x–

* * *

 **See? Would you have liked it if I left things like that? Not even my editor was okay with that.**


	31. Chapter 31

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 30: Snowflake

Tyr's eyes opened to an open plain, a soft breeze causing the long grass to ripple like the surface of the ocean. In the distance, a massive mountain stood against the black sky, stretching upwards until it narrowed to a point beyond the eye's capability to see. "Where the hell…?" The man murmured, pushing himself to a seated position. There was nothing close to him, only grass as far as the eye could see.

"Giving up already?"

The voice made his back ripple with shivers, something that never happened to one so in tune with the cold. It radiated with power, and even in this dreamscape or whatever it was, Tyr could feel it. But it made him shiver for another reason.

It was his mother's voice.

He turned, finding a knight in full armor kneeling in the grass. But the land before him was pitted and scarred as if giants had been fighting. The very ground was torn apart, with huge rends stretching out for an amazing distance. Figures in different kinds of armor lay dead on the battlefield, no doubt killed in the struggle that had occurred here. The remaining knight's armor was in no better shape, almost barely holding itself together. Ahead of the knight was a figure wrapped in a roaring blizzard, her silver eyes narrowed in irritation.

Aleksandra Winter, the Indomitable Blizzard, scowled down at the knight in black armor. Her dark hair rippled in the wind, and a massive golden symbol floated behind her. It was shaped into what looked to be a large circle and stayed a small distance from the nape of her neck. "You're very persistent," the woman-turned-blizzard said, the storm howling.

"I'm not the kind of man to give in," the knight said, rising. He took hold of his sword and shield, readying himself to continue to fight. Aleksandra's scowl deepened.

"Three hundred men," The woman said, ice forming a chair for her. She sat, crossing one leg over the other. "Three hundred men tried to 'claim' me as theirs. All but you have failed. What makes you different?"

"Well, I thought to put cold protection on my armor, unlike these poor saps," The knight remarked, glancing towards a corpse beside him.

"A smart choice." The elemental leaned forward, the low cut of her winter themed dress showing off her chest. The knight's helmet turned away. "Oh? Embarrassed?"

The knight coughed. "I'd rather not be distracted by your cleavage."

To Tyr's shock, his mother laughed. "That's adorable! A man who isn't controlled by his desires."

"I am a knight, after all." The knight replied, almost defiantly.

Aleksandra leaned back in her chair. "Come at me then. Perhaps you'll last longer?"

The knight's weapons came up in a defensive stance. Silence fell between the two of them for a minute, before the knight spoke again. "So I can approach you any way I want?"

"Of course. So far I've only been attacked randomly, so if you have a more interesting approach, I'd like to see it."

The knight nodded, more to himself than Aleksandra. In a move that surprised both elementals, he dropped his shield and sword. With the groan of metal and clanking of plate, he sat down on the grass. "Alright then."

"W-what?"

"Why don't we talk?" The knight shrugged. "I'm well aware of your power, Miss Winter. I'm not going to fight a losing battle."

Aleksandra's silver eyes blinked. "Um… okay. I think."

"Confused?"

"You're the first person in a long time to ever just talk to me," She replied slowly.

The knight chuckled. "I'm curious. Why do you do this?"

"Do…?"

"Get into these fights. Kill all these men."

"They attack me," the woman replied with a frown. She glanced off to the side. "I'm the only Ice Elemental around, and one of the most powerful. So obviously I'm a rare catch. I would rather not kill them."

The knight chuckled. "I came out here because I was told there was a monster out here terrorizing the locals. Surprisingly I find a very beautiful woman destroying a small army without any effort. Imagine my surprise."

"I'm not a monster—wait, you think I'm beautiful?"

"I do."

"…Oh. Thank you."

The knight nodded. "So. If you're not a monster, then what are you?"

"I am ice," Aleksandra said with a frown. Her silver eyes flicked away from her companion to look at the surrounding area. She sighed, her voice coming out like a chant. "Ice does not burn. Ice does not bend. Ice cannot be conquered. All they did was walk into a blizzard."

As she spoke, the storm seemed to die down and become calmer. Obviously, not being threatened meant she wasn't going to just freeze him. The knight seemed to notice this, head tilting slightly. "So you're not killing for fun?"

"As sure as a glacier is heavy." Aleksandra blinked. "You know, you're a weird knight. Sitting in my storm isn't uncomfortable?"

The knight sighed. It was like he really didn't want to say what he was about to say. "…The cold never bothered me anyway…"

–v–

Tyr snapped back to reality, a chill permeating his body. The dragons were still around him, breathing fire and boasting. They obviously were enjoying their position of power. "Can't handle the heat, frosty? Want us to let up a bit?" One younger dragon paused in breathing fire to taunt him. "Ever gonna come out of the little igloo?"

"Since you asked so nicely," Tyr growled. He shot one hand out to the dome, and an answering spike of ice shot out and impaled the taunting dragon in the throat. His companions were paralyzed in shock.

"W…What?"

"Ice. Doesn't. Burn." Tyr's voice declared.

"That doesn't even—!"

"ICE DOESN'T BEND!" The dome shattered, tossing ice shards in all directions and blinding the dragons surrounding Tyr. But the man was already moving, a silver blur as he washed across the field in a matter of seconds. "AVATAR!" Tyr growled, the lattice work of magic forming behind him into the shape of a large half suit of armor. The construct carried a massive axe of ice in its hands that it brought down in a murderous arc on the dragon holding down Rarity. The blow severed the dragon's head in one stroke. The white unicorn flinched away from the spray of blood, whimpering weakly as a fist of ice pushed the body away before it fell on her.

"Kill him!" Groundshaker demanded.

Tyr froze the ground as he landed, sliding through a pair of dragons. His Avatar grabbed the two by the neck and slammed them into the ground. The man himself leapt onto his next opponent, burying his frost sword deep into the dragon's neck. Using the momentum of his jump, he swung himself to the side, twisting his weapon and tearing the dragon's head from his shoulders. "You runt!" A nearby dragon snarled, turning to face him. It was the one that had beaten Pinkie senseless, and the Elemental's eyes narrowed.

"You guys made a mistake," Tyr pointed out, not even the barest hint of rage in his demeanor. Instead, there was only a cold calculating stare that met the furious gazes of the dragons. Elemental or not, he had slain their comrades. And for that, they wanted blood.

"Tyr, wait!" Twilight cried out, but it was too late. The dragons charged forward, and then a blizzard howled forth to face them. The man's blade flashed in the storm like lightning, ice slicing through the flames that flowed out to meet him. Tyr was like a blade in the darkness, cutting through the dragons easily while they struggled to catch him. Ice and blood flowed from every cut, and the snarls and cries of pain from the dragons filled the air.

But Tyr did not stop.

His sword cleaved through a dragon's wing in a smooth slice, and he slid under the lizard to avoid a claw. An axe of ice formed in his hand and he slammed it into the belly of the dragon. A howl of pain was his reward, but he was already moving, slashing into a larger dragon even as the first tried to dislodge the weapon buried in his chest. He didn't have to worry about it long after Tyr sent a spike of ice through his brain. The next dragon was met with a roar and an ice hammer to the skull. Fragments of horn and teeth went flying.

Slowly, a feeling of dread began to roll through the area. The dragons that had previously believed themselves to be superior, nearly unstoppable now realized that they were just as mortal as the ponies they now harassed. One singular Ice Elemental was tearing through their ranks, ice beginning to coat the earth below him. And that no matter how much they huffed, no matter how much they struggled, they would eventually be brought down by just one man. One solitary elemental with a slowly growing smirk that was almost demonic. That realization made them desperate, and they tried even harder to kill him. But Tyr was like the surface of a frozen lake—smooth in his motions and just as dangerous to the unwary. He was never in one spot for long, moving from place to place as he struck down opponents with graceful ease. Every strike was either a kill or a crippling blow without any wasted movement.

Vanna and Charlie, released by the dragons that attacked them, had transformed and were watching the carnage from off to the side. The older dragonkin held his daughter close. "Are you okay, Charlie?"

She blushed at her dad's ministrations, gently pushing away the hand that was stroking her head. "I-I'm okay dad. Seriously."

"…Wonderful." He let out a shaky yet relieved sigh. "I'm… I don't want to lose you. Not again."

"This isn't Auriga," She reminded him with a small smile.

He shook his head. "Not Auriga. Commorragh."

His daughter fell silent for a bit. "…Oh. Well we got out of that okay, right?"

The sound of gurgling caught their attention, Tyr ripping a claw of ice out of the throat of another dragon. He spun and flung an axe made of ice that caught another dragon charging midstride, slamming home right between his eyes. The number of enemy dragons was rapidly dwindling under Tyr's methodical assault. "You've made a grave error, elemental!" Groundshaker snarled, unfurling his wings in preparation to attack.

Tyr waved a hand and tore a dragon apart with spikes of ice. He gave the black dragon an icy glare. The temperature dropped a few noticeable degrees. " _You_ are the one who screwed up, Groundshaker. The moment you threatened my friends, my _family_ , you were dead where you sat."

"You truly believe you can simply kill me?"

"You better believe it." The flapping of wings caught Tyr's attention, and he glanced aside to spot one of the remaining dragons trying to fly away. The man's eyes narrowed and with a voice that seemed to come from the storm itself spoke. " _Feel the weight of your sin_."

Ice rapidly formed on the dragon's body, and in a matter of seconds his wings and torso were completely covered in ice. Unable to support his own weight, he plummeted to the ground. His frozen wings shattered on impact. He writhed about for a moment, before a very vindictive looking Chrys appeared on his neck, a spike of green magic shooting from her horn into his skull. She gave Tyr a angry yet happy smile. Groundshaker snarled. "You will pay for that."

"Bring it," Tyr snapped back, before charging the dragon. Groundshaker roared in response, charging to meet his much smaller opponent. But this wasn't going to be a contest of strength. As Groundshaker lunged forward, Tyr flung his arms up, putting a massive ice wall in between him and the angry dragon. As soon as he heard the sound of the dragon face planting into his wall, he turned into the storm itself, moving up and over the wall in one smooth motion. When he returned to normal, he was on Groundshaker's back. He slashed downwards with an ice axe, burying the weapon deep into the dragon's back. Groundshaker attempted to twist and turn to toss him off, but Tyr held on firmly, his other hand striking the scaly creature with more weapons of ice.

"Get off of me!"

"Oh I will. When I'm _done!_ AVATAR!" Tyr's magic avatar appeared once more, hands coming down to grip the dragon's wings.

"What are you…? Let go!"

The demand turned into a plea and then into almost begging in the middle of the sentence as Tyr's Avatar twisted, pulled and wrenched Groundshaker's wings. And then in a spray of blood, the construct ripped the wings off the black dragon. The sound was unlike anything anypony had ever heard or ever wanted to hear. In addition to that noise was the sound of Groundshaker crying out in agony. The dragon tried to rise, only for the Avatar to force it back down by the throat. Covered in blood both his and of his enemies, Tyr's snarling visage was like out of a nightmare. The man's aura grew, and the storm grew even more vicious. "Oh, I'm not done with you yet, scaly," The storm howled. "Far from _done_!"

Before Tyr could follow through with whatever plan he had in mind, a sound distracted him from above. Momentarily ignoring the somewhat whimpering dragon below him, he looked up and felt a headache already coming on. As if she could sense his distress, a voice cried out weakly from his wrist. "I tried to refuse her, Operator, but I could see your life was in danger and she is your daughter…!"

"…Aurora told you to come?" Tyr asked, looking up at the Jötunheim as it hung in the air above them. He wouldn't put it past his daughter to order Cindy to bring the ship. With a halfhearted chuckle, he lowered his arms, the howling storm going quiet as Tyr felt his rage slip away.

"Actually Operator…"

[Daddy!]

Tyr blinked several times as a flash of light appeared just a few feet away, depositing Cori and the twins in front of him. He barely had enough time to register that it was them before Cori shot to him and leapt into his chest. He looked down to see her crying. "Cori?"

"I was so worried," The little Changeling said, squeezing her forelegs around him. "I felt that you were in danger, and I begged and pleaded…"

Tyr glanced over at his other two children, seeing the relief on both of their faces. "She wouldn't let up," Aleron pointed out.

"I thought… I thought you were going to die," Cori whispered

The man hugged his daughter tightly. "…Thanks, Cori."

"Beloved!"

Tyr's head snapped up at that. To the surprise of all around, Celestia and her fellow Princesses descended down upon the bloody battlefield. Every single dragon except for Groundshaker was dead, and their eyes widened at the sight. Celestia and Hope looked quite put off by the number of dead dragons while Luna and Sherry simply tried to avoid looking at them. Luna had been the one to speak, and she made a beeline straight to Tyr. Cori obviously felt the mare coming, and let him go just in time for Luna to crush herself against him and kiss him deeply. "I was worried," She said softly once they finally broke apart.

"Sorry," Tyr said. His attention was drawn to the other Princesses, and the entourage they brought with them. At least thirty royal guards, Flash and Bright Soul, and then on top of that a dozen heavily armed dragons led by a similarly armored blue female. Despite himself, he raised his sword in a defensive stance. "…More dragons?"

"We have no quarrel with you, Winterkin," Ember said, holding up a claw. "My mission was to find that one."

She indicated Groundshaker, and Tyr raised an eyebrow. "You're hunting him?"

"He is accused of treason. And I and my command were tasked with bringing him back… dead or alive."

Groundshaker, despite his wounds, rumbled in laughter. "King Horntail sent you after me? I'm very honored."

Ember snorted. "I suppose. If I had known Princess Celestia was sending Winter itself after you, I'd not have bothered."

"Believe me," Celestia said, looking around at the frozen battlefield. Her magenta eyes found Tyr, and they held both regret and a tiny bit of fear. "When I sent Tyr with them, I didn't expect this…"

"Well, he certainly saved our butts," Ace groaned from the ground nearby. Celestia's eyes widened at hearing his voice. She looked around rapidly, noticing the other injured ponies lying around.

"Ace! Everypony!" She gasped.

"Medics!" Bright Soul ordered, and a quintet of medical personnel rushed forward to attend to the injured.

Tyr moved away from Groundshaker, a small plinth of ice forming at a gesture to provide him a seat. Luna stayed near him, worry on all her features. They were silent as the dragons carried the wounded Groundshaker away. Finally, the Princess of Dreams finally voiced her concern. "Beloved, you are injured as well. Should I call one of the medical ponies over?"

"You are really beat up, dad," Aurora said, examining one particularly nasty gash in his arm. "Did you… did you fight them on your own?"

To be honest, Tyr hadn't even noticed the injuries he had sustained. Probably the result of adrenaline, but he didn't feel any pain. "…Get to the others first. I'll live."

"But…"

"ARGH!" Grace shot up to her hooves, casting a nasty glare at the medic pony that was attending to her. She rubbed at her side. "Have you just started learning proper hoof stitch technique? You've stabbed me more times than the dragons did!"

"S-Sorry Sir Grace," The medic apologized rapidly. "I-I…!"

Grace let out a shaky sigh. "…It's fine. You poking me with the needle woke me up. I'll handle it."

"But—!"

"I. Got. It."

Flash chuckled as he walked over. "No wonder the guards all call you 'Hellflower', Grace."

Ace laughed loudly, only to wince in pain. It didn't do anything to weaken his smile, however. "Hellflower? That's the nickname you got? Ha!"

Grace groaned and sat down hard, horn lighting up in order to begin healing herself. "Not like I picked it myself…"

"Nice to see you're all well enough to joke around…" Sherry said with a roll of her eyes. She glanced over at her dad, a curious look on her face. The man noticed, and after a minute of thought, raised one arm. She was at his side in a second, nuzzling him lovingly.

Tyr could only chuckle. "You're easy to read, girl."

"I thought dads are supposed to know what their daughters want?"

"Fair enough. Sorry for worrying you."

"Stop trying to get yourself killed, please?"

He chuckled good-naturedly. "Right. I'll do my best, sweetie."

Vanna walked over and clapped his friend on the shoulder. He spared a glance in Ember's direction. "So missy, what are you going to do with our wingless friend over there?"

Fenrir appeared then, a scowl on her face. "I suggest you kill him and be done with it."

"I wouldn't mind doing it," Charlie snarled, cracking her knuckles.

Ember chuckled. "We'll handle him. Unless…" She glanced over at Tyr.

"I've had enough for one day," Tyr said shortly, getting up. Sherry looked at him in surprise.

"Dad?" She asked.

Tyr didn't respond immediately, instead walking over to where Rarity and Pinkie were getting treated. The pink pony was still unconscious, but Rarity was lucid enough to reach out a hoof to him once he knelt down beside her. "Sorry I took so long, Rarity," Tyr said, taking it and bowing his head apologetically.

"It's not your fault, darling," Rarity admonished with a gentle smile. "In the end, you did save us."

"But I could have fought back before all that, before…" He trailed off, looking around at the others. Rainbow and Ace still hadn't got up from their injuries, although they were harassing the medic helping them with jokes and teasing. Twilight was only slightly singed, although her horn was sparking uncontrollably while Flash helped her to her hooves. Applejack, covered in injuries herself, was cradling a weeping Fluttershy in her forelegs and trying to comfort her. Even Vanna and Charlie were injured, although they were taking it much better than the others. His friends had been through so much, and he could have saved them all the pain if he had simply not hesitated. "…Before anyone got hurt. I hesitated, and it cost us."

"But you did. You saved us all again, Darling." Rarity moved her hoof up to touch his cheek. "I am not upset with you at all."

"You did as much as you could, Master," Chrys added, limping her way over. A medic was following her, trying to get her to stop, but a sharp glare from the Changeling sent the mare scurrying away. "…I profess I was not much help myself."

Tyr sat down and pulled the Changeling to his side, resting his head atop hers. "You did what you could. I'm glad you're alright."

A pair of hooves wrapped around them from behind, and they were both surprised to see Luna embracing them from behind. "And I am glad all of you are alright. Are Pinkie's injuries serious?"

"A concussion and several cuts and bruises," The medic pointed out. He coughed slightly. "Nothing serious and she should be back on her hooves in a day or so. Full recovery should take a week or more."

"Wonderful."

"Sorry it came to this," Twilight was saying to Celestia, limping over with Flash's help. "I tried to resolve it peacefully, but…"

Celestia shook her head slowly before leaning down to nuzzle her former student. "No, you did your best, Twilight. I was a fool for sending you into this underprepared. I should have sent a contingent of guards with you, or come myself, or…"

"Don't blame yourself," Hope said softly, yet firmly. The older Alicorn was surprised to see a firmness in the golden mare's eyes that normally wasn't there. "What's done is done, and even your experience wouldn't have helped."

"But…"

"Hindsight is always 20/20," Sherry said thoughtfully. "We could sit here all day thinking about what could have been, but then we'll ignore what is right in front of us. The rogue dragons were dealt with, and nopony was lost doing it."

"Even if the method was a bit… bloodier than we had hoped," Hope said.

"I enjoyed myself," Ace reminded them all, only to be poked roughly in the side. "Owowow, ribs! Still broken!"

Celestia glanced between the two Alicorns; her shock slowly giving was to understanding. "…I see. I suppose that even I have much to learn."

"Never too old to learn!" Hope said cheerily.

"I suppose that is quite true, Hope."

A rumbling started then, getting all of their attention. "What in the name of the moon?" Luna said, looking around.

The collapsed rock entrance that Tyr and the others had come out of suddenly opened, the rocks flying out and forming a rough looking entrance. A moment later and out marched the Dwellers, Serenity at their head. Many of them were obviously wary at emerging onto the surface, but there were a few that were looking up at the endless sky in wonder. However, upon seeing the dead dragons littering the ground, Serenity paused. "…It seems we have missed quite a bit," She mumbled, swallowing heavily. "Moonhowler…"

"It's fine," Tyr said, waving a hand. "I ordered you to stay hidden. Don't worry."

"I still feel left out, Moonhowler…"

"I think the same goes for me," Celestia said, raising an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of several hundred ponies from a tunnel. She glanced over at Tyr. "Explain?"

Tyr smirked. He glanced over at Twilight, who cleared her throat. "Well Princess, it seems we discovered a race of ponies never seen before that lived in the tunnel systems under the Badlands. Those gems in their foreheads allow them to manipulate the earth much like you use your horn to manipulate other objects."

"And they apparently revere Tyr as a hero," Ace said, still lying on the ground. Rainbow was sitting up now, and shook her head at him.

"You can get up now, stupid," She said, smacking him with a hoof.

"Ow. And I don't wanna."

"Actually," Serenity spoke up, finally getting over her surprise. She kept her eyes locked on Celestia as she walked forward. "We value Moonhowler much more than that. He has not only protected us from the Lurkers, saved us from our destroyed home, and now even led us to the surface safely. At this point, he is no longer a hero."

While she spoke, the other Dwellers had come forward, gathering around Tyr's family. "What? What is going on…?" Celestia asked, and then Serenity walked past her to kneel before Tyr. There were nearly several hundred ponies coming to kneel before the man, all those that had survived the fall of the Underhome.

"Moonhowler… no, Tyr. As Seer of the Dwellers, I both thank you for saving my people and praise you for your valor in defending your own. It is my honor and privilege to pledge my loyalty to you."

Tyr opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of hundreds of knees being bent cut him off. All of the Dwellers had knelt before him, silently pledging loyalty to him and him alone. HE closed his mouth, and then managed to mumble. "…Well then."

"We humbly ask that you guide us, my Lord. Please… lead us to a new home, and to a new life."

"Wouldn't it be more… I dunno; make more sense for you to say this to Celestia…?"

"I doubt my ponies would follow somepony they didn't know…"

"…Fine." Tyr got up and stood up to his full height. "I'll accept."

Serenity smiled widely as she raised herself back up. "Thank you, Lord Tyr."

Fenrir chuckled quietly. "A veritable King under the Mountain indeed…"

Vanna frowned. "He's not a dragon though."

"Becoming a king?" Celestia chuckled, causing Tyr to quickly turn around. "I didn't know you had aspirations of leadership."

"Sorry Tia, I mean…"

The white Alicorn chuckled. "It is fine, my friend. I know you well enough. You will do well."

Tyr shook his head. "I don't want to be a king…" He began, but Celestia held up a hoof.

"Perhaps simply Lord of the Dwellers would be more to your liking then?" She smiled. "I haven't bestowed a title on anypony in quite some time, Tyr."

The man let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine then. Name me a Lord or whatever. Don't expect me to go to any fancy parties."

Celestia giggled lightly. "I'll only invite you if I need someone threatened."

"Aw, I'm not useful for that?" Ace asked, watching as Grace shouldered aside the medic working on him and began using her magic to put him back together much faster. "…Huh. I don't think feeling my ribs move is normal. Oddly interesting, but obviously not normal."

"Having to patch you up so many times in one day is not normal," Grace replied, smirking lightly. She glanced over at the medic she had taken over from. "Hey, watch what I'm doing! You may not be able to do it as quickly, but you can still learn."

The medic snapped to attention. "Yes, ma'am!"

"What happens now, my Lord?" Serenity asked, turning back to Tyr. "Your ponies are still in need of a new home."

Tyr frowned a bit at the title, but thought for a moment. "Well… since the Dwellers prefer living underground… I've got it."

"You do?" Rarity asked. The man smirked at her.

"I did recently make a very large land purchase, and it included quite the large mountain in it."

"That is right!" Luna said nodding. "If they really want to be underground, they could start there."

Serenity nodded. "We are no strangers to digging, Lord. We will have it habitable in months."

"We can also work out some deals with Ponyville," Tyr added with a nod. "Food deliveries and the like."

"I reckon we'll be more than happy to help out," Applejack said, coming over with Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus had finally calmed down, and gave Serenity a small smile.

"I-I can get some of my digging friends to help out," She said softly.

Serenity blushed. "I… I appreciate the help. I do not think we've been in a position like this before…"

"Of course we'll help!" Twilight said. "We ponies always help each other."

"I… thank you so much."

Celestia sighed. "Twilight… all of you. I am so sorry I put you into this situation."

"Aunt Celestia." Hope sounded upset. She poked the older Alicorn's side. "I will not tolerate any more self-intimidation."

"Deprecation," Grace called out.

"That!" Hope poked the Alicorn again, not losing steam. "It is not your fault, there was nothing you could do, and it is NOT your FAULT!"

The guards watched this whole event with mixed looks of surprise, awe and horror. Nopony ever acted like this to Princess Celestia, not even the other Princesses. And Hope, the most childish of them all, was speaking to her like she was a little filly. All eyes went to Princess Celestia. The white Alicorn mare stood there for a long minute before sighing. "…You're right."

"And another—wait, what?"

"You're right." Celestia nodded. "The only way I could have done anything is if I had come myself. And I didn't. But I will make up for it now."

Twilight blinked. "Princess…"

"I will not be sending you on dangerous missions like this anymore," Celestia said, turning to look at the other Elements of Harmony as they gave her their attention. "You all have families of our own now, so I—"

"That's not what I mean either," Hope said, getting to where she was right in front of Celestia. "Do not overreact! Do not blame yourself!"

"But if Twilight were to get hurt…"

"You really think Twilight is going to sit quietly and not do things to help others?" Hope frowned. "You should know her better than anyone else!"

Celestia frowned. "Hope… you don't understand…"

"No, I understand fine! You were going to tell Twilight to just stay at home and be a mother, but she's a Princess too! You can't just go around telling ponies that they can't do what they do best, and Twilight and her friends help ponies!"

"I can't simply keep putting them into danger!"

"They chose to go themselves," Hope pointed out. "And you did send Ace, Grace and Tyr with them. You didn't know that the dragons would be hostile. And Flash told me that the guard was already spread thin!"

Celestia looked over at Flash. "You tell Hope about our military strength?"

The blue maned pegasus blinked. "What? Of course not—wait!" He scowled over at Hope. "You little… I thought it was odd to see you on the training grounds. I thought you were just chasing butterflies!"

"You forget that 'child' spent most of her time with me," Chrys pointed out.

"…Buck."

"It is no matter," Celestia said. Surprisingly, she gave the other mare a smile. "My little one here seems to be quite mischievous."

"I'm not the only one who is hiding anything from those we _love_ ," Hope replied with a small smirk. Celestia frowned, and then a tiny bit of recognition crossed her expression.

"You… fine. We will speak more on this when we return to Canterlot. Twilight, will you require anything else?"

Twilight blinked. "Huh? Well, I… No. I think Tyr can get us back home…"

"Cindy?" Tyr raised his communicator. The hologram of his Controller appeared as expected. "Does the Jötunheim have enough space for all of the Dwellers?"

"Hm… It might be a tight fit, but I do believe we can. Some may have to crowd into the hangars and storage spaces."

"We'll make it work. Serenity? We're going to be taking all the Deep Ponies into that flying machine up there."

Serenity gaped. She looked up at the airship, swallowing heavily. "I-Into the sky? Um… I suppose I must trust you, my Lord…"

Tyr chuckled. "Just wait. A lot of things will change for you and the Dwellers. But I and my family will be there for you all the way."

"Of course, we'll help out as well," Twilight pointed out. "Ponyville will no doubt be happy to help you move in."

"First, we need ta get home," Applejack pointed out. She planted a soft kiss on Fluttershy's forehead. "After that, whatever happens happens."

–v–

Finally home, and back on the outskirts of Ponyville, Tyr had a chance to relax. Cindy had prepared a warm bath for him once all the Dwellers were finally offloaded outside the mountain. Many of them, since they had been terrified upon finding out they would be flying, had refused to board. But after Luna put the vast majority asleep and Celestia offered to teleport most of them, it was much easier to transport them. And upon offloading them in the wasteland at the bottom of the mountain, many of them were elated to have solid stone under their hooves. After promising to return to speak to him once they were finished working, Serenity led her ponies to the mountain. There was a tunnel deeper than any pony could simply look down by the end of the day.

Vanna and Charlie had chosen to stay aboard the Jötunheim, since there weren't any other places two dragons could live safely. Under Cindy's watchful gaze, the two dragonkin had built a forge in the lower decks of the ship. Grace had avoided talking to Vanna, instead focusing on healing the injured. But from what Tyr could tell, there was an unspoken promise between the two of them to talk at some point in the future.

Now, Tyr finally got to slide into this bath, and wash the blood and sweat off of himself. As he let his body soak, he noticed something peculiar. All his new wounds closed much faster and seemed to heal on their own. On top of that, just being in the water seemed to also revitalize him. "I figure that's a side effect of being an Ice Elemental," He murmured, watching a cut on his hand close and heal of its own accord. Guess he had an 'after fight ritual' now. With a soft sigh, he let himself slide back so that he could relax.

"Comfortable?" Luna asked him, wrapping her hooves around him and resting her chin atop his head.

"Mm," He murmured with a small nod.

"That's good."

"…Mani?"

"Yes, my beloved?"

"Why are you in here with me?"

"I thought you might like the company. Was I wrong?"

"No, just… how did you get in here?"

"I can teleport as well, my love."

"Ah. Fair enough." Tyr shifted slightly to be more comfortable. Luna's wet fur was soft, and it didn't feel too bad to lay against. Not to mention she was generally just nice to touch anyways… "Can I ask another question?"

"Yes?"

"Why is Rarity in here as well?"

The white unicorn looked up from running water along her forelegs. Her vibrant mane was wetted down and hung straight about her body, a darker shade than normal because of the water. She gave him a quizzical look. "Hm? I can't be in here?"

"I'm not saying that, but I was just wondering…"

Luna chuckled. "My dear, I can teleport more than just one pony at a time."

"Fair, I guess," Tyr muttered as Rarity laid down on top of him, a small smile on her face as she traced a hoof along his scars. Even soaked and somewhat covered in scars and bandages, the unicorn was still beautiful.

"You're not going to ask why I'm here?" Chrys pouted from the side of the tub.

"…Chrissy. I know you better than anyone. I know _exactly_ why you're in here."

"Fair enough. But you never asked Pinkie either."

"I'm here for the same reason you are!" Pinkie said with a giggle, poking Chrys's cheek.

Tyr let out a sigh. The pink party pony had woken up shortly after being dipped in the restorative bath aboard the Jötunheim, and had sprung back to normal in record time. "This was supposed to be a relaxing bath…"

"We can help you relax, Master," Chrys said suggestively, reaching out to run a hoof along his arm.

"We did say we'd wait for all of us to be together," Pinkie said with a small smile. "So… We're all together now…"

"Oh?" Luna smirked. "You promised Pinkie? I see. Well, we do not want to make you a liar, do we?"

"I am included in this as well, correct Darling?" Rarity asked softly.

"Of course," He said, running his fingers through her mane. This time, she didn't flinch at his touch. Instead, she seemed quite happy at the affection.

Luna giggled. "Well, let's not talk all night. We have plenty of time, and I do believe our beloved Tyr is willing to spend the _entire_ night with us."

Tyr grinned despite himself. "Now what have I told you about taunting a wolf, dear?"

–x–

Solstice hated meeting this contact. Not because it was always at night in a secluded space—that was more common than you'd think in this line of work—it was because his contact never made eye contact while they spoke. Not to mention the armed guards that he always had with him. But the job had been easy, the pay was good, and now all he had to do was complete it. So here he was, outside of Fillydelphia, in an old house outside of city limits waiting on a stallion whose face he had never even seen. What a way to spend the week.

"Mr. Solstice, you return."

The golden stallion turned around to see his contact—in a black cloak as always—and his guards. But this time, he was joined by another stallion, and this one was disguised as well. Although, not that well. A bright white and gold cloak sat on his shoulders, and a golden mask covered his face. But his blonde mane was left to fall about his shoulders. Solstice drew himself up, feeling the weight of his satchel at his side. "Bout time you showed up, JR."

JR smirked. "I hadn't expected to see you this soon, Mr. Glow."

"I like to be fast," Solstice replied evenly, patting his bag. "I found your book."

"You got the right one?"

"Only book that had a black claw emblem on it. But why was it in the Castle of the Two Sisters?"

"No matter," JR said, stepping forward. "Simply the last place it was kept. May I see it?"

Solstice simply nodded and opened up the bag. Out came the tome in question, obviously worn and very old. "Here it is."

"Ah… it looks very delicate…"

"Believe me, it is." Solstice glanced from JR to the other masked pony. "…So everything is in order?"

"Ah. Your pay." JR motioned to one of his guards, who came over to them with a bag full of bits. He handed it to Solstice, who quickly opened it and checked the inside. After a short moment, he used his magic to hand the tome over to JR.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Solstice said shortly, taking his money and turning to leave. Just before he could walk away, JR spoke up.

"Ah, just a moment. Did you open the book and read anything?"

"What? No, of course not. I'm not one for reading dusty old tomes."

"I see. Good."

"…Anything else?" Solstice felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Just a curious question. What do you plan to do with your money?"

"Open a shop. I've collected a lot of knickknacks over the years that I think might sell."

"I see. Good luck with that."

"…Thanks." Solstice took that as the end of the conversation, and quickly left the area. He didn't want to spend any longer in that situation than he needed to, and neither JR or his companion didn't care. The golden robed stallion turned to JR.

"Are you sure it's fine to let him just leave like that?" He asked, a little worry in his tone.

"Ah, do not worry yourself. He doesn't know what we wanted the tome for, and he didn't even bother to look inside. We have nothing to fear from him."

"I suppose if you're sure…"

"Ah, we will be fine. No doubt by the time we go through with our plan, he will have forgotten what has happened.'

"How long will it take?"

JR chuckled. "Do not be in such a rush. It may take a few months to decipher the words in this tome, and who knows how much longer after to actually put our plan into motion."

"So… all in due time?"

"All in due time. Until then, continue doing what I asked of you. I will continue to gather allies. We will need all our strength to overcome the Princess."

–x–

Chrys woke up hours later in the night, feeling satisfied and full. But something was nagging at her mind. Lifting her head up from Luna's side, she slowly scanned the room. Pinkie and Rarity were curled up together a small distance away, and the Changeling herself was lying on Luna's stomach. But to her surprise, Tyr was nowhere to be found. His scent was still on the air, and the spot where he had been lying was still warm.

But where had he gone?

She let her mind search for him, feeling through the connection they shared. It didn't take her long to find him. He was seated on the top of the Jötunheim, mind wandering. Disentangling herself from Luna's tail, Chrys quietly left the room and went to join him. She found him watching the stars, a pensive look on his face. She moved silently at first. [You know I felt you wake up, right?]

She chuckled quietly to herself. "Of course you did. May I join you?"

"Of course."

She walked over to his side, lying down on her stomach beside him. His hand automatically went to her head, where he could easily run his fingers through her mane. Chrys in turn nuzzled up closer to him, basking in the warmth of his love. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke up to break the quiet moment. "Why did you come up here, Master?"

Tyr didn't respond right away, finding a spot behind her left ear that made her purr in pleasure. After a minute or so, he finally opened his mouth. "It's peaceful up here."

"Did we tire you out?"

"I think I was the one to tire you all out," Tyr replied flippantly.

Chrys giggled. "I think we started making some headway after getting you out of the water."

"Before or after Luna fainted?"

"We can't help it you're a beast, Master. You've never really… let loose like that."

"Well, I never had to entertain four mares at once."

"Fair point." Chrys looked up at him. "You realize we all love you, correct?"

"I do. And I honestly want you to know that very fact terrifies me."

"It does?"

Tyr looked at her. "When it comes to humans, most men would be lucky enough to find just one woman that loves them. Somehow, I've found four."

"Well, I will admit that is a true statement." Chrys nuzzled his side. "But you are a wonderful man, Master. And you've done so much and sacrificed so much for each of us. And that is something that we will never forget."

"And you're fine with this?"

"Master, you forget." She gently tapped her hoof against his nose. "I am happy as long as you are happy. My emotions are more tied to yours than you think."

"True, I guess. But Rarity and Pinkie…"

"You need to stop second guessing yourself. Just be yourself, love each of us like you did this evening. And we will all love one another as well."

"…I'm glad I have you Chrys."

"And I am happy to be at your side, Master."

He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close. They stayed there, looking up at the sky in silence for a bit. "…Love you, Chrys."

"I love you too, Master."

"Want to head inside?"

"We should. We don't want the others to wake up and not find us there. They may think we snuck off to continue on our own."

"Please no. I'm still tired. Unless we're dunking me back in the bathtub, I'm really against that idea."

She giggled. "Then let's go back. Perhaps now that this crisis is dealt with, we can finally relax?"

Tyr rolled his eyes and stroked her head. "Of course you have to jinx it…"

–V–

"I can't believe we spent all day talking," Aleksandra murmured, looking up at the setting sun. She had moved down to the ground, only a short distance from the still helmeted knight. A low chuckle came from her companion. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like you've never actually talked to someone," he remarked.

The dark skinned woman frowned. "I haven't. Either people just want to get under my skirt, kill me, or just fight me to prove something."

"You said 'people'."

"I've been hit on by women too."

The knight whistled softly. "Well, I guess that's the allure of a Dreamer."

Aleksandra glanced at him, eyes narrowed. "You can tell?"

"I have a… sense for these things."

"Are you… Are you an Awakened?"

The knight chuckled again. "That I am. A pleasure, ma'am."

"Oh, please don't start with that. I'm barely touching two-thirty."

"You're very beautiful for only being that old," the knight replied.

"Bah. I'm probably three times your age."

"I'm not denying that." He chuckled again. "Although you'd never be able to tell by just looking."

"Ha ha." The elemental was quiet for a moment, watching the knight. "…You know, you've neither shown your face nor given your name."

"You never asked."

"Fair enough."

The knight thought for a moment. "How about a trade?"

"A trade?" Aleksandra looked skeptical. "Now what would you want from me?"

"Your time," The knight replied with a nod.

"…My… time?"

"Why don't we go out somewhere to eat? My treat."

The Elemental considered the idea. Then, she smirked. "As long as you're paying."

"You don't make a lot of money relieving these idiots of their lives?"

"Oh, I do. I am still a woman, however. I like to be treated every now and then."

The knight sighed. "Very well."

"…So, your half of the deal?"

She was eager, and the man sighed. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he reached up to undo the clasps holding his helmet in place. He removed it slowly. Underneath the metal was a young man with dark skin and onyx colored eyes. He gave her a smirk. "Lysander Aquillo, at your service... Snowflake."

-x-

* * *

 **Well, there we have it. Another little window in the past of his parents. And before someone asks, Aleksandra was not killing for no reason. She was actually hunted because of what she was, so she defended herself.**

 **So we have the conclusion of the Dragon Expedition event. I won't say arc, cause it was about four or so chapters really. But that's beside the point. Vanna is reunited with the crew, and we also not have the addition of Charlie as well, plus the newly discovered Dwellers. Oh, and Tyr is a Lord now. That's a thing.**

 **Depending on how much work I get done this upcoming week, I'll see about putting up two chapters. But if anything, I will put out at least one. And I'll do my best to keep the terrible cliffhangers to a minimum.**

 **Next time, we see how well Ponyville takes to having new neighbors.**

 **The Library will accept any and all comments, reviews, or simple expressions of opinions. Don't hesitate to say what you feel.**

 **Until then, the Library will be waiting.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Greetings again, dear Readers! I have returned once more, although with only one chapter to post this week. Mainly because an idea seized me, and I (for better or worse) started work on a sort of side story, still in the MLP universe. However, not including Tyr or any of the characters introduced in Light of the Moon and Lunar Legacy. This side story currently has the title of Adventures of a Madman, and you're free to deduce whatever you want from that. I might have the first part up for it in a week or so, depending on how much work I divide between it and Lunar Legacy. But that's beside the point, onto reviews!**

 **Kevin Lapse: I'd have to say sandstone, and probably an armadillo's worth.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Coincidences are too hard to ignore, goofin was dun, Lysander knows good and well what he said, PREY SLAUGHTERED, friendly dragons you can't ride, The cavalry has arrived, Hope is occasionally scary, Solstice has NO IDEA WHAT HE HAS DONE, Tyr discovers he has insane stamina, and Aleksandra is an ice queen that needs no defrosting.**

 **Chaddmychal: I doubt anybody was expecting that. Wolfs are fiercely defensive of their packs.**

 **flammablefiredragon: With four mares, eventually you gotta just go 'ah, screw it'. And your forgiveness is greatly appreciated. :D**

 **Well, that's enough blathering from me. Onto the chapter:**

* * *

Chapter 31: Three Dragons to the Wind

"We're doing what now?" Vanna asked, lifting up his welding mask to peer at his friend. Ever the gracious host, Cindy had gone above and beyond to provide her two newest guests anything and everything they needed. That involved a fully functional forge along with all the tools they needed, living spaces large enough for two, and warmer than normal space. Vanna had been so happy he had spent the better part of the past day holed up inside, hammering away. That is, until Tyr wandered down and spoke to him.

"We're going out on the town. I need to clarify the situation with the Deep Ponies and Ponyville."

The tan dragonkin frowned. "…And you want me with you why?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Have you not noticed that Charlie has been missing since breakfast?"

"…Well, yeah. I was a little worried, but she told me she was going to… You had your kids kidnap my daughter didn't you?"

"What?" Tyr adopted an innocent expression. "How could you ever believe something like that of your brother?"

Vanna scowled. "Was this some sort of elaborate scheme to get me outside?"

"Perhaps."

"Oh fine. I've got no motivation to make anything specific at the moment." Vanna pulled off his mask and apron and went over to the clothes chest sitting on the far wall. After realizing he had access to Rarity again, Vanna had immediately requested several outfits for himself and Charlie. A few alterations later, and they had one outfit each, with a promise of more given time. The seamstress had just survived a dragon attack, after all. Vanna quickly dressed in a plaid blouse and a knee-length flowy skirt. After tying up his hair in a loose ponytail, he turned back to Tyr. "Where are we going?"

"We're meeting up with Serenity to write up a trade agreement between my ponies and Ponyville."

The Dragonkin grinned. "My ponies, he says. Possessive already?"

"Dragons aren't the only possessive predator," Tyr reminded his friend. "I have treasure of my own."

"Fair enough," Vanna admitted with a shrug. They left the forge and headed for the nearest exit hatch. It was a beautiful day, the sky clear and blue for miles in any direction. Tyr took in a deep breath, feeling the cleanliness of the air around him. Vanna chuckled, catching his attention. Tyr glanced over at him, seeing the smile on his friend's face. "A good day for flying, but I don't want to mess up these clothes."

"Of course," Tyr said, glancing at his friend's outfit. Oddly enough, Vanna didn't walk like a guy either. Hands clasped behind his back, a little bounce in his step like a girl on her first date, he looked even more feminine. "Speaking of clothes, what happened to all the scales?"

"Oh those? I can retract those if I want. Hard to wear clothes with them covering my waist and stuff."

"Fair point. You're awfully happy to be wearing clothes."

Vanna grinned and twirled, letting his skirt spin with him. "It's been a _long_ time brother. Plus, Rarity's stuff is just comfortable!"

Tyr chuckled. "I can agree with that."

"Plus I'm just more comfortable like this." He gestured to the skirt. "I've gotten so used to wearing them that it's more unusual to not have anything on."

"I wonder if Charlie feels the same way?"

"Maybe… hey, what's that?" He pointed off in the direction of the mountain. Tyr narrowed his eyes, spotting a small cloud of dust rushing towards them.

[Seems our new subjects have a… peculiar sort of transportation] Fenrir thought dryly. Tyr raised an eyebrow at the sudden thought from the Chaos Spirit.

[Well, good morning Fen. I figured you'd still be asleep]

[I was bored. And yes, I am still tired. So expect little from me for the rest of the day.]

[Fair enough] The dust cloud kept getting closer, until the shape of Serenity could be seen. She and one of her Shapers was riding on slab of rock not unlike a surf board, sliding along the ground as if it were water. "…Wow. That's impressive."

"Almost like that ice slide of yours," Vanna said with an elbow nudge.

Tyr smirked, but instead of replying turned his attention to the approaching ponies. He waved his arm up to signal them. "Serenity! Over here!"

The rock slab angled slightly, and in a matter of seconds the two Deep Ponies came to a stop just shy of them. "Good to see you, Lord Tyr," Serenity said softly, eyes squinted against the daylight. "Er… well, to see your outline, at least."

"Oh, right, sorry. Night vision and all that."

"It is not that much of a detriment," the Seer claimed. "We can feel the vibrations of the earth under us…"

"How about sunglasses?" Vanna suggested. "Strong enough ones should help."

Serenity tilted her head to the side. "Sun… glasses? What are those?"

"…Let's stop by Twilight's first," Tyr suggested.

"I will return to Stonehome," the Shaper said with a low bow.

Tyr frowned. "You're free to accompany us… um…?"

"Sandstone," the Shaper said with another bow. "I am honored, my lord, but I am needed back at Stonehome. We need all hooves we can to help with the construction."

"…Very well. Safe travels to you."

"May your hoofsteps be sure," Sandstone replied, before turning the slab around and rocketing off back towards the mountain.

Vanna frowned. "What are they building anyways?" He asked.

"Many of my veteran Shapers are working aboveground to establish the gateway that will lead down to our new home. The others are establishing living and work spaces underground. We've also begun mining," Serenity listed off.

That caught the dragonkin's attention. His eyes sparkled. "May I ask… what are you mining?"

"Um… gems seem to be plentiful in the tunnels we found. As well as veins of copper, iron and other metals. Last I heard my mining overseer Titan Forge found some veins of mythril."

"M…Mythril?" Vanna's eyes lit up even more. "Oh, merciful forge… if it's no trouble, could I could get some of that ore to work with?"

"I don't think that would be much of a problem."

"Oh thank Vulcan's hammer…"

Tyr rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Come on, let's go to Twilight's."

His two companions agreed to this, and they made their way to the crystal castle. It didn't take long before they reached it, and Tyr used his magic to open the double doors. Almost immediately, he noticed a peculiar scene. "…Mitta?"

The Earth Pony jumped up from her spot on the floor beside Starlight, shock on her face. "T-Tyr! What are y-you doing here?"

"Uh… Here to see Twilight?" Starlight asked, a blush on her cheeks.

Tyr smirked slightly. "Well… yes, actually. But now that I notice it, have you two… become friends?"

The two mares blushed even deeper. Mitta nodded quickly. "Er… um… yes? Your daughter and son suggested it…"

"Well, at least that's the only mischief they got into while I was gone," Tyr said with a small chuckle. "So is Twilight in?"

Starlight nodded. "She's upstairs in the map room."

Tyr nodded, leading Vanna and Serenity to the room in question. Twilight was seated in her throne, a number of books surrounding her. She seemed to be in deep study, but her ears twitched when their steps echoed off the walls. The Princess of Friendship looked up as they came in. "Oh, Tyr. And Vanna and Serenity. I wasn't expecting you to visit."

"I had business," Serenity said honestly.

Vanna grinned. "Tyr dragged me out of the Jötunheim."

"Kinda just checking in," Tyr said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"Still a little sore," Twilight admitted, moving one of her wings around slowly. Her eyes angled up to look in the direction of her horn, which had a bit of white bandaging wrapped around it. "My magic is still a bit on the fritz, but I should be at least 99% by tomorrow. Have you seen the other girls?"

"Well, Rarity and Pinkie are… resting on the ship. Still sore themselves."

Vanna started snickering, catching Twilight's attention. The Alicorn looked to Tyr, a question in her eyes, but the man shook his head. "…Uh, okay. But the others are good. Applejack came by earlier today and said that Fluttershy is doing better. Ace said Rainbow is sleeping off her injuries, but other than that she's still complaining."

"Sounds like her," Tyr said with a chuckle.

"So, why the visit, Tyr?" The Alicorn smirked. "You know, most ponies don't actually visit me here if they didn't want something."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "I can't simply make a courtesy call to a friend?"

Serenity laughed and stepped forward. "Please, Princess Sparkle. I have to go speak to the mayor of your town, and I cannot actually see in the daylight, so…"

"Say no more," Twilight said with a smile. She went over to a nearby box and levitated out a pair of sunglasses. With a little bit of a wobble, she sent the glasses over to land on Serenity's face. "How's that?"

"Better, but what about outside…?"

"I have a spell for that." Twilight's horn lit up again, and the glasses matched them for a moment. After a second or so, the glasses stopped glowing. Twilight pressed a hoof to the side of her head. "That should do it. Should keep the glare of the sun out completely."

Serenity smiled. "Thank you so much, Twilight."

"Are you okay?" Tyr asked, slightly worried. However the purple Alicorn simply waved him off.

"Just a little headache. That spell required a bit more effort than just levitation."

"Okay then, if you say so."

Twilight stuck out her tongue at him. "You worry just about as much as Flash. I'm amazed I got him to leave me alone so I could study."

"Actually," Vanna smirked. "Wanna come with us to the mayor's office, Twilight?"

Twilight blinked at the suggestion. "Wh-What? Why?"

"Looks like you need to be pulled away from your work as much as I did."

"Well… I guess I can take a break…"

"The more the merrier!" Vanna said with a grin.

"Where is Evie, by the way?" Tyr asked. "I half expected to see her here."

Twilight got out of her throne and walked over to them. "Evie? Oh, she's out with Aleron and Aurora. You didn't know? Seems the twins wanted to introduce another member of their group."

"Another member…" Vanna frowned. Then it hit him. "Oh, Charlie?"

"Right, your daughter! I hope she's fitting in."

"She's… she'll be fine. Hopefully she doesn't get frustrated by anything."

"Why is that?"

"She tends to… yell."

–x–

"And we'd like to introduce you to our newest friend, Charlie!" Aurora said proudly, gesturing with her hoof towards the slightly blushing dragonkin. The rest of the group—namely Bramley, Goldie, Evie and Vibrant—looked at her in quiet interest. The arrival of the young girl had taken away from the shock of seeing part of Aurora's mane dyed a bright pink. The dragonkin was wearing a short mini-dress, her lanky figure forcing Rarity to find better clothing to fit her. Ancè had contributed as well, styling Charlie's gold hair away from her face with a pair of braids.

Charlie made a small wave. "H-Hi."

"Howdy," Bramley said with a nod.

"Hello," Evie said. Goldie nodded as well in greeting, and Vibrant sniffed.

"I meant to ask," Ancè said, sitting beside Jubilee. "Is Charlie your actual name?"

"It's my nickname," Charlie replied. "My full name is Seraphina Charlotte Pyrros. I prefer being called Charlie."

"You have a pretty name," Goldie offered.

"T-Thank you."

Vibrant frowned. "So… what exactly are you?"

Charlie frowned slightly. "I'm a dragon. Or, as is probably a better way to differentiate me from the dragons you know, I'm a Dragonkin."

"What exactly is that?" Bramley asked. "Y'all saying you're not like other dragons?"

"Obviously. I mean, what dragon have you seen like me?"

Evie got up from her seat to move closer. "Well, I only have one dragon to compare, so…"

Charlie blinked. "You know a dragon?"

"Yeah, my older brother Spike. My mom hatched him."

"…Dragons hatch from eggs here?"

Vibrant chuckled. "Wow. You really are from a different world."

Evie adjusted her glasses, an interesting look on her face. "So your kind of dragon has live births?"

Goldie sighed. "Here she goes…"

Charlie spared the brown pegasus a look, a slight frown at the wing she had over Cori's back. The changeling herself seemed quite appreciative of the gesture. She turned back to Evie. "Well, yes."

"Hm. And you were born like you are now?" Evie asked.

"No, I was more scaly when I was born. It went away after a year or two, and I can do it on command if I want." As if to prove her point, Charlie lifted an arm. It went from covered in red scales to normal skin.

"Wow. Spike is scaly all the time."

"Can you breathe fire?" Vibrant asked. In response, Charlie puffed up her cheeks before blowing a stream of dark red flame out of her mouth. "Nice!"

"You've got really pretty hair," Cori said quietly. Charlie blushed.

"T-Thanks…" The dragonkin smiled softly.

Evie thought for a moment. "So… is this your only form?"

"I can go full dragon, but my dad told me not to while I'm in town."

Goldie shivered. "That sounds scary…"

Cori gave her a reassuring nuzzle. "Don't worry, Charlie's not scary."

"Sounds like it's dangerous," Bramley said.

Charlie shrugged. "I do get pretty big."

"Can you fly?" Vibrant asked.

"Well, yeah. What, does this Spike not have wings or something?"

Evie shook her head. "Not yet, but Mom thinks he'll get them eventually."

"I can almost imagine Spike learning how to fly," Aleron said with a smirk.

Vibrant opened his mouth to say something, only for his attention to be caught by something behind Charlie. "Well, speaking of the dragon…"

Charlie glanced over her shoulder, and her golden eyes met Spike's green ones. Both dragons were silent for a long minute. After a moment, Spike finally spoke. "Uh… I don't think we've met."

"This is Charlie!" Jubilee said cheerily, popping up behind the golden haired dragonkin. "She's technically our cousin!"

"…Cousin?"

"Her dad's a really close friend of our dad," Aleron explained.

"Ah… I see. So is she an Elemental or whatever like Tyr or something?"

"She's actually a dragon," Evie said. "Or more specifically… a dragonkin."

Spike blinked, looking from his little sister to Charlie. Knowing that this girl was a dragon seemed to have changed how he looked at her. "You're… actually a dragon?"

Charlie snorted in embarrassment, a little bit of smoke escaping her nostrils. "Um… yeah. Nice to meet you, Spike."

"You… you're really pretty."

Ancè beamed. "I did her hair myself!"

"And Mom got her that outfit!" Jubilee added.

Spike looked over the dragonkin momentarily. "Well, I should have known Rarity gave you that shirt and skirt…"

Charlie frowned and glanced down at her outfit. "I don't normally wear skirts like this, so I don't really know if it looks good on me or not…"

"It does! You really do look good in it!"

The dragonkin blushed slightly. "I guess it means more coming from someone not related to me…"

"Why are you out here, Spike?" Bramley asked.

The purple dragon finally pulled his eyes away from Charlie to glance in the green colt's direction. "Huh? Oh right, I'm meeting Sweetie Bell later."

"It is a nice day for a date," Ancè said, with a pointed look towards Cori and Goldie. The two fillies blushed but only moved closer together.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "You two…?"

Aleron cleared his throat. "If they're happy, they're happy."

"…right."

"We were introducing Charlie to everypony!" Aurora said. "We wanted to make sure she has a lot of friends!"

Charlie leaned back, smiling. "Well, you've done a good job at making me feel welcome. Thanks everypony."

"Of course!" Jubilee grinned.

Spike set himself down beside Charlie. "So…Charlie, right? Is that short for anything?"

"Charlotte," Charlie replied. "It's my middle name. Spike short for anything?"

"Ah… well, no, I don't think so."

"Spike doesn't have a cool dragon name," Evie said, sticking her tongue out at her embarrassed brother.

"Well, at least it's better than Garble!"

Charlie seemed a bit thoughtful. "I could always give you one. In the tongue of dragons."

The Equestrians all looked at their newest friend in confusion. "The tongue of dragons?" Evie asked. "Dragons have their own language?"

"Well, probably not here. It's from another world."

Aurora gasped. "You're a world traveler like dad?"

"World Traveler?" Vibrant frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"We travel from world to world," Charlie said, glancing at the back of her hand. "I don't have the power to do it myself, so I kinda just tagged along with my dad."

"I see…"

Spike coughed. "So… what would my name be in this other language?"

Charlie stared at him for a moment, golden eyes narrowed in thought. "…Well. You smell like ink and paper, so you obviously work with books. You seem like the protective sort, and I can guess you're pretty loyal… So. _Midtovitaanvahlok_."

"Mid…" Spike's eyes widened. The other dragon's voice had resonated in a way he had never been witness to. "What does that mean?"

"Loyalty, Searcher, Protector." Charlie said. " _Mid. Tovitaan. Vahlok._ In the world I learned this language, each dragon had a name like that. All of their names meant something."

"Did you have a name like that?" Goldie asked.

"Well, yes. I guess I don't have to worry about you guys summoning me or something so…" She took a breath, and her voice made the ground around them rumble slightly. " _Viintaa'sosvonun._ "

Evie shivered. "What… what does that mean?"

"Shining, Blood, Hide." Charlie gave them a toothy grin. "My dragon shape has bright red scales. So a dragon named me The Shining Bloody Scale."

Aurora scrunched up her face in thought. "Did you… fight a lot?"

"Many dragons see size as strength, so with me and my dad being smaller than Tyr…"

"You got into a lot a fights," Bramley finished.

"Yeah, it didn't help that my father and I were wandering around with a veritable dragon magnet and his vampire friend. After we helped stop a plot to destroy that world's sun, we travelled away. After a couple of stops to dying worlds and to pick up some interesting stuff, we came here."

"Interesting stuff?" Evie blinked. "Like what?"

Charlie glanced around. "Well… I guess I can show you one." She held out her left hand, where a golden ring sat around her pointer finger. The ponies and one dragon moved in a bit closer to see. To the surprise of them all, the gold ring didn't look solid. Up close, it looked more like it was made up of grains of golden sand constantly swirling about her finger.

"What is that…?" Spike asked, in awe.

"It's a little substance my father and I found on a dying planet," Charlie said, her eyes glowing softly with the same shine as the ring she wore. "Well, more like I fell into a storage facility of the stuff and almost died."

Goldie blanched. "You… you almost died?"

"What is that stuff anyway?" Bramley asked. "I don't think I've ever seen any kind of metal move like that."

Charlie smirked. "It's not a metal. It's called Dust, and it is probably one of the most amazing materials a metalsmith can find. Watch this."

With a sharp motion, the dragonkin clenched her hand closed into a fist. The Dust ring exploded outwards, before forming a cloud around her fist. The veins in Charlie's arms became more prominent and glowed gold. She swept her hand around gently, and the Dust came back around to form a solid object. When it was done, Charlie was holding a hammer made of pure Dust, looking both solid and semi-solid at the same time. It was elegant, yet obviously effective at its function. "Whoa dude…" Vibrant murmured.

"How did you do that?" Spike asked.

"Well, remember when I said it almost killed me?" Charlie shrugged. "That's pretty much the requirement to do this. Literally, I'm pretty sure I have as much of this stuff pumping through my body as blood."

"Was it painful?" Jubilee asked, watching as Charlie unconsciously shaped the Dust in her hand into other shapes. The dragonkin winced at her innocent question.

"…Trust me, as useful as this ability is, I wouldn't want to go through the process of getting it again."

"What can you do with it?" Evie asked, pulling out her notepad. The curiosity in her eyes truly did mark her as Twilight's daughter.

Charlie shrugged. "I can do just about anything. Dust is about as close to magic as you can get without being magic. "Heal wounds? Can do it. Throw blasts of energy? Done it. Conjure localized storms? That too."

"That sounds impossible," Cori said.

"Hey, I said I can do it. Not that I understand it."

Evie frowned. "Have you tried?"

"An entire universe tried," Charlie said with a shrug. "And I'm not a scientist."

"I'd love to study it, if you'd give me a chance."

"I don't mind. I'll have to tell your dad though."

"Who is your dad anyway?" Spike asked. "I can't think of any dragons not from this world…"

Charlie glanced at him. "You never met my dad? My dad's Vanna Pyrros, by the way. A metalsmith."

"Metalsmith…" Spike's eyes widened. "Oh. _That_ guy is your dad?"

"…What do you mean by _that_ guy?"

"Your dad was a crossdresser, right?" Spike blinked. "That's kinda unusual, right?"

"Unusual?" Charlie scowled. "My father is not _unusual._ "

"What's a crossdresser?" Jubilee asked innocently.

Aleron frowned, looking from Spike to Charlie. "A crossdresser is someone who wears clothing of the opposite gender," He said almost automatically. His mind was elsewhere, trying to remember a bit of information he had just been reading about on dragons. He had just been reading the book the other day. "Usually refers to males wearing female clothing."

"Oh. That's weird!"

"So Charlie's dad wears girl clothes?" Vibrant scrunched up his face. "That's weird dude."

"No one's ever said that?" Spike asked, incredulous. He seemed almost oblivious to the anger smoldering in Charlie's eyes.

"My dad's allow to wear what he wants," Charlie said quietly.

Ancè had a strange look on her face. "No offense to your father Charlie, but I don't see why a stallion would wear a mare's clothes…"

Bramley nodded his agreement. "Mighty unusual."

Cori looked like she was just as angry as Charlie, but Goldie's worry was keeping her from exploding. Instead, she finally spoke up. "Everypony, I think maybe we should talk about something—"

" _Kos NAHLOT!_ " Charlie shouted, and the words Cori were speaking turned to sand on her tongue. The words had an almost physical force to them, and the Changeling felt her jaw snap shut of its own accord. The other ponies in the group stared in mild shock at the fury and power radiating from the dragonkin. Even more terrifying, gold flakes were separating from her arms, as if her entire body was made of Dust and trying to hold itself together.

Aleron smacked his hoof against the other. "Ah, that's it. Dragons are really defensive about family."

–x–

"What in the name of the Princesses was _that_?" Mayor Mare remarked, everyone in the room reacting to the sudden rush of _feeling_.

"A Shout," Vanna said, getting up from the sadly too small chair he was in. His eyes narrowed. "Something is up with Charlie."

Mayor Mare blinked. "Huh? Who's Charlie?"

"His daughter," Tyr said, reaching out to grab his friend's shoulder. "Stay, Vanna."

"What? This is my daughter we're talking about—!"

"And I have five," Tyr responded evenly.

"…So what?"

"They can handle it."

Vanna snorted. "You haven't seen Charlie. She gets angry easily."

"Pretty sure they can still handle it."

"And what makes you so confident?"

"One of my daughters happens to be an empath, and another has enough magical potential to subdue Charlie if she loses her temper." Tyr's eyes narrowed. "On top of that, my son will no doubt be able to defuse the situation."

"But she—!"

"Let. Them. Handle. It."

Vanna frowned, but sat back in his chair. "…Fine."

Tyr rolled his eyes before turning back to a very confused Mayor. "Sorry about that there. What were we talking about?"

Serenity stifled a giggle behind her hoof. "We were trying to arrange a trade between Stonehome and Ponyville."

"I believe the Mayor was asking what benefit a trade route between our two towns would bring?"

"Ah yes. Well, as I have been told, Ponyville has very large farms."

"Mostly the Apple farm," Mayor Mare said with a nod. "But there are other farms around here that produce other foods."

Serenity nodded. "And that is something that my ponies and I need. The foods we are used to are not native to this area, and we cannot scavenge for too long. Also, cloth and canvass would be useful."

"In return, Stonehome can provide Ponyville with raw materials like metal and gems," Tyr added. "Along with assistance using their control over earth."

"That might be an issue," Mayor Mare said with a frown. "We have a few blacksmiths, but not many. We've never had a large amount of ores or metals to use."

Vanna snorted softly. "That can be fixed. You're looking at the best metal shaper in seven different worlds. Give me a smelter, an anvil, and some willing students. I'll have them making quality tools in no time."

"And the gems we bring can be sold or put into jewelry and the like," Serenity said.

Tyr nodded. "Rarity is already working on getting some gems for her newest clothing line."

Mayor Mare blinked several times, eyes wide. "I… Well then. I think you've convinced me…"

"Oh, one other thing," Serenity spoke up. "My ponies have very weak eyesight when it comes to the daytime, so if we could get more sunglasses…?"

"Er… I'm sure we could arrange that…"

Tyr grinned. "Perfect! Serenity, do you want to handle the rest of this?"

The white mare nodded. "Of course, my Lord."

"Alright then. Vanna? Let's go make sure your daughter hasn't set fire to anyone."

The two men got up and left the office. Mayor Mare watched them leave before turning back to the mare in front of her. "Well… Serenity, was it? I suppose we should get the documents written up."

Swift Note brought over a stack of papers and set them in front of Serenity. The mare took one glance at them before a frown appeared on her face. "Erm… It seems we have a different written language…"

"Oh. Oh dear."

"No need to worry! I'm a fast learner."

"I'll take your word for it…"

–x –

"Do _not_ talk bad about my father," Charlie growled, standing almost an inch from Spike's face. Dust radiated off her, giving her entire body an eerie glow. "His life choices are his own, and it is not your place to call him unnatural or weird!"

"Look, everyone's allowed to have their own opinion," Spike countered imperiously. His eyes narrowed. "And I think your dad is weird."

"You—!"

"Enough!" Cori yelled, horn lighting up. Her own magic washed over the group, holding them in place. All eyes went to the changeling. "This has gone far enough."

Charlie scowled, but it was Aurora who spoke up. "Uncle Vanna isn't weird."

The dragonkin blinked in confusion. "What…? Uncle?"

"Uh huh!" The Alicorn filly grinned. "And I think he looks cute in dresses and skirts!"

Aleron shrugged. "Does seem to be his style after all."

Cori shot a glare at Bramley and Vibrant. "You two should at least meet Uncle Vanna before you make assumptions. He's very comfortable and confident in himself, and even though he wears girl clothes he'd make a better stallion than you both!"

The two colts winced. Charlie finally cracked a smile. "You're… pretty tough, Cori."

"Yes, I am." She smiled. "I get it from my dad."

Aurora suddenly brightened up. "Speaking of dad—Dad!"

The group turned to see Tyr and Vanna approaching. The former seemed relatively amused, while the latter looked somewhat peeved. Almost as a group, Tyr's five kids rushed to him. The man grinned as Jubilee and Aurora jumped up to be hugged, and gently ruffled his son's mane. After letting his two most energetic daughters happily nuzzle him, he knelt down to embrace Cori and Ancè. "How are you doing, my little cubs?"

"Better now that Cori defused the situation," Aleron said honestly. He glanced back over to where Vanna and Charlie were talking quietly. After a moment, the older dragonkin glanced over at Spike.

"So, you're the little dragon questioning my lifestyle choices?" Vanna asked, turning fully. Spike swallowed heavily.

"Vanna…" Tyr began, a warning in his tone, but the dragonkin simply smirked.

"What? I just wanted to point out that I look good in what I wear," Vanna said with a laugh, leaning back up and putting his hands on his hips. "You'd be surprised how many women claim I wear dresses better than them."

Spike frowned. "And you're… comfortable like this?"

"Yup. Whether you see that as weird or not, this is me." In order to further prove his point, Vanna curtsied. "Just your local crossdressing metalworker."

"He does look good in that outfit," Ancè offered thoughtfully. "Quite. I think most mares would be happy to look half as good as he does."

Vanna grinned. "I appreciate the compliment, mini-Rarity."

"So… you're Aurora and her brother and sister's uncle?" Vibrant asked.

"That I am," The metalworker replied with a nod. "And probably their dad's best friend."

"Who also just offered to teach my Dwellers the proper technique to smithing," Tyr reminded his friend. The dragonkin made a face at him.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me."

"Dad, dad!" Jubilee bounced up and down. "You promised to play with us!"

Aurora grinned. "Come on, you promised to spend as much time with us as we wanted!"

Tyr chuckled nervously. "Within reason, alright?"

"Of course!"

"Um!" Cori spoke up, blushing slightly. "I wanted to spend time with Goldie today…"

Tyr seemed a little surprised at that, but nodded. "Go right ahead, Cori."

"Let's go, let's go!" Aurora and Jubilee said together as Cori and Goldie hurriedly made plans in hushed tones. Aleron watched them for a bit, until his Changeling sibling looked his way. He gave her a small smile which was returned smoothly.

The Elemental, already being dragged around by his kids, gave his friend a sad smile. "I've been captured. Go on without me, and if you see Serenity tell her to see me later."

Vanna nodded, chuckling quietly as his friend was driven off. "Guess I'll head out to Stonehome. Charlie, you want to come along?"

"I might as well," the blonde murmured. She followed after Vanna, only for Spike to catch her arm. She narrowed her eyes at him. "…What?"

"I wanted to apologize," the purple dragon said. "I realize what I said was uncalled for. Can I make it up to you?"

Charlie blinked, before casting a glance back at her father, a few steps away. She turned back to Spike. She seemed to think long and hard about what she wanted to say. "…Know any good places to eat around here?"

"What?"

"I'm telling you to take me out to dinner."

"Er… I could always make you something."

Charlie grinned. "Well then. I'll be expecting something good."

She rejoined her father, and they left. Vibrant blinked. "Dude. Did you just get a date?"

Spike frowned, tapping a claw against his chin in thought. "…Yes, I do believe I just did."

Somepony cleared their throat from behind him, and those still nearby all turned to see A well dressed and yet very irritated Sweetie Bell standing there. "You did _what_ now?" She asked, keeping her voice even.

"Oh. Oh buck me."

"I believe that is off the table at the moment," The upset unicorn pointed out.

–x–

"I wanna go see my dad," Sherry complained. The young Princess of Creativity sat in Celestia's office, working at a small desk near one of the windows. There was a large number of papers arrayed in front of her, from construction notices to crop reports. Across the room, at a similar yet larger desk with perhaps more papers was Celestia, working away at a steady pace.

"I suppose you haven't seen him in some time," Celestia said. "But don't you want to wait until his birthday?"

"That's just it," Sherry continued, laying her head on the desk. "I don't get to spend time with him, and I really miss him."

Celestia paused, glancing back at the young princess. Sherry had been working diligently alongside the white mare, neither whining or complaining until now. And it wasn't even work related. "…I see. Perhaps you should go down and spend the week with him?"

That got the chocolate Alicorn to brighten up. "Can I? Oh wait… but then I'd leave you with all of this work…"

"I've done more work than this by myself, little one," Celestia admonished softly. "You need not worry about me."

"It's not so much that I worry about you auntie, I just don't want to just run out on my duties…"

"Like Princess Celestia did the other day?" Both Princesses looked over to the door and saw Sunset Shimmer standing there. The gold unicorn grinned. "Princess Luna is still unhappy you skipped out on us."

Celestia pouted. "I'm allowed my occasional escapes, aren't I?"

"You could have given me more warning!" Sherry whined. "I had to handle that mercantile meeting all by myself!"

The white Alicorn winced. "I apologize, Sherry. I had… urgent business."

"Well… it's fine. I got to remind all those pompous nobles that I'm not an ignorant child."

Sunset grinned. "You should have seen the looks on their faces when Sherry tells them she knows more about the economic situation in Canterlot than they did. Utterly priceless."

Celestia smiled warmly at the other Alicorn. "I'm glad to see you didn't let them push you around."

Sherry giggled. "Well, considering who my parents are…"

"Fair enough. And Sunset, how are you? I've been told you've been spending a lot of time with Heart Song?"

The golden unicorn raised an eyebrow. "Getting reports from her?"

"She said you're a good friend," Celestia clarified. "I had simply asked her how you were… adjusting."

"Well, it's fine. I spend more time with Song than Shining Light, but that's mostly because Light is busy."

"I'm glad you're making friends, Sunset." Celestia smiled at the mare warmly. "I have always looked at you as a daughter, and since I view Heart Song in the same way, it gladdens my heart to see you both getting along."

Sunset blushed at that. "Er… right. Thanks Princess."

The Princess of the Sun opened her mouth to say something further, but there was a knock at the door. "Oh? Another visitor?"

Sherry frowned. "Come in, if you please."

"Excuse me, Princesses," a familiar guard entered the room and removed his helmet. Sherry recognized him immediately.

"Capstone!"

"P-Princess?" The young guard seemed caught off guard. No doubt he had believed himself to be insignificant and not worth remembering. "I didn't think you'd recognize me…"

Sherry smiled. "I try to remember all the ponies that help me. And I know Sergeant Ferrous had you running messages and the like while I was holding court. I appreciate all the work you did on my behalf."

The guard blushed and looked down at his hooves. "Aw, it wasn't anything that important, Princess…"

"No, it was! I'm sure you were very tired afterwards."

"I believe a job well done is reward enough…"

Celestia and Sunset shared a quick look. A conspiratorial smile grew on both of their faces. The white Alicorn cleared her throat. "Capstone?"

The dark blue unicorn snapped to attention. "Yes, Princess?"

"I'd like you to answer honestly. Do you believe Princess Sherry is a good Princess?"

The guard seemed a bit caught off guard by the question. He sent a worried glance Sherry's way, but found the young Princess likewise confused and surprised. "Er… well, yes. She works really hard even though she—and please forgive me Princess—is no older than I. She's an inspiration to all the younger guards."

Sherry blushed darkly at that, but Celestia pressed on. "Oh? She's popular amongst the younger guards?"

"Well…" Capstone blushed, glancing nervously from Sherry to Celestia. The blush grew even more. "…Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted," Celestia said before Sherry could protest. Capstone swallowed heavily before speaking again.

"A lot of the colts in the barracks like to talk about how… They'd like to… er…"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Just spit it out."

"…Sleep with the Princess."

Sherry's eyes went wide, and then a blush rivalling Capstone's ran through her entire body. "W-W- _WHAT_!?"

Sunset was laughing loudly, and Celestia herself had to repress a giggle. Capstone kept his eyes firmly focused on the floor. Finally Sunset managed to control her laughter enough to speak. "S-So you're telling me, little Sherry here is a sex symbol?"

"Don't say it like that!" Sherry whined, ears falling flat against her head.

"Well, what can I say then? Not my fault there are young stallions lusting after you!"

"Auntie~!"

Celestia noticed a tiny smirk pull at the corner of Capstone's mouth. "Oh? Thinking about how adorable your Princess is?"

The young guard jumped. "Ah! Er, no of course not!"

"So you don't think she's cute?"

"I…Well, I won't deny that I do find her attractive…" He devolved into mumbling, his embarrassment taking over again.

"Capstone!" Sherry said sharply, no doubt attempting to take control of the conversation. "W-Why did you come here in the first place?"

The guard shot up straight at attention. "Oh! Right. Sir Flash sent me to tell you that he will be accompanying Princess Esperanza to the Crystal Empire. Come to think of it… I think their train just left."

That made them all pause. "Hope? Going to the Crystal Empire? Why?"

Celestia frowned. "On top of that, she didn't tell anyone but Flash. What reason could she have for suddenly going?"

"And taking Flash on top of that," Sunset murmured.

Capstone thought for a moment. "As I think about it… I think I overheard them talking about getting a birthday gift. Who would they be getting a gift for?"

Sherry and Celestia looked at each other. "I… I didn't think Hope would go that far to get a present for your father," The older Alicorn murmured.

"She's an enigma," Sunset mumbled.

Sherry shrugged. "Well, at least she took Flash with her…"

"But what in Equestria would she be going to the Crystal Empire to get?" Celestia asked, to nopony in particular.

"Well, who knows? I spend more time with Hope than anypony, yet I understand her only a little more than you do."

"A question, Princess," Capstone spoke up again. "Is… Is Princess Esperanza your sister? A lot of the guards were wondering…"

"She is like a sister to me," Sherry clarified. "Although not by blood."

"I-I see."

"I had a thought," Sunset said suddenly. When the other three ponies in the room looked to her, she smirked. "Sherry—sorry, _Princess_ Sherry—was planning to go spend the week in Ponyville, right?"

Sherry frowned. She obviously did not like where this was going. "Well, yes…"

"And we can't just let a Princess go anywhere without some protection, correct?" Sunset grinned, seeing the look of understanding cross Celestia's features.

The Princess of the Sun nodded. "I see your point. Capstone? Would you please accompany Sherry on her trip to Ponyville?"

Two set of confused eyes widened at her question. "What?" Sherry whispered, shocked.

"Me?" Capstone blinked. "But… I'm not a knight!"

"And Sherry has knighted nopony, as of yet," Celestia pointed out. "There are only four knights, and two of them are on their way to Ponyville at the moment. Flash is headed to the Crystal Empire, and only Ace remains in Canterlot. And he is still recovering from his injuries."

Sherry looked around rapidly. "But… But Auntie…"

"Ah, no buts. It should not be that much of an inconvenience, will it?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then it should be fine."

Capstone frowned. "Why is she going to Ponyville?"

"My father is there," Sherry said. "His birthday is coming up."

"Oh, I see…"

"My adoptive father, before you think otherwise. He's…" She trailed off, eyes opening wide. "…I got it."

Celestia frowned. "What is it, little one?"

The chocolate Alicorn beamed up at her older mentor. "I know what I'm going to get my dad for his birthday."

–x–

It was late in the evening when Vanna and Charlie returned to the Jötunheim. After opening the hatch to allow them entrance, Cindy moved to greet them. "Hello, Mr. Vanna, and Miss Charlie—wait, what are you eating?"

Charlie blinked before pulling the stick of copper she had been chewing on out of her mouth. "Huh? Oh, this is copper. I took a few for a snack after we finished work with the Deep Ponies today."

"You… you eat metal?"

Vanna grinned. "Some dragons like to eat gems. We like metal."

As if to emphasize the point, Charlie snapped off a piece of the copper stick with her teeth before chewing. "I'd have gotten iron or something, but they don't have enough ore just yet…"

Luna emerged from a side hall, a small smile on her face. "Oh, hello Vanna, Charlie. I wasn't expecting you back so late."

"Got really into working," Vanna said with a smirk. "Where's Tyr?"

"Well… He really got into playing with the little ones…" She motioned him over. The two dragonkin followed, eventually finding themselves outside of Tyr's room. Luna opened the door enough so that the two of them could look inside. Sprawled out on his unusually large bed was Tyr, still in his clothes from the day. Lying across his chest was Jubilee, the pink filly snoring softly as she slept. Her hoof was curled around Ancè's; who was snuggled up against their father's left side. Aleron and Aurora were on his other side, the filly in between her father and brother. Cori was further down near his legs, forelegs draped over him as she slept as well.

"Isn't that just precious," Charlie said with a giggle.

Vanna grinned. "Always was a softy."

"It's times like this that I remember why I fell in love," Luna said softly. The two dragons looked over at her. "I adore him for his loyalty, admire him for his mental strength, and value him for his bravery. But I love him for his gentleness, and his kindness."

"Us as well," Rarity's voice confirmed. The three at the door turned to see the white unicorn, Pinkie, and Chrysalis standing a short distance away. Exposed by her herd mates, Luna blushed in embarrassment. Rarity giggled. "Oh, darling, don't make that face. I thought it quite clear our level of affection for Tyr is on the same level."

"Forgive me if I still cannot fully… understand the relationship we all now share," Luna said smoothly.

Pinkie bounced over and poked her nose with a hoof. "Silly Lunie, we just take the love we have for Tyr and spread it out between all of us!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Put as simply as only Pinkie can do. But to be more clear, we simply learn to love one another as he loves each of us."

Luna sighed. "Rarity… As much as I value yours and Pinkie's friendship, I—and no offense to you—I do not believe my preferences go that way."

"They do not need to," Rarity explained. "Not all love has to be of that nature."

"…This is confusing."

"Then stop trying to make sense of it," Chrys said with a frown. "Love is a strange and confusing emotion. And I should know—I eat it."

Luna sighed. "Perhaps I should speak to Cadance…"

"She is Princess of Love," Pinkie said thoughtfully. "She could help."

"I will send her a dream message then."

Vanna frowned. "You can do that?"

"I am not called Princess of Dreams for nothing, Vanna. However, doing that requires me to sleep. And since my usual bed is currently occupied…"

"You can sleep with us!" Pinkie said, bouncing happily. "Cindy gave us a big bed!"

"Pinkie-winkle has the unfortunate habit of tossing in her sleep," Rarity pointed out.

"I have slept through worse," Luna said, joining the other two mares as they headed off to their room. Vanna and Charlie went off as well, no doubt to get some rest of their own. However, Chrys stayed behind, watching Tyr and the five sleeping children with a small smile on her face. After a minute or so, she giggled.

"Are you awake, Master?" She asked softly.

One silver eye cracked open. "Did you need something, Chrissy?"

Chrys smiled. "Oh, not at all, my Master. I simply wanted to tell you goodnight."

Tyr smirked, arm glowing lightly with his magic aura. Cori was lifted up from her spot on her father's legs to a more comfortable position on his chest. "Well, sleep soundly, Chrissy."

The Changeling turned to go, but stopped just a step away. "…I love you, Master."

"And I love you, Chrissy."

With a renewed smile on her face, Chrys trotted off to Rarity and Pinkie's room, hoping that the other three mares would let her sleep in there as well.

–x–

* * *

 **Another touching moment between a Master and his pet. Sometimes when I write those scenes, I forget Chrys has tattered, buglike wings, holes in her legs, and fangs. Still adorable either way.  
**

 **Vanna and Charlie do indeed eat metal in the way Spike eats gems. They treat it like eating pretzels or tacos. They have freakishly strong teeth.**

 **And on the subject of Charlie... she's a little (read; a bit) unstable. To the point where she has to be constantly aware of her emotions. Just to be safe. her Dust powers will be expounded upon later, so don't get impatient!**

 **Hope you enjoyed Reading the chapter, and liked it enough to leave a Review, but all in all I simply would appreciate you Returning. All comments are appreciated, and the Library will be waiting to accept them. Until next time!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Greetings again, dear readers. I hope you all have had decent weeks, and are looking forward to Labor Day (if you celebrate it or not). I was a bit worried about posting today since my power died out, but it came back on before it was off for too long.**

 **And I only had one review! Gasp! Honor to Kevin Lapse for solo reviewing the last chapter! :P**

 **No guilt, honest.**

 **Means that my A.N. will be much shorter than normal, and we'll get right into it!**

* * *

Chapter 32: Surprise Surprise

"It seems the first shipment is here," Serenity said, shuffling her hooves and glancing backwards. She and Tyr stood outside the stone structure leading into the side of the mountain, watching the Shapers forming the main doors into the outpost. It was turning more into a full sized castle than an outpost, but since the Deep Ponies were defensive minded, Tyr didn't mind. The Deep Ponies were working diligently, no doubt eager to finish work on their new home. Upon Serenity's observation, Tyr glanced back behind himself. He wasn't really surprised to see three familiar ponies trotting along the new path towards them. Two of them were pulling large carts, while the third—a pegasus—was flying alongside them.

"Well, howdy there Tyr!" Came the always cheery greeting from Applejack once they were closer.

Tyr smiled, noting with satisfaction that Applejack was mostly healed from the encounter with the dragons. Only a bandage around her torso remained as evidence of the event. "You never stop working, do you cowgirl?" He asked playfully. Glancing over to Big Mac and Fluttershy, who had accompanied the stubborn mare, he nodded in greeting. The tall red stallion nodded back, and the pegasus gave him a soft smile.

The orange mare shook her head. "What was that saying you told us your grandad had? 'I'll rest when I'm dead'?"

"…Don't take it too literally, alright?" Tyr's smile faltered a bit. "After what happened in the Badlands…"

Applejack winced, Fluttershy blushing and looking away as well. "I know, sugarcube. But I'm tough, and ain't nothing gonna keep me down."

Big Mac chewed at his piece of wheat straw thoughtfully. "I reckon that's true."

"What are all of these…?" Serenity came over, looking at the carts. Big Mac's cart was full of apples, while the other was stacked high with baked goods. "Is this… food?"

"Eeyup."

Serenity looked back at Tyr, eyes wide with wonder. "Are all surface ponies so kind?"

Tyr grinned. Although she acted quite mature, Serenity rapidly became like a little child when discovering something new about the surface world. "Well, maybe not all, but Ponyville is probably full of the friendliest ponies around."

"I've… just never seen anything like this…"

"Try one," Fluttershy offered gently, picking up an apple and handing it to the Seer. A little apprehension was on her face, only to dissolve in the face of the pure trust in Fluttershy's eyes. Serenity took a tentative bite of the apple. And her face lit up immediately.

"Is it good?"

Serenity was actually crying, and she took a moment to rub at her eyes. "I've never… tasted anything so sweet before… It's delicious."

"Glad you like it!"

"Is this… are these two carts all there is?"

"We're just the first two," Applejack pointed out. "Twi said y'all had a few hundred ponies out here?"

Serenity nodded. "That's about right."

"Are… are all those ponies working with their eyes closed?" Big Mac asked.

"Oh, yes, they are. Our eyes are sensitive to the light, so we simply use our sense of the earth to guide us." The white mare nudged her sunglasses. "Not all of us received these, unfortunately."

Fluttershy frowned. "Sense… of the earth?"

"We are able to sense everything using the ground beneath us. So while we Shape, we do not need our eyes."

"Seems like a mighty useful ability," Applejack said.

"How are you getting used to the daylight?" Fluttershy asked.

Serenity seemed thoughtful for a moment. "We rest when we are tired. We will eventually grow used to the cycle of day and night, but that might be some time. Most of my kind do prefer what we have heard called 'midday'."

A Shaper walked over to them, kneeling once he was in front of them. "My Lord, a word?"

Tyr frowned. "Er… Yes, what is it?"

"We have completed the interior. Would you like to see it?"

"Well, alright. You three want to join us?" He posed the question to the other three ponies.

Big Mac shook his head. "I gotta get back to the farm. Another time, Tyr."

"I reckon I can spare some time," Applejack said, glancing at Fluttershy. The shy pegasus nodded in agreement.

"Will you be alright?" Serenity asked, giving the yellow pony a worried look. "From what I was told, Pegasii don't do well in enclosed places."

"I'll be fine," Fluttershy assured her. "I don't fly all that often anyway."

"Hm. Very well."

They followed the Shaper inside, Big Mac staying to help get a pair of other Shapers hitched up to the carts so they could pull them into a storehouse. The front gates were stone as well, but there was a smaller door built into them to allow easy access. Upon entry, the first time visitors gaped at how massive the interior of the castle was. The main yard was spacious, with enough room to host a small town. Dwellers were moving about with purpose, finishing up the walls and the exterior of the keep. Serenity led them into the keep, and they were all impressed by its construction. All the doorways were tall enough that Tyr could walk under comfortably, and the design of the stone working was immaculate. Crystal lights lined the walls, bathing the long halls with pale blue light. Serenity and the Shaper led them through another set of large doors, which opened into what seemed to be a—

"Throne room?" Fluttershy murmured in awe, looking around. Indeed, the hall they had entered was like a throne room, with a throne at the far end atop a raised dais. It was made of stone, of course, with molded wolves as the arm rests and a stylized moon as the headrest. To Tyr's surprise, he spotted Rarity apparently schooling a pair of Dwellers on the proper colors to use to accent stone. According to her, silver fit the throne better.

"Now, since my darling Tyr is sitting here, we have to make sure he doesn't look bad while he does so, yes?" She was saying. "And silver does match his eyes."

"Do you normally do décor?" One of the ponies beside her asked.

"Oh? Occasionally, Sandstone. But to be perfectly honest, I just wanted to be part of this. Not every day I get to help design a throne room!"

"I reckon you'd be as excited and eager no matter what," Applejack called out, getting Rarity's attention.

"Oh, hello Applejack, Fluttershy… Oh! Hello darling!"

Tyr smiled as he approached the mare for a quick hug. "I was wondering what you were up to today."

"I'm just helping out. Pinkie was here as well, but I don't know where she ran off to…"

"Miss Rarity?" Sandstone spoke up. "Miss Pinkie Pie is in the kitchens, teaching the ponies there her recipes."

"Ah, that's right."

"Surprised to see you have students." Tyr glanced over at the two Dwellers. Sandstone was an average looking mare, with her dusty brown mane tied up in a bun. Her Gem was an amethyst. The other was a stallion, his dark green emerald almost obscured by his black mane. His eyes were fixed on Rarity. Tyr couldn't help but feel a little bit of a growl in the back of his throat. In the back of his mind, two voices spoke at the same time. [Mark your territory]

"Well, I was just doing my thing when Sandstone and Crumble here asked if they could observe me! Well, I'm not one to refuse avid learners after all, so I simply—mmph!" Rarity's explanation was cut off by Tyr kneeling to her level, taking hold of her chin and then pressing his lips against hers. Rarity's eyes shot open in surprise, but she didn't react poorly to the sudden show of affection. When they broke apart, she fluttered her eyes at him. "…Why, whatever was that for, darling?"

"Just felt like it," Tyr replied, caressing her face. He spared a side glance at the two nearby ponies, seeing that Sandstone was obviously embarrassed and Crumble was looking away, hoping to not make eye contact. Behind him, he could feel Fluttershy's embarrassment and Applejack's amusement. Serenity was staying true to her namesake. But the one thing he was focused on was the amount of love radiating off the unicorn in front of him. "Bad timing?"

"Perfect timing, love. I needed that." She gave him a warm smile. "I feel almost rejuvenated!"

[Oh, I love it when you get all possessive, Master] Chrys purred in his mind.

[Must you derive pleasure from everything?] Fenrir demanded.

Tyr could almost imagine Chrys's pout. [I'm a Changeling! It's what I do!]

"You're welcome," He said, letting the mental debate continue without his direct attention. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Um… my Lord?"

Tyr glanced around to see a young gray mare approach him, her pale blue mane tied back in a ponytail. "What is it, um…"

"Loam, my lord," the mare said. "I teach children."

"Oh? And what did you need with me?"

"I had a request to make, if you don't mind…"

Serenity smiled. "Perhaps you should sit, Lord?" She suggested, gesturing to the wolf throne. Tyr shot her a withering glare, but Rarity was already pushing him towards it.

"Go on, love!" She said with a giggle. "The Dwellers went through so much trouble to make it, after all."

"Fine…" Tyr gave in, placing himself in the stone throne. To his surprise, it wasn't uncomfortable. There were cushions, and the arm rests were more firm than hard. As he settled in, he glanced over and noticed a large cushion beside the throne. "What's this for…?"

"RAWR!" Fenrir growled happily, leaping from his cloak to the cushion. She transformed into full wolf and curled up on it. [This is very welcome]

"Seems she likes it," Rarity said. When both Tyr and Fenrir gave her curious looks, she smiled. "I made that pillow for Fenrir."

Tyr rolled his eyes before leaning onto the throne's armrest. He looked over at Loam. "So what was it you wanted to speak to me about?"

The mare blinked. "Erm… Oh! I…"

"Hold on!" Suddenly, Charlie was behind Tyr, setting something on his head. When the man frowned at the sudden weight on his head, he then realized what she had done. "Can't hold court without a crown!"

Fenrir made a noise like laughter. [A wolf crown, Alpha? Perhaps you should be a king instead of a Lord?]

"I'm not planning to start my own nation or anything," Tyr said, reaching over to pull Charlie over so he could poke her gently in the cheek. She giggled good naturedly. "And where the heck is your dad?"

"Off mending a relationship," She said, pushing off of him. Tyr stared at her for a minute before simply nodding.

"Right then. Loam? I think you can go ahead now."

The mare nodded. "Of course, my lord. Um… As I said, I teach the little ones. The Seer has informed me that the ponies of Ponyville have a different written language than us."

Tyr glanced over at Serenity, who nodded. "I discovered this while I was speaking with the mayor."

"I'd like to teach our little ones how to read and write the local language," Loam said. She rubbed one foreleg against the other nervously. "But… I do not know who I would speak to for that."

"You could always mix with Cheerilee's class," Rarity suggested.

Tyr nodded. "True enough. Cheerilee teaches foals and fillies in Ponyville—I could speak to her and see if she would be willing to teach a larger class."

"I'd like to learn as well," Loam said. "That way, I can help teach. One pony should not have to deal with all that on her own."

"Very kind of you."

"My lord!" A Shaper approached, kneeling at the foot of the raised dais. Tyr raised an eyebrow.

"Something the matter?"

"There are a few Dwellers outside the throne room doors, asking for an audience."

"A thought," Tyr said, glancing over at Serenity. "How about we start calling you all the Stone Ponies? It's easier to say and understand than the Dwellers."

"Fair enough," Serenity said with a small smile. "As you wish, my Lord."

Tyr nodded. "Alright, I guess I can handle my job now…"

"Let them in!" Serenity called, and the massive stone doors opened. There was a happy smile on her face. "I suppose this will be considered the first instance of 'holding court' of Wolfhome."

–x–

"You've made yourself at home," Bright Soul said, coming back inside after her daily run. After she and Grace had gotten all their things put away in their new two story home, both of them had settled back into their normal routines relatively quickly. They did spend their evenings together, mainly because Grace was the better cook. Currently, the medic was surrounded by a number of medical books, and sheets of paper were neatly organized on their large dining table. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Research," Grace replied without looking up.

"…For?"

"I'm applying for a doctorate."

"A doctorate? For what?"

Grace looked up then, a flat look on her face. "…To become a doctor."

"Er… You mean…?"

"As in ponies would have to call me 'Dr. Grace'."

Bright frowned. "Why are you doing that?"

"I've pulled off some serious surgeries over the past couple years," Grace said, setting down her pen. "But despite all that, I still don't have much clout in the medical community. They recognize my surgical skill, but I don't get much recognition besides that."

"That's kinda stupid," Bright took a seat across from the medic, her horn lighting up to retrieve a glass of water. She took a short sip. "You're obviously talented."

"But not recognized. At least not yet."

"Well, what do you have to do?"

"I have to write a research paper detailing something previously unknown in the medical field, or something that's extremely revolutionary."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Not yet. I was thinking of doing something involving Alicorns, since there doesn't seem to be much on that…" There was a knock at the door, getting both of them to look. Grace eyed her companion curiously. "Expecting visitors?"

"I don't think anyone even knows we're here except the Princesses," Bright said, getting up and going over to the door. She opened it, eyes narrowing at who was standing there. "…Hello."

Vanna smiled nervously. "Hi. Is… Grace here?"

"Vanna?" Grace blinked in confusion. "What are you…? How did you know I was here?"

The dragonkin smirked. "Luna told me. Pretty much ordered me to speak to you."

"Does everypony connected to Tyr just disregard titles…?" Bright complained. She shook her head. "Come in."

Vanna walked inside, only having to stoop slightly to enter. "Thanks," He said quietly. His eyes met Grace's, and the medic sighed.

"Can you let us talk alone?" She asked, glancing over at Bright. The other knight shrugged.

"Princess Luna said she might need me for something, so I'll go see if she needs my help," Bright said. She glanced between the two of them. "…I'll see you both later."

The hazel pony left then, leaving the medic and metalsmith alone in the house. Silence held sway for a while, neither wanting to say the first word. Grace tapped her pen against the table for a bit before setting it down with a sigh. "I honestly wasn't expecting to see you today," She said softly.

"I was kinda nervous, but Charlie literally kicked me out today."

"You two seem close," Grace pointed out.

"She's my daughter, and we've been through a lot," Vanna replied evenly, sitting down. "…Sorry for not telling you about her."

"You were looking out for her, right?"

"It still wasn't right not telling you. You trusted me."

Grace stared at him for a moment, eyes searching. She wanted to just go over and hug him, tell him how much she missed him, but there was something nagging at her."…Tell me about her."

Vanna blinked. "About who? Charlie?"

"No. Her mother."

The dragonkin's golden eyes narrowed, but he sighed. "Right. Cinder. I should have guessed you'd want to know."

"That was her name? Cinder?"

"Cinder Anya Morgan," Vanna confirmed. "A bright yellow dragoness and a beautiful soul."

Grace's ears twitched as she caught the emotion in the way the dragonkin said his former lover's name. "…You loved her."

"She was beautiful and put up with me. So… yeah."

"…How much?"

"I loved her enough to defy my family and hers for her heart."

That caught the medic's attention. "You… you did what?"

"My family didn't like hers and vice versa," Vanna explained. "Sort of like a Romeo and Juliet situation, except our love didn't make us kill each other and we didn't unite our two families."

Grace thought for a moment. "You never married?"

"We planned on it, once we found out she was pregnant," Vanna said with a sigh. "Neither of us were ready to be parents. But we were willing to try at least."

"So… your families didn't help?"

"Well, we kept it a secret for a while. It wasn't until she couldn't hide the baby bump that we came out and told them."

"I see…" Grace was thoughtful. "What happened then?"

"Well, like I think I said, the fact we have such a low birth rate meant they actually had to just let it go through." Vanna smiled. "Lucky us, huh?"

"Charlie told me that she died giving birth to her."

"That fact is true," Vanna said with a shake of his head. His normally cheerful demeanor fell a bit, and his smile was tinged with regret. "Cinder wasn't the healthiest woman I'd ever met, but she was strong despite her weakness."

Grace frowned. "Did she have an illness?"

"I believe it was a heart condition," Vanna said, looking up at the ceiling. He sniffed. "The stress of labor overworked her heart."

The medic stared down at her papers. Several of them detailed the use of magic to help cure heart defects. "…I'm sorry."

"Nothing you could do," Vanna said with a shrug. "Not like you were there."

"Did she… did she at least get to see her daughter?"

"She lasted for a few minutes after Charlie was born, long enough to name her and give me one last word of encouragement."

"What did she tell you?"

A sort of wistful smile crossed the dragonkin's face before he spoke. "When they gave Charlie to her, she almost immediately put her in my arms. 'This is your daughter,' she told me. 'I don't care what you do with her or teach her, as long as she grows up happy and healthy. Love her just like you loved me'."

"…Wow."

"Cinder was never one to sugarcoat things," Vanna pointed out. He was silent for a bit, golden eyes tracing Grace's features, as if measuring her reaction. "…I think you two would have gotten along."

Grace didn't have anything to say to that for a moment. Part of her wanted to chastise him for saying something like that, but there was no point. She looked away from him, chewing on her bottom lip. "…Vanna, I'm about to ask you a very serious question."

"And I'll give you an equally serious answer," the dragonkin said, no trace of humor in his voice.

"…Do you love me?"

"I do."

"Do you trust me?" She pressed.

"I do. And I'm sorry for not believing in you before."

Grace let out a sigh, but a small smile touched at her lips. "I'd like to be more upset at you, but Charlie already kinda yelled at me."

"She did? Damn. I knew I shouldn't have told her your angry face makes you look cute."

The medic rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

Vanna grinned. "Yeah, and you love me."

"That is true." She smiled at him. "Can't seem to help it."

She extended a hoof across the table, and Vanna took it gently in his hand. "I'm a lovable bastard, what can I say? Even Tyr can't get rid of me."

Grace giggled. "You're ridiculous."

"Well, we've got some time," Vanna said, getting up and walking over to her. She looked up at him in confusion, only a moment before he scooped her up in his arms.

"W-What? Vanna!" She squeaked in terror, although she was reminded again just how strong Vanna was despite his girlish physique. He didn't even bat an eye as he lifted her up. "Put me down, you jerk!"

"I'm not going to drop you." The dragon chuckled as he began heading to the staircase. "I lift slabs of metal heavier than you with no problem."

"That's not the issue—wait, where are we going?"

"Hey, it's been a while, right? I missed you."

Grace blushed, surprisingly turning even more red than normal. "I-I understand that, but it's been _five_ years! Plus, we're not even anatomically the same anymore!"

"Doesn't seem to bother Tyr. Where's your room?"

"Second door on the left—wait, that's beside the point!"

Vanna grinned a toothy smile. "Flame-hair, do you really think I care?"

"Seeing as you're still walking, no," Grace grumbled. Her blush deepened. "By the Princesses, I don't think I was even this nervous the _first_ time we did it…"

"You want to be able to walk after?"

A hoof gently hit him in the chest, a final act of defiance. "…I hate you. So much."

Vanna's laughter echoed through the house as they entered Grace's room. From the other side of the front door, Bright Soul let out a sigh. "I was going to tell them that we should head over to Tyr's ship, but they'll probably be busy…" She grimaced. "Do I wait? …How long can a dragon go for, anyway—wait, why am I wondering about _that_!?"

–x–

"That should be the last claimant for the day, my lord," Serenity said, glancing over at Tyr. The man was silent for the moment surveying the empty hall with his silver eyes. Applejack and Fluttershy had left much earlier, not wanting to leave Big Mac working on the farm alone. Rarity and Serenity had stayed with him, giving him advice whenever he needed it. Fenrir had been helpful as well, although more so because a large wolf beside a generally imposing man kept ponies on their best behavior. But the elemental was silent now, one hand aimlessly scratching behind Fenrir's ears. The wolf herself seemed to notice something was up, watching her Alpha with curious eyes. "…Is something wrong, my Lord?"

"Call me Tyr, please," He said with a sigh, reaching up to pull off the circlet Charlie had made. He was immediately impressed by the level of craftsmanship. It was pure silver, with a stylized wolf head in the center with eyes made of sapphires. It was thick and somewhat heavy, no doubt representing the weight of both responsibility and the stone around him. He set it on a stand beside him. "I'm… not particularly one for titles."

Rarity frowned. "I don't believe you have that many titles, my love?"

The man chuckled and leaned forward. "The only ones I really want to be called are the names my loved ones give me."

The white unicorn blinked at him, before blushing and turning away. Serenity nodded. "I see."

"So, we're done?" Tyr got up and stretched. He grimaced suddenly. "Oof. Well, now I know why Tia has all those cushions on her throne."

"If it is too uncomfortable…!" Serenity immediately spoke up, but Rarity cut her off.

"I will handle that," Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. "Perhaps I could take the time to instruct some of the Stoneborn in the art of weaving as well?"

"Seems I'm asking a lot of favors from my friends and family," Tyr said with a chuckle.

The white unicorn chuckled. "That is what we are here for, love."

"Speaking of friends and family, where did Charlie run off to?"

"I believe the young dragoness left some time ago," Serenity said thoughtfully. "Perhaps to go find her father?"

"Good point, I haven't seen Vanna at all today. Ah well. Probably see him back on the Jötunheim. In fact, Rarity? Shall we head home?"

"Of course, darling!" Rarity smiled. "I'm sure all the others are wondering where we have been."

Serenity paled, or at least a little more so than her normal coloration. "I did not mean to take you away from your family, my Lord…er, Tyr!"

The man smiled and gently patted her head. "It's fine, Serenity. Just look into the whole advisor thing I told you about."

The mare nodded. "I will have a selection of candidates assembled and waiting for your approval."

Tyr nodded once more before leaving Wolfhome with Rarity and Fenrir. It was becoming somewhat dark out as they walked, with the moon just making its way into the sky. They had been out for most of the day, hearing grievances and worries on top of surveying the growing fortress. It was a fortress, no doubt about it, with almost every aspect of its construction being tuned to defense. It was still comfortable though. It was stone, yes, but with all the Stoneborn inside of it the place felt as though it was alive. Given time, it would grow on him. He took a deep breath of the air. "Wolfhome is nice, but… out here is just more comfortable."

[I second that feeling, Alpha] Fenrir agreed. [I am never one for confinement]

"I suppose it would feel more… homely if we added more tapestries or drapes," Rarity said thoughtfully. "And maybe commission some paintings or the like…"

"You're looking forward to this," Tyr said.

"Why of course! I've never had the opportunity you see. You don't mind, do you my love?"

"I don't mind at all, Rarity. Seeing you in your element is nice." He frowned, looking towards the distant silhouette of the Jötunheim. "Speaking of element, what happened with Pinkie? Not like her to just run off without saying anything."

"Maybe she had something planned?" Rarity offered.

"And what about Luna? I haven't seen her since this morning. Or really anyone but you."

"I cannot speak for them all, darling."

"Fair. We'll see them when we get home." It was only a little bit more before they reached the ship, the side hatch opening as usual to allow them entrance. But as they entered, it was dark inside. "…Well, this is odd. Cindy? Cindy, are you doing maintenance or something…?"

The lights came on almost immediately, revealing a ridiculous number of ponies all crammed into the interior of the ship. There was a moment of pure clarity as Tyr recognized everypony present—from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike and all of the kids to even Cheerilee and Big Mac. Even Ace was present. In the center of the room was a large table with an immense amount of food, with a massive cake in the center of it with the words 'Happy Birthday Tyr!' written on it in big letters. The elemental had only one moment to survey the entire room.

"SURPRISE!" Over a dozen voices cried out. Tyr simply blinked a couple of times at the sudden rain of confetti that washed over him, managing to pick out a sullen Cindy sitting behind the bar.

"I wanted to warn you, Operator," She mumbled, arms folded and a pout on her face. "But your daughter ordered me not to."

"That would waste the surprise!" Aurora said, appearing behind her father and hugging his neck. "Happy birthday, daddy."

A small smile tugged at the corners of the man's mouth. "…You know, I had almost forgotten about my birthday."

"I didn't," A voice told him. He looked over, eyes widening upon seeing Sherry approaching him. The chocolate Alicorn smiled up at him. "Hi dad."

"You've… been keeping up with my birthday?"

"I was never going to forget you. Five years, ten, twenty… I would have kept it up forever."

In order to hide the tear that threatened to escape from his eye, he knelt down and embraced his daughter, squeezing her tight. "…Thanks Sherry."

"Such a heartwarming sight," the slightly amused voice of Chrys said. The Changeling giggled. "I cannot fault either of you. You do make a very adorable pair."

"You sound jealous," Luna pointed out with a nudge.

"I am not!"

Pinkie bounced over to Tyr. "Were you surprised?" She asked eagerly.

Tyr chuckled. "Of course I was. When did you plan all of this?"

"I didn't!" The pink pony grinned. "Jubilee did!"

That caught the man off guard. "She did?"

"I did!" The filly in question piped up as she came over as well. She smiled warmly. "Mommy let me plan the party!"

"And she did a pretty good job," Twilight said from her spot beside Starlight. The violet mare took a sip of the punch she had. "I'm still shocked she managed to get invites to all of us on such short notice."

"Must be a familial thing," Ace said with a chuckle. "Don't even ask me how she got one to Canterlot."

"My sister sends her regards," Luna said. "She had business and could not pull herself away."

"Speaking of which," Ace said thoughtfully. "Where's Gracie and Bright?"

"Probably just got caught up doing something," Luna said. "You know those two."

"Fair enough."

"Are we just gonna sit around all night?" Rainbow demanded. "Come on, this is a party!"

Pinkie frowned. "That's my line!"

Tyr felt his smile only grow larger as he was pushed into the warm embrace of his friends and family. Most complained they hadn't seen much of him, others expressed how happy they were because he was staying, but all of them agreed on one thing. This is where he belonged. Amongst people that loved him. Even so, he still found himself sitting quietly on the semicircle couch, a cup of punch half empty in his hand. The others were in the middle of a ridiculous game of charades, Spike attempting to depict something that was making the kids laugh loudly. He felt the couch beside him shift, and he looked over to see Fluttershy sitting beside him. "Something the matter?" He asked gently.

"You looked lonely," the yellow pegasus said shyly. She blushed a little. "I thought I'd keep you company."

"I guess I'm not really one for loud parties," Tyr replied with a shrug, looking back over to the large grouping of his friends. Spike had been shooed out of the way so that Big Mac could make an attempt. From the stoic look on his face and the stock still way he was standing, he was imitating a Canterlot guard. "Not that I don't like it, I just like the quiet sometimes."

"I understand," the shy pegasus said. "Jackie and Dashie are having a cider drinking contest and I was getting a little uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?"

Fluttershy made a face. "Applejack does make alcoholic ciders."

"…Oh." Tyr could only imagine what had occurred with both her current wife and ex-girlfriend getting drunk. "They're away from the kids?"

"Of course. I asked Cindy to give them a room away from the others."

"Good call."

"So… what's bothering you?"

"Hm?" Tyr looked over to see the mare staring at him with her big blue-green eyes. He winced slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"I can see something is bothering you, Tyr. Tell me."

This was almost just like when Fluttershy had questioned him back in the veterinarian. Knowing that Fluttershy would bring it up again even if he brushed it off, he sighed. "…I miss my sisters."

"You do?"

"I mean, I do still see them as family." Tyr rested his elbows on his legs. "Even after all the things I said to Nanna, she's still my sister."

"Even if they are not of the same blood?" Luna asked, making her presence known. The dark Alicorn approached the couch with a curious look. "You know you hold them no loyalty."

"Twenty odd years makes that impossible," The man replied. "Blood or not, I pretty much raised Freyja and Sif."

"Fair point," Luna admitted. She blushed slightly and bowed her head, obviously apologetic. "It is fair you'd have that mindset. I'm sorry."

"It's an expected question," Tyr said, reaching out to gently run his fingers through Luna's mane comfortingly.

"I know how much you value your family, beloved…"

Tyr chuckled and gestured to the group across from them. "Family? This is my family, Mani. I love Freyja and Sif without question, but you and all the others here are my family too."

"You are a very kind soul, Beloved."

"I think so too," Fluttershy added.

"Thanks," Tyr said with a smile. He noticed the sideways look Luna gave Fluttershy, and chuckled softly. He leaned forward a bit in his seat to peck her on the cheek. When the dark blue Alicorn glanced back at him in surprise, he grinned. "Eyes on me, Mani."

Pinkie's voice suddenly called out to them. "Hey, hey! Tyr! Come open your gifts!"

Groaning, the man rolled his eyes. "What am I, a child?"

Fluttershy giggled. "Go on, Tyr. Otherwise she'll come over here."

"Fair enough," he said, getting up. The two mares followed him over, joining the rest of the group as they crowded around. There was a decent stack of wrapped gifts waiting for him. "When did you all have time for this?"

"Sherry let us know about a week or so ago," Ancè pointed out. "She sent a message telling us to prepare."

"And we practiced making cakes!" Aurora added.

Aleron chuckled. "Although we probably shouldn't let Cori and Goldie bake a cake without somepony else watching."

The Changeling filly blushed furiously. "I-It was one cake! I apologized!"

Luna tilted her head to the side curiously. "What? What happened?"

"N-Nothing!"

Tyr chuckled and patted Cori on the head. He knew just why that cake had gone disastrously wrong—but Cori hadn't brought it up, so he wouldn't either. "It's fine, Cori. Calm down."

"Right…" She glanced over to the side, noticing Sweetie Bell sitting with Spike. The young mare looked upset, while the dragon seemed a bit more embarrassed. The changeling filly frowned at that, but she was a bit more focused on what her father was doing.

"Look dad, look!" Aurora bounced up and down, trying to get her dad's attention. When he finally looked, she held up a small ice sculpture. It was a roughly done imitation of a wolf. "I made it!"

"You did?" Tyr was honestly surprised. None of his children seemed to have inherited anything from him beyond his silver eyes. So he could be forgiven for being a little skeptical. "How?"

"Well, first Al had to freeze water for me," The Alicorn filly blushed slightly. "Then Ancè helped do the sculpting. But I did all the heavy stuff!"

Tyr glanced over at Ancè, who smiled. "It is true. I only did the fine details. Most of the larger bits were sliced off by Aurora. Suffice it to say we do not have the same skill as you do, father…"

"We tried though!" Jubilee said with a smile. "I think we all did it like twelve or thirteen times—!"

Aleron stuck his hoof into his sister's mouth. "He didn't need to know that, Jubilee."

Tyr chuckled and pulled all five of his kids into a hug. "Thank you, my little cubs. Perfect or not, I still love it."

"I might have a spell to enchant it so it won't melt," Twilight offered.

"Thanks Twilight. I appreciate it."

"We got you this!" Applebloom called out, dragging over an oversized card. It was covered in blue decorations and a surprisingly well drawn picture of the CMC in the center. The words 'Happy Birthday Tyr!' were written in elegant handwriting—er, hoof-writing, he assumed.

"This is really well done," Tyr said with a chuckle. "Who drew this?"

"I did!" The redhead said with a grin. "Sweetie did the lettering, and Scootaloo did all the decorations and arranging everything."

The messenger in question smiled. "I've been running messages for so long, a simple card is a cinch!"

Tyr examined the card as if he was appraising artwork. "Well, I like it. Well done, girls."

"Glad you like it, big brother," Sweetie beamed.

Rarity raised one delicate eyebrow. "Big brother?"

Tyr shrugged. "Technically."

There weren't a large amount of gifts, most of them just things the giver thought Tyr might need, but he thanked each and every one of his friends for them as they were given. A few brought laughter to the group, like the Stetson hat Big Mac gave him (in Applejack's place) and the scarf Fluttershy gifted him, but he was appreciative nonetheless. But before long, the stack was done, and Tyr was grinning at Fenrir, the wolf spirit dressed in Rarity's interpretation of a Chinese style dress. "Stop laughing," Fenrir snapped.

"I'm not laughing," Tyr replied without losing his smile.

"Yes you are!"

"You look cute."

"I'm supposed to be fearsome, not—are you putting a bow in my hair?"

"It's cute!" Chrys pointed out. Luna and Fluttershy giggled in agreement.

"Quit! Cease this at once—STOP SCRATCHING TH—ere~"

Tyr couldn't help but laugh quietly as Fenrir devolved to happy growls as he scratched at her ears roughly. "Aw, just play along, Fen. It doesn't look bad on you."

"I agree," Luna said with a smile. "It actually does fit you."

Fenrir pouted, but simply sat down. "Fine. At least it is well made."

Sherry cleared her throat, catching their attention. The chocolate Alicorn stepped up to where everypony present could see her. "Um… I haven't had my turn yet, everypony. May I?"

"Oh, I feel terrible for making you wait, darling," Rarity said apologetically.

The Alicorn princess giggled and shook her head. "It's fine, Rarity. Dad always told me to have patience. Besides, I had to build up my courage anyway."

Tyr frowned at that. "Courage?" He asked, a bit confused. Sherry gave him a weak smile.

"It took a lot of work, but I managed to get your gift ready in time. Capstone? Can you bring those papers for me?"

"Of course Princess," The guard said, suddenly appearing from whatever hiding spot he had been in. There was a folder in his magical grasp that he passed off to Sherry. His eyes met Tyr's then, and he winced. "Er… Hello sir."

The Elemental frowned. "And who might you be?"

"I'm… er… Princess Celestia assigned me to protect Princess Sherry while she was here…"

"My sister assigned you?" Luna asked, frowning. "Why?"

"I don't…"

"Mom, Dad, please don't interrogate him," Sherry admonished with a sigh. "He was already freaking out about meeting my father."

"Well, as long as he's actually keeping you safe," Tyr replied back, glancing from the terrified guard back to his daughter. "So what is it, sweetie?"

Sherry silently floated the folder over to him. "H-Here."

Tyr frowned a bit, but took the offered folder. He opened it to find a few legal looking documents inside that he quickly scanned. However, his quick perusal slowed, and his entire demeanor changed. "…Sherry, this is…?"

"You know that the naming conventions of us ponies is different from yours," Sherry began, eyes averted. "And names usually mean something to us. So… what I decided to do was a bit… shocking for some."

"What are those papers for?" Chrys asked, moving to just behind Tyr to look over his shoulder. She had barely begun reading when Tyr answered her question.

"These are forms to change a pony's name," The man said, eyes darting up from the papers in front of him to look up at his daughter. She had a small smile on her face. "Sherry, you… did you…?"

"Sherry Spice was the name my parents gave me," the young Princess pointed out. "And they're unfortunately gone from my life. You've done your best to be there for me and love me, so…" She smiled warmly. "Call me Sherry Winter from now on."

"You'd change your name just to match mine?" Tyr stared at her incredulously. Everyone else in the room was similarly shocked. Ponies in Equestria hardly changed their names, as such a name change usually indicated a major change in that pony's life. On top of that, Tyr recognized that Sherry was sending a message. That she was _his_ daughter now, no matter what anyone said. That very idea made his heart leap in his chest.

"There are also official documents in there for formal adoption," Sherry said sheepishly. "Since under Equestrian law I'm still an orphan…"

"Done," Tyr said almost instantly, signature nearly burned into the paper. He stared at the papers for a bit longer before lowering them. "Sherry, this… this is amazing. I…"

"It gets better. Aunt Twilight? Can you help me with that spell I talked to you about?"

Twilight jumped up from her seat. "Oh, right!"

There was a quiet murmur of confusion in the crowd as Twilight and Sherry moved to a clear spot. Both their horns lit up, and the latter Alicorn was wrapped in a corona of violet and pink light. The ball of light grew brighter and then taller. And then it vanished like smoke. The entire room gasped in shock. "Whoa," Capstone murmured.

Before the gathered ponies was Sherry, returned to her human form with one major change—she wasn't a child any more. A young woman stood before them, dressed in a plain chocolate dress that fell to her ankles. She was tanned skinned, with a slender build. Her pink hair fell past her waist in gentle curls, and a small smile graced her lips. "I thought you'd like to see how I looked now that I'm older, dad."

Tyr got up from his seat and walked over to her. She was still shorter than him, but she was at least tall enough to reach his shoulders. "You look beautiful," He said, reaching out to gently cup one side of her face. She leaned into his touch, hand reaching up to touch his. It was odd, he thought. Human or pony, she was a beautiful young woman. And now she gave off a sort of regal aura, and had a confidence that Tyr was proud of.

"At least I filled out a bit," Sherry said, glancing down at her chest. Tyr flicked her in the forehead. "Owie!"

"Where'd you learn this spell?" The man asked, glancing between her and Twilight. Unsurprisingly, it was the purple Alicorn to answer his question. And with a massive grin to boot.

"I've been doing a lot of looking into doing polymorph spells," Twilight explained with a shrug. "When Sherry told me what she wanted, I figured that I could help out. And the clothes are real."

"I've gotten better at spells like that," Sherry offered.

Tyr frowned. "So… How long will this last?"

"Only for a minute or so longer."

At that, Tyr simply folded his daughter into his embrace. "Then you get a whole minute of being hugged."

Sherry giggled at that, but accepted her father's hug with happiness. "I love you dad."

"I love you too, my dear."

Suddenly, Cindy perked up. "Oh! Operator, we have more visitors!"

"We do?" Tyr blinked, turning slightly but not releasing his daughter. "Who is it?"

"I have identified one as young Miss Esperanza, and another as Flash Sentry, but I have no records of the other two."

Sherry frowned a bit. "Hope's here? Well I know Flash was with her, but who else would… oh!"

"Oh?" Tyr glanced down at her.

"Can you let her in?"

"I was going to do that anyway. Cindy?"

The automaton nodded. "Hatch is opening."

All eyes went to the opening door, waiting expectantly. Moments later, a happy gold Alicorn wearing a pink wool hat trotted in. "Hello everypony!" Hope said with a bright smile.

Almost as if by some sort of cosmic joke, Sherry's transformation spell wore off. She glanced down at herself, then up at her dad, who shrugged. She sighed. "Oh, darn. Hey Hope, how was the Crystal Empire?"

"She had fun," Flash said, entering behind the Alicorn. He was also dressed for cold weather. "The girl here had me running all over the place…"

Two more ponies entered, to the collective surprise of all the gathered ponies. One, a pink Alicorn with a multihued pink mane, grinned upon entering. "Well, hopefully we're not too late," She said with a little sparkle in her eyes. Tyr realized it was Princess Cadance, Princess of Love. Twilight squealed happily.

"Cadance!" She cried, galloping over to her former foal sitter. She slid to a stop just short of her, almost completely ready to do their usual meeting ritual, but Twilight froze, eyes travelling to the other Alicorn's stomach. "…That's quite the baby bump."

Cadance chuckled lightly. "Well, considering your brother does have quite the stamina reserves, it was bound to happen."

"I did not need to know. Did not need to know!"

"Been here less than five minutes and you're already embarrassing me," a disgruntled stallion with a two-tone blue mane and tail entered. Tyr noticed that Shining Armor was a bit taller than he had expected, and his hair was cut a bit shorter. Cadance as well looked much more… motherly, but he assumed that was normal for her. The stallion gave the room an appreciative glance. "Nice showing, I suppose."

"It is good to see you, niece and nephew," Luna said with a wide smile. "Although I had not expected you to arrive for this event."

"When Hope suddenly showed up on our doorstep, we decided we wanted to come," Cadance said. She smiled at Tyr. "It's been a while since we've seen our friend."

Tyr nodded. "It's good to see you both as well. Thanks for coming."

"How far along are you?" Fluttershy asked softly.

Cadance thought for just a moment. "I should be having the baby within the next two months."

Twilight's eyes were wide with wonder. "I'm going to be an aunt…!"

The Princess of Love and her husband laughed at that. Flash simply rolled his eyes. "You weren't that freaked out when you found out you were pregnant with Evie," The knight pointed out.

"I was freaked out enough when I had her, and then just as freaked out after," Twilight countered. A mischievous smile touched at her lips. "You were pretty freaked out too."

"My first child! How could I not be panicked?"

Chrys lazily flew over to wrap her hooves around Tyr's neck. She nuzzled her face against him. "I remember my Master being quite worried about Luna when she was pregnant."

"I had my reasons," Tyr replied with a frown.

"I think it's just fair to assume that most fathers get nervous when they're having their first kid," Ace pointed out. "I know I was when Dashie had Vibrant."

Sherry glanced over at Hope. "So why did you go all the way into the Crystal Empire? Just to get Aunt Cadance and Uncle Armor?"

"Hm? Oh, no, no!" Hope's horn lit up and the saddlebags she was wearing opened up. A small case floated out of it to rest on a small table. "I got my gift for Uncle Tyr! They helped me."

Everypony crowded around to look, somewhat confused. "What's in it?" Applebloom asked.

"I can sense a bit of magic coming off of it," Twilight said thoughtfully. She glanced over at her brother and sister in law. "Is this some sort of crystal artifact?"

Cadance and Shining Armor shared a quick look. "Well… sort of," Cadance offered with a shrug.

Tyr picked up the case, slightly surprised to find that it was cold. With all eyes on him, he opened the case. A rough oval shaped crystal sat nestled in a velvet pillow, although the crystal itself was slightly dull. "It looks like an egg!" Pinkie said.

"I believe it is an egg," Luna murmured. She looked over at Cadance. "My dear niece, what is this? Do you know?"

"Unfortunately no," Shining said, answering for his wife. "Hope found it while she was rooting around in the old treasure room of the castle. Since we don't know what it is except that it isn't corrupted, we let her take it."

"It was cold, so it reminded me of uncle," Hope offered in her childish way.

Tyr chuckled at that. "Fair enough. It's quite the stone, however. I may have to take it by the Stone Ponies to see if they can tell me anything about it."

He reached into the case to lift out the crystal. No sooner had he picked it up than he felt a surge of energy from the egg-shaped crystal. It began to brighten up, shining like a small light before cracks appeared on its surface. Several ponies (and one Changeling) gasped as the crystal egg cracked open to reveal—

"What… what is that?" Chrys asked, green eyes wide.

Tyr had no answer as he looked down at the small blue and white bird staring back up at him with its pure white eyes. It made a little whine and fluttered its wings a little, casting what looked to be tiny snowflakes about. "It's so cute!" Sweetie Bell said, trying to suppress her excitement.

"What is it?" Scootaloo asked, flying over. "It's a bird, right?"

"Looks like it," Fluttershy said, moving close to examine the little creature in Tyr's hands. The bird turned to look at her, chirping slightly. "I don't know what kind of bird it is, however…"

Cadance came forward, a small frown on her face. She glanced over at Twilight. "Think we might be able to find something in the library?"

The librarian nodded. "We might be able to find something in 'Exotic Animals and Where they Come From'."

The little chick chirped again, and Tyr rubbed the top of his head with one finger. The bird chirped happily at the gentle affection. "Well, I can't deny that he's adorable."

"Are you going to keep him?" Sherry asked.

"…I might as well."

"Are you going to name him?" Fluttershy asked.

Tyr locked eyes with the little bird in his palm again. "…I'll name him Valor. After my element."

The newly christened Valor chirped happily, earning him another little head rub from his new owner. Pinkie grinned. "Well, the more the merrier! Let's get back to the party!"

–x–

* * *

 **Happy Birthday to Tyr, surrounded by all of his loved ones. Vanna and Grace are back together, and the Stone Ponies are getting comfortable in their new home.  
**

 **What will the next chapter bring? Well, I do know, but I'm not spoiling anything. You'll have to return next week for that. Until then, Read, Review, and be sure to Return for the upcoming chapter.**

 **Until then, the Library will be waiting.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Greetings again, dear Readers. I know it's late in the evening as I post this, but... meh. I'm posting it. :D**

 **WarHusky2000: It has been five years since Tyr last saw her as a human. Be warned for much father angst about his daughter growing up.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Valor is an ice phoenix. Most likely the only of his kind. Vanna knows what he wants, and Grace really wasn't fighting him off, you know. And no worries, Tyr has plenty more titles left to discover.**

 **Kevin Lapse: No worries, your award is in the mail.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: School is the bane of all things.**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Hey, it happens. And indeed, it was Charcoal Pine Resin. Vanna keeps several packets of various resins just in case. In case anyone was wondering, he does have an Estus flask. but he doesn't use it because he has no way of refilling it currently.**

 **I suppose that's enough out of me. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 33: In Pursuit of Knowledge

"Pull!" A young, yet strong voice cried out. In response, the Shaper standing on the wall of Wolfhome stomped the wall, pulling twelve circular tiles out of it. He then sent them flying into the air. A credit to his skill, they flew in perfect formation. But then twelve rapid bolts of magic shot from beside him, blasting each disc apart with impeccable precision.

The other six Shapers on the wall gaped, several of them rubbing at the lenses of their sunglasses to make sure they were seeing correctly. "That's… that's amazing…"

The purple Alicorn filly in front of them grinned widely, turning to her impromptu audience. "I told you I was a good shot," She reminded them.

"You didn't tell us just how good, little princess," The Shaper who had thrown the discs grinned. "That was amazing."

"You've got good form on your throws though," Aurora pointed out.

"Well, the idea was to test your accuracy, and you proved it."

"And you said she couldn't pull it off, Shale," One of the other Shapers reminded him.

"Lord Tyr did warn you," another said.

Shale rolled his eyes. "Well… whatever."

Aurora grinned. "Well, no worries Shale. You've still got experience over me, I've just got raw power."

"That can be molded and controlled," a wise voice said. The group turned to see Serenity approaching. All the Shapers kneeled. "I trust you aren't leading her astray?"

"Of course not!" Shale protested. "The little Princess is much more talented than we thought, so we're learning from her, if you'd believe it."

Serenity glanced over at the filly, who grinned. "Well, I can't say I don't believe it."

Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but something caught her attention. She turned back to the wall, looking out into the clear space outside of Wolfhome. The Shapers had cleared out a wide space in the front arc of the fortress for defensive purposes, but grass had been encouraged to grow to cover it. Oddly enough, there were two figures approaching. "Hey, who is that?"

Serenity moved forward, squinting even behind her sunglasses. "I… I do not know. Perhaps someone from Ponyville?"

"Ah! Cadance!" Recognizing her cousin, Aurora jumped to the edge of the wall, to the worried gasps of all the Stone Ponies. Pausing, she glanced back at them. "What? What is it?"

"Please be careful, Little Princess," Shale said. "That's a long drop…"

"Um…?" Aurora fluttered her wings a bit. "Alicorns can fly ya know."

"Oh… I had forgotten. My apologies, Little Princess."

The filly giggled before flying off the wall to meet Cadance and Shining Armor. She misjudged her landing, tumbled into the dirt, and rolled right into Cadance's forelegs. "…Ow."

The pink Alicorn giggled as Shining shook his head. "Are you alright, Aurora?"

"I've got a hard head," the filly pointed out, hopping back up onto her hooves. She looked between them. "What are you two doing here?"

"I came to see your dad," Cadance explained. She looked up at the fort. "Um… how long has this been here?"

"About a week or so," Aurora said. Upon seeing the shocked looks of her cousins, she grinned. "The Shapers work fast."

"No kidding," Shining said, surveying the fort. He was obviously impressed. "If they can raise a fortress like this in a week, who knows what they could do with more time…"

"Dad says they built a huge city underground in the Badlands, and they're still building a new home under the mountain."

"That's… crazy."

"Equestria is full of weird stuff," Cadance offered. When her husband shot her a questioning look, she shrugged. "Hey, if somepony had told us when we were teens that our wedding would be crashed by shapeshifters, wouldn't you have called them crazy?"

"…True."

"Little Princess!" The three ponies on the ground looked up to the wall, where Serenity and the Shapers were watching them. It seemed Shale was the one who had spoken. "Are you alright? That looked like a nasty fall!"

"I'm fine!" Aurora called back. "I've got a hard head!"

A short chuckle. "I won't argue that. Are those two friends of yours?"

"Little Princess?" Shining asked, raising an eyebrow towards the filly.

Aurora shrugged. "They decided to call me that, and I don't mind."

"I think it's cute," Cadance said.

The filly turned back to the wall. "It's okay, Shale! These are my cousins! Open the gate for us please?"

"As you wish, Little Princess! Rumble, Chasm, open the gate! Three coming in!"

There was a rumbling noise, and a small opening in the gate opened. Aurora began trotting over. "Come on in!" She told the two behind her. The mare and stallion shared a quick look before following the filly in. To their surprise, the front yard of the fort was full of activity. A large gate was open in the side of the mountain, and a small crowd of Stone Ponies were standing in front of it. Easily picked out from a distance because of their height, the trio could see Tyr and Chrysalis helping direct something coming through the gate. They watched for a bit, before a soft glow began coming out the gate. A moment later, both Cadance and Shining had their jaws on the floor. A huge cart full of gems came rolling up, followed by a several more carts full of more gems and ore. And behind all the carts was a large red dragon, using his weight to push the carts out.

"What in the world…?" Shining murmured.

"There's a dragon," Cadance agreed. Her eyes were wide with wonder. "Pushing carts full of gems and ore… And nopony is freaking out."

"Oh, that's Vanna," Aurora said matter-of-factly. She looked over at them. "Did you forget he was a dragon?"

"Huh. I didn't recognize him."

The Shapers took over the carts once they were out of the gate, using their earth magic to move them easier. Tyr gave the dragon a thumbs up, and with a plume of smoke, the dragon became Vanna once more. However he was back to using his scales to cover himself. Chrysalis handed him his blouse and skirt so he could get dressed. Aurora chose that moment to gallop over to her dad. "Dad! Hey, Daddy!"

Tyr turned slightly, enough to spot his daughter. He caught her as she jumped up to hug him. With a grin of his own, he ruffled her mane lovingly. "Well, hello there Ro. Done playing with the Shapers on the wall?"

"I saw Cadance and Shiny coming, so I went to meet them," His daughter explained, gesturing to the two ponies as they came over. Tyr had to admit, he was surprised to see them. Not just because they had come out here, but because Cadance was also still _pregnant_.

"Why hello there, Cadance, Shining Armor," Chrys said, smiling sweetly and taking over for introductions. "How are you?"

Shining narrowed his eyes, but Cadance smiled warmly at the Changeling. "We're doing fine, Chrys. Thank you for asking."

"I hope your baby grows up well."

"Thank you!"

Tyr rolled his eyes. Obviously Shining still didn't trust Chrys after all this time, but Cadance seemed to be on much friendlier terms with the Changeling. Thank goodness for that, he didn't want any lingering feelings of resentment clouding the air. Especially not now that he was more in tune with ambient emotions. "Well, Cadance, what's up? I didn't expect you two to come by Wolfhome."

"That's what this place is called?" Shining asked, looking around. He noticed the wolf statues in front of the keep gates, and the wolf designs in the walls. "…Huh. Not bad, I guess."

"I wanted to speak to you," Cadance said, never losing her smile. "Do you have some time?"

Tyr glanced over at Vanna, who was in the middle of adjusting his skirt. The dragonkin looked up and met his gaze, blinking slightly at the look. "Hm? What? Oh, I think I'm done for now. Catch up with Grace and see if she's busy."

"Oh?" The Elemental grinned. Vanna immediately scowled.

"Oh, quit it! I miss one birthday to reconnect with my girlfriend, and you won't let me live it down!"

"You bastard, she was walking funny when I saw her this morning!"

"Dad," Aurora bopped her father on the head. "I'm still here."

"Ah." Tyr chuckled and ruffled Aurora's mane. "Sorry love."

"Nice to hear everything worked out with Grace," Cadance said with a smirk. The two men glanced over at her, and the dragonkin blushed.

"Ah… right then." Vanna scratched at his neck. "We talked it out, and she isn't mad at me."

That got a confused look from Cadance. "She was mad at you? Why?"

"I ah… didn't tell her about my kid."

"Oh." Shining blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. You have a child?"

"A daughter."

"…What?"

Vanna deadpanned. "I'm a dragon. I'm really eighty-seven."

Aurora shifted where she was so she was hanging off her father's shoulder. "You're old, Uncle Vanna."

"Call me old again and I'll put you in a little box," The dragonkin said, snatching her from her father and grinding his knuckles into her head. She giggled, trying to free herself from the sudden attack. Tyr simply shook his head.

"Ignore the silliness," He told Cadance and Shining. "We can talk in my study… I think that's what it's supposed to be."

"I'll head off then," Vanna said, letting Aurora go. "Be good, ya rascal."

Aurora gave him a cute pout. "I'm always a good girl!"

Tyr simply sighed and patted his daughter's head. "Come on, my little cub. I'll see you later Vanna."

The dragonkin nodded and adjusted his shirt, allowing himself to unfold his wings. "Gotta get some special clothes from Rarity so I can use my wings…" He grumbled as he began to fly away. Many of the Stone Ponies waved goodbye before going back to work. Tyr gestured to the keep, and the three ponies and one Changeling followed him towards it.

"So what was up with all the gems and stuff?" Shining asked as they moved to the keep gates.

"Trade agreement with Ponyville," Tyr explained. "Gems, ore, and blacksmithing training for food and cloth. And as of lately, reading and writing training."

"Reading and writing?"

Tyr gestured to the two Stone Ponies at the keep gate, signaling them to open it up. They did so with just slight sharp movements. Tyr led his group inside. "The Stone Ponies have a different written language, so I spoke to Cheerilee this morning about teaching some of them. Mostly children."

"Seems like everything is running smoothly," Cadance said, looking around at the busy Stone Ponies. "This is impressive, Tyr."

"I've only organized them," the man replied with a small smile. "Stone Ponies are heavily community based, even more so than your average pony. They relied on an exchange system for their economy, and hardly had a monetary system. Now with Equestrian bits making their way in…"

"What did they use besides trading?"

"Gems, mostly," Tyr replied. "Other than that, they simply traded services."

They worked their way up through the keep, before reaching a door marked with a seated wolf. Tyr opened the door. A happy chirp welcomed him, and the ponies following him noticed that Valor was perched atop the stone desk, flapping his little wings upon seeing his owner return. "You left him in here?" Cadance asked.

Tyr walked over to the desk to gently mess with the little bird's feathers, earning him a contented chirp. "Yeah, I figured it would be better than bringing him around all the stuff that might hurt him."

"Valor is really well behaved," Aurora added, bouncing over to the desk. The little bird seemed happy to see her, waddling over to rub his face against hers. "And he likes me!"

Cadance giggled. "I still can't get over how cute he is!"

Valor made a happy noise. Tyr rolled his eyes. "Anyways, what did you want to talk to me about, Cadance?"

The pink Alicorn frowned a bit, before glancing over at Shining. Something unspoken passed between them, and the stallion nodded slightly. He turned to Aurora. "Hey, Ro? Wanna give me a tour of the castle? I kinda want to meet some of these Shapers."

The filly nodded. "Okay!"

"Don't harass them too much," Tyr warned her. She stuck her tongue out at him, before leading Shining out of the study. Tyr sat down in his stone chair, aimlessly messing with Valor with his finger. His silver eyes regarded Cadance as she sat on one of the cushions in the room. "So? What's up?"

"I just wanted to catch up with you," She replied evenly. The pink Alicorn glanced over at Chrys, who had sat at the far side of the room. The Changeling gave her best 'I'm not leaving' look to her in response.

Tyr frowned at that, before glancing to the door. "Carver, are you there?"

The door opened, and in walked a young mare wearing a dark blue cloak. Her dark green mane was tied back into a bun, and the amethyst in her forehead glowed softly. She bowed. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Could you please bring some water for us?"

"Of course. Give me a moment." She left them then, no doubt off to find what he asked for. Cadance watched her as she left.

"Just water?" She asked.

"Not really much else to drink out here," Tyr replied with a shrug. "Maybe I'll see about getting some tea or something?"

The pink Alicorn giggled. "Water is fine, Tyr. You don't have to be the greatest host in Equestria."

The man grinned. "I can try, can't I?"

"Fair enough." They lapsed into silence until Carver returned, a tray with two cups full of water carried on her back. She set them on the desk. "Thank you Carver."

"Of course, my Lord." She bowed once more before going back to her spot at the door.

Cadance smiled. "They're really getting used to you, huh?"

Tyr nodded. "I think it's a lot easier for them because they expected me to come. Serenity tells me that she had told all of the Stone Ponies what to expect when I arrived. That way they would be ready for my arrival."

"Interesting," Cadance said with a thoughtful look on her face. She glanced over at Carver. "What do the colors of their cloaks mean?"

Carver blinked. "Huh? Oh. There are several classes among the Shapers. Dark red indicates those following the Way of Discovery. They're normally our Scouts and Guides. Dark blue is next, and we follow the Way of Protection. We serve as defenders and guardians. And lastly, golden cloaks indicate those following the Way of Leadership. They serve in all the different roles, but lead the others."

"So on your off time, you do menial tasks like fetch water for Tyr?" Cadance teased. However, Carver simply bowed her head.

"We all serve Lord Tyr no matter our station," the Shaper said solemnly. "If he requires something of us, we will complete the task to the best of our ability. I myself was assigned to be his aide, so therefore I do my job to my utmost ability."

"…Well." Cadance blinked. "I hadn't expected that response."

Tyr smiled. "They are very serious in what they do."

"I see! Did you all never have fun down there?" Cadance demanded with a pout.

Carver frowned slightly, obviously not following what Cadance was asking. "We… um… had a lot of rocks."

The pink princess sighed. "Right. I see. Okay then. Do you mind if I speak with Tyr in private?"

To her credit, the Shaper looked to her lord before simply leaving. Tyr smirked and nodded. "Go ahead, Carver. I'm pretty sure Cadance isn't looking to hurt me."

As if to reinforce that comment, Cadance gave the Shaper a wide smile. Carver nodded shortly. "Very well, my Lord. I will be outside if you need me." She bowed once more, and walked out the room.

Cadance waited until the door closed before she turned back to Tyr. However, her eyes drifted over to where Chrysalis was now seated beside the desk. "…In private?"

"You honestly think you can hold a conversation with my Master and have me not know?" Chrys retorted coolly, smiling at the pink princess.

Cadance frowned at that, but let out a sigh. She spared a small glance at Fenrir, curled up in the corner, but deigned to say anything to her. Wouldn't have made much difference. When she turned back to Tyr, she had schooled her features once more. Her face was serious, and the man smiled nervously. He had a bad feeling about this situation, but he waited for her to speak first. Her aura was unreadable, and she was doing a relatively good job at concealing her emotions. [Probably because she's dealt with me before] Chrys pointed out in his mind.

[Fair enough] He frowned slightly, knowing that he did have to worry about what Cadance had to say. She was Princess of Love, after all. She could also be as mischievous as Celestia, while still keeping a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. Beautiful, yet deadly.

[Don't fall in love, Alpha] Fenrir thought playfully. [She's married, and you'd find issue with her husband if you tried to claim her]

[I'm not claiming any more mares if I can help it] Tyr shot back with a small scowl. He glanced over to the wolf lying in the corner. A little twinkle was in her eye at his scowl.

Chrys was still teasing. [I still think Applejack and Fluttershy need a stallion in their lives…]

[You two are insufferable]

[You know you love us!] Two happy voices spoke in his mind.

[Sometimes I question my sanity because of it] The man thought back dryly. Fenrir rolled her eyes while Chrys giggled lightly.

"Now, now Tyr," Cadance admonished softly. When the man looked over at her, she gave him a small smirk. "Holding conversations without including your guest? That's awfully rude."

"The shapeshifter was suggesting that my Alpha expand his herd," Fenrir said evenly. Tyr shot her a glare, but the wolf spirit was not cowed. "Ideally the shy one and the farmer."

"Oh? Applejack and Fluttershy?" Cadance looked interested. "And could you handle more mares?"

"I dunno," Tyr muttered. He began messing with Valor, pushing the little bird around with his free hand. The bird didn't mind, seeing it more as a game and trying to fit between his fingers.

"Are you not happy?"

"I am happy. I love Luna, my kids…"

"But not Rarity and Pinkie?"

Tyr shot her a dark look. "That's not what I said."

"But you didn't include them."

"That's because honestly? I don't know what I feel for them. I know I care for them, dearly perhaps, but I don't even know if it is love." Tyr sighed. "I don't want to hurt them, nor do I want to lie to them. So I care for them."

Cadance looked thoughtful. "So you cannot say you love them?"

"How can I tell?" Tyr said shrugging. He closed his hand around Valor, gently rubbing his thumb over the top of the bird's head. "If I don't feel the same way as I do when I touch, hug or kiss Luna, is it love? I can kiss Rarity and enjoy it, or even sleep with Pinkie, but can I call it love?"

The mare in front of him blinked several times. She obviously hadn't been expecting that response. It was a confused, yet well thought out feeling, and she could see the conflict on the man's face. Without a word, she got up and walked around to the side of the desk he sat on. He watched her silently, only turning as she got just a single hoofstep from him. She still didn't say a word, but she lifted one hoof up to rest on his chest. This close, Tyr couldn't help but notice things about the mare. She was attractive even while she was pregnant, and the way she bit her bottom lip while concentrating was quite cute. He'd rather see that mouth of hers on—[CHRYS]

[Sorry! I couldn't resist!]

Suppressing a growl and promising to torture the Changeling later, Tyr returned his attention to Cadance. The Princess of Love had not moved, eyes closed as she did whatever she was… oh. The soft enveloping feeling that washed over him then could only be attributed to her magic, as it felt warm and comforting instead of the cold surety he normally felt. It was obvious Cadance was probing him with her magic, but there was nothing malicious about it. After a moment, she removed her hoof. "Your heart isn't conflicted," She said slowly.

Tyr blinked. "What? What do you mean?"

"You do love Rarity and Pinkie. But your heart is confusing to me," Cadance said, frowning. "Where most ponies devote their whole heart to another, yours is devoted—though not in the same way. You love them, but are guarded. You value them, but you won't bring yourself to tell them."

"I see."

"It seems to me that really it's your preconceptions regarding love that are holding you back," She said, frowning a little. "You grew up thinking you could only love one woman, am I correct?"

"Very."

"Well, love is a little different here," The Princess of Love told him. "Sure, herds aren't commonplace here, but that does not mean they are rare. In fact, I believe several herds exist even within the Crystal Empire."

Tyr frowned. So really it was his upbringing that was making this so difficult? "So why is Luna having such a hard time?"

"Might be because she's afraid of losing you, Master," Chrys pointed out. When the others turned to look at her, she shrugged. "Luna is my friend, so I worry about her. She does not want to lose your love, Master."

"Of course she wouldn't," Tyr remarked, quite vehemently. "I love her, Rarity, Pinkie and you equally."

"Plus, she's only really been back in modern times for less than a decade," The Princess of Love added.

Tyr frowned, but had to admit the logic in that argument. "I suppose you're right."

"Be free with your feelings, Tyr," Cadance told him. She smiled warmly. "If I thought you'd be unable to manage a herd, I would have asked you to break it off. But considering what I see of you, you'd no doubt be able to handle more."

Tyr chuckled. "Well, that would have to be cleared with Luna, Rarity and Pinkie of course."

"I don't get a say?" Chrys whined.

The look that met her when Tyr turned to face her made a ripple of _something_ run through her entire body. It wasn't anger or frustration, but a sort of coldness that shot straight to her core. "Of course not," Tyr said softly, almost sweetly. "You'll be happy with whatever I decide, won't you, my pet?"

Chrys swallowed heavily, blushing and bowing her head embarrassingly. Her voice came out in a little squeak. "Y-Yes, Master… It is as you say."

Cadance shivered as well. She shot Tyr a glare. "Don't do that. I can _feel_ that, you know."

"You can?" Tyr asked, obviously surprised. He was given a heated glare and a huff.

"Of course I can! The bond you two is more than you think—it has an actual, tangible magical presence."

The man shrugged. "Sorry."

"Well, whatever." Cadance sighed and walked a short distance away. "I'm going to find my husband. I need to speak to Luna, and then we've got to get back to the Crystal Empire."

"Oh really? Well, it was good to see you both."

The Princess of Love smirked. "Well, I expect you to visit us one of these days. In an official and unofficial capacity, you know."

Tyr chuckled, glancing down at Valor. The blue and white bird was busy preening himself. "By the way, did you and Twilight figure out what my little friend here is?"

"Oh, that's right. Little Evening Star actually found out. Apparently, Valor is an Ice phoenix."

"A Ice phoenix?"

"That's what I said," Cadance informed him. She smiled. "I suppose he's an apt companion for you, hm?"

Valor made a little questioning trill, looking up at him. "I suppose that is true," Tyr said with a chuckle. "It's been nice seeing you, Cadance."

"Likewise," the pink Alicorn said with a nod. She gently rubbed her stomach with one hoof. "I expect you to come when the baby is born."

"Wouldn't miss it."

She giggled, smiling once more before leaving the study. Carver reentered then, no doubt to see if there was anything he needed. After a short moment of thought, he smirked. "Carver?"

"Yes my lord?"

"Go catch up to Princess Cadance and escort her."

"As you wish."

The Shaper left then, the sounds of her hoofsteps against bare stone marking her departure. Tyr turned to Fenrir next. "Fen, go sit out in front of the door. I don't want to be disturbed for at least a couple of hours."

The wolf stood up and stretched. "[As you wish. Shall I take your little ice-bird with me?]

Tyr rolled his eyes but set the little bird on her head. "Go ahead."

Fenrir woofed softly before exiting out the door. Valor chirped as they went, no doubt his version of a goodbye. When the door closed behind her, Tyr turned to Chrys. She winced slightly. "Y-Yes Master?"

"You know you're in trouble."

"…Yes Master."

"Well, we've got two hours," Tyr said, matter-of-factly. "Believe me, this will not be over soon. You may or may not enjoy this."

The Changeling stared at him blankly for a minute, before shuddering in anticipation and worry. She simply nodded her head, understanding that she was indeed going to both enjoy and hate this punishment.

–x–

Many ponies in Ponyville claimed they had gotten used to weird things happening around their town. Most believed either it was the location of the town itself or the residents that attracted so many strange occurrences, but it was never made certain. Nightmare Moon's return? Right in city hall. Ancient evil vines start strangling the country? Coming from the forest next door. Conflict with another ancient evil? Ruins the earth nearby. Giant tree-shaped castle rises up? Got that too. Silver otherworldly airship shows up? Parks in the valley across the way. But this… this took the cake. So unusual and out of place it was that a crowd had actually formed.

"I'm telling you that you can't just do that!" Grace snapped, pressing one hoof to her forehead. The big bronze dragon huffed at her indignantly, golden eyes snapping to the terrified stallion just a short distance away. The dark blue pony was crushed slightly into the wall, cracks formed around the indentation he left. Upon seeing how unapologetic the dragon was, Grace continued fuming. "You can't just go around doing that yelling thing you do just cause somepony is flirting with me!"

" _Dii Zul, Dii Zaan,_ " The dragon replied with a shrug, its voice a low rumble that shook the earth under him. The golden eyes fixed on the red-brown pony, something akin to mischief in them. " _Ahrk Hi Dii._ "

Grace shivered, but held her ground. "I know that, you scaly bastard. But you don't have to go around acting all possessive."

" _Hi. Dii._ " The dragon repeated, more firmly.

"Next time I'm putting a knife right between those pretty eyes of yours," Grace countered, to which the dragon simply chuckled. Most of the crowd gasped in horror. Only a knight could stare down a dragon and threaten to stab them.

" _Fus._ " Even though it was spoken at the volume a normal person—or pony—would speak, the magic behind it nearly knocked several ponies over. Grace, already used to feeling that sort of magic, stood her ground.

"Yeah, whatever." The knight glanced over at the stallion, who was still staring up at the dragon in fear. "Hey. You. Considering my boyfriend here is quite the jealous type, I'd suggest you not flirt with me like that."

"B-boyfriend!?" The entire crowd seemed to echo the question.

Grace smiled slightly before turning back to the dragon. "Do you mind turning back? It's hard for us to walk together when you're the size of a house."

" _Ol Hi Hind_ ," The dragon muttered, before suddenly being engulfed by smoke. When it receded, the human-like form of Vanna was revealed, smoothing out his clothing. The crowd seemed even more confused at seeing his outfit, which was a dark blue top with a knee length skirt. He tugged at a lanyard attached to his wrist. "Quite the useful spell, that translation whatchamacallit."

"Translocator," Grace corrected. "It'll teleport and shrink your clothes whenever you go dragon."

"Great! No more having to change and whatnot." Vanna glanced over at the stallion, who was pulling himself out of his crater in the wall. "And you, keep your little comments about my girlfriend's flanks to yourself."

Grace stared at him with a flat look. "You aren't gonna tell him to stop completely?"

"I know how guys are. I am one myself ya know."

"From just looking at you, I wouldn't know."

The stallion, seeing his opportunity to escape, took it and galloped off quickly. Vanna and Grace watched him go, amusement on one face and a tired look on the other. "He certainly scampered away."

"You turned into a dragon and essentially yelled him into a wall."

"He was making terrible comments about you!"

Grace rolled her eyes and resumed walking, Vanna falling into step beside her. Luckily for them, their height difference was not as pronounced as Tyr and Luna's, making it so her head was more at chest level. Which was about the same as their human height difference had been in the other world. The medic didn't realize she was staring until Vanna poked her in the forehead. "Huh?"

"See something you like?" He teased.

The pony opened her mouth for a moment, a biting remark about to leave her lips. But then she froze. Her blue eyes met his golden ones, and whatever she wanted to say just flew away on the breeze. A small blush crossed her cheeks, and a tiny smile touched at her lips. "…Yes, I do. I really missed you, Vanna."

The dragonkin blinked at that response, before glancing away quickly and scratching the back of his neck. "…Damn girl. Even as a pony you're still adorable."

"Why thank you, kind sir. You're still as pretty as I remember!"

"I work at it," Vanna said with a small laugh. "Pretty sure that if I were to work at it, I'd get you looking sexy like me too."

"Oh please, don't say it like that," the medic said with a giggle. "Getting fashion advice from my boyfriend? That feels so awkward."

An upper class voice laughed daintily behind them. "Oh, but I do believe I'd even defer to Vanna's fashion sense at times."

"Oh, hello Rarity," Grace said, she and Vanna turning to see the white unicorn approach. To their surprise, the Princess of Dreams was with her. "Princess Luna? What are you doing out here?"

"My beloved is busy today at Wolfhome," Luna said, frowning. She obviously wasn't happy about not being with him. "I was going to spend my time back in the ship, but…"

"I asked her out on a date," Rarity said proudly, which made Luna blush.

Vanna cocked an eyebrow. "A date?"

"She didn't want me to stay 'cooped up' as she put it," Luna confirmed.

"Oh ho!"

Rarity giggled. "We were going to one of the more… fancy restaurants here in Ponyville for dinner. Would you two care to join us?"

"We wouldn't be intruding?" Grace asked.

"Oh, not at all! I'm well aware Luna is already quite embarrassed about the whole affair as it were."

"Of course I'm embarrassed!" Luna hissed, eyes darting around. There were a few ponies looking their way, no doubt remarking at the fact that one of their Princesses was wandering their town. She turned back to them, blush deepening. "I'm sure many of my ponies do not know of our relationship yet, Rarity."

"Are you trying to hide it?"

"N-No! I'm just… You know I am not the most self-confident!"

"Oh ho ho!" Vanna's eyebrow rose even higher. "Ah, now that is interesting. I figured that bit went away after you and Tyr had your kids."

"I am still relatively shy around those I am not close to," Luna admitted softly, frowning.

"Then go on with your date," Vanna said with a wave of his hand. When the three mares looked at him, he grinned. "You two have a bunch of relationship stuff to iron out, and so do we. So go have fun."

Rarity blinked. "Are… are you sure, darling? As I said, it wouldn't be a bother…"

Vanna seemed to think on it for just a moment, before tugging on his magic lanyard. Flames engulfed him then, and he transformed into his dragon shape. Grace had only a moment to cry out in shock before the bronze dragon snatched her up, took off into the sky, and flew away. Luna and Rarity watched the rapidly retreating shape in shock. Luna glanced over at the other mare. "Er… what just happened."

Rarity put a hoof to her chin. "Well, in more formal circles, we'd call that 'tactically escaping a conversation'. Although that was a more… flashy way to escape."

"But you must admit it was quite effective."

"Very. I may have to incorporate something like that into a dress one day…"

–x–

"Dad~!" Sherry called finally, slowing the scratching motions she was doing on Fenrir's stomach to turn to the door. Valor, perched on her head, chirped as loud as he could. She reached a free hoof to knock on the door. "Are you in there?"

"Confound you, little cub," Fenrir growled softly, though there was no malice in it. "Defeating me in such a manner…!"

"It's not my fault you're like a big domestic dog," Sherry giggled. "And yes, you are still the most fearsome wolf I've ever met."

"Degrading and then lifting me up… bah. I don't care."

"Good doggy," Sherry said with a smile. She glanced back at Capstone, who was watching the events before him with an incredulous look. The young guard was completely baffled.

"And I am degraded again!"

Tyr's amused voice came from inside. "Leave her be, sweetie. Come on in."

Sherry smiled and let Fenrir go. With her magic, she opened the door to her father's study and entered, Capstone following behind her. They found Tyr still seated at his desk, but Chrys had her head in his lap. A very disturbing look was on her face, a dark blush on her cheeks and her mouth slightly open to allow her to pant. It looked as though she was caught between total ecstasy and frustration. Right as Sherry made to ask what was going on, she figured it out—well, it was pretty obvious. Tyr had one hand wrapped around Chrissy's horn, gently running his fingers up and down its length. "Er… dad? You realize what that's doing to her, right?"

"I'm well aware love," Tyr replied evenly, reaching with his other hand to scratch behind Chrys's ear. A mewling moan slipped out of her mouth, and she visibly trembled. Sherry heard Capstone swallow heavily from behind her, no doubt because of the scene in front of him. "Oh? Your guard is still tagging along?"

"It's my job, sir," Capstone replied quietly, averting his eyes from Tyr and Chrys. That only managed to make him notice Fenrir stalk past him, a small wolfish grin on the spirit's face as she went back to her corner spot.

The Changeling gasped softly. "P-Please Master, stop… I can't take it…"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "I told you, pet. This is your punishment. Endure it."

Capstone blinked. "Er… what did she do?"

The question made the man look his way, and the young guard shivered. He'd never say it to the man's face, but silver eyes that cold were terrifying. "Well, I'd tell you, but you're not family."

"…I see…"

Tyr smiled softly at his daughter. Valor, realizing he was back in the same room as his owner, made noise and tumbled off Sherry's head. Tyr quickly caught the little Ice phoenix and levitated him back onto the desk. "So, what is it, my dear? I wasn't expecting you to drop by."

"I just wanted to see you," She said, smiling back. "Plus… I wanted to see this new castle for myself. It's quite amazing."

"Well, it's still sort of not finished. It's more functional than anything else."

Sherry moved over to take a seat, Capstone moving to a spot near the door. "Well, give Rarity and Pinkie enough time and that should change," The Princess of Creativity said. "Or, I could help if you want?"

"I'd like that," Tyr said with a small smirk. "Considering the amount of work actually comes with managing an entire population of ponies, I may actually just move the Jötunheim closer to Wolfhome."

Sherry blinked at that. "I heard that there wasn't room anywhere else to place the ship."

"You heard about that?"

"Aunt Tia tends to leave mercantile things to me, so I heard the complaints of a particular Tangle Vine in regards to the placement of your ship." The young Alicorn smiled mischievously. "He was… quite surprised when I told him that 'the crazy human' was my dad."

Tyr chuckled. "Ah, some people—ponies—never learn."

A nod. "True enough. So were you bluffing about not being able to move the ship?"

"I am not in the habit of lying," Cindy complained, appearing above Tyr's wrist. "I was being entirely truthful when I made that statement."

"However, that statement was made at a point before I had a small army of stone controlling ponies able to help me," Tyr pointed out. He smirked. "Clearing a space large enough to house the ship is more of when I decide to ask them to do it."

"That's interesting."

"Plus we're more in line with Ponyville this way, and there's an actual road leading from here to the town."

Sherry was quiet for a bit. "…It seems you're doing well, dad."

"Huh?"

"You're putting a lot of thought into your leadership position," She said. "You're… made for it."

Tyr blinked. Sherry was smiling at him, but there was something… off, about it. Chrys seemed to notice as well, pulling out of her aroused stupor to lean up to look at the chocolate Alicorn. She seemed… lonely, and that bothered them both. The man stayed silent for a minute, a small frown on his face. Then it hit him. "Sherry."

She jumped slightly, sitting up at attention. "Y-Yes sir?"

"When are you heading back to Canterlot?"

The mare blinked. It seemed to take her a moment to answer. "Er… I think I'll go back tomorrow. I do not want to leave Aunt Tia working by herself too long. I know she gave me the week, but…"

"You don't want to seem like you're shirking your duties," Tyr said thoughtfully.

"R-Right. There was a lot of work left around…"

"So you're being dutiful as well."

"I mean, I'm just doing what Aunt Celestia tells me…"

Chrys chuckled quietly. "Oh dear. Sherry, even Luna does what Celestia tells her occasionally. You've only been a Princess for a few years now—Celestia has been Princess longer than you have been alive and then some. She has the experience, so you following in her hoofsteps is only natural."

Sherry frowned. "But I feel _superfluous_. Like Auntie can do all the work without me. She didn't even bat an eye at taking over my portion for me to come see you. Like… she didn't need me."

Tyr got up immediately, walking around his desk to kneel in front of his daughter. "Don't you dare start thinking like that, Sherry Winter," He said firmly, lifting her head up with one hand. Her eyes had gone wide at the sound of her new name. "You're young, and have little experience dealing with politicians and merchants. Celestia has thousands of years doing just that. And even still, certain things come to Luna that Tia just can't handle. Perhaps one day she needs your specific skill set for a problem that she can't solve alone. Maybe, just maybe, you end up ruling over a kingdom like Cadance. You never know, honey."

"But dad…!"

"But nothing," the Elemental said firmly. "No daughter of mine is going to beat herself down before life gets a chance. You stand up to anything that comes your way, and if it knocks you down, you get back up. If it gives you a problem you can't solve on your own, you get help. You never think the worst of yourself. If you think no one is in your corner, know that I always support you, no matter what."

"You have me as well, not to mention Hope, Luna and Celestia herself." Chrys pointed out. She smirked. "Plus, I think that guard of yours has a high opinion as well."

Sherry glanced back at Capstone, who—despite his blush—managed to nod. She blushed herself and looked back at her dad. Despite herself, she managed to smile. "I… I guess you're right."

Tyr smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Of course I'm right—I'm your dad."

"Oh stop."

"Alright then. Carver!"

"Yes, Lord Tyr?" The Shaper opened a portion of the side wall to enter. Both Sherry and Capstone blinked in surprise.

Tyr couldn't help but laugh. "Carver stays in one of the side rooms when I don't need her. I do believe she is studying the Equestrian Alphabet in there?"

The gray mare blushed. "M-My lord, please do not tell them about that…"

"It's fine, it's fine." Tyr smiled at her. The relatively young Shaper had been assigned to him by Serenity, as a sort of personal guard. The man did like teasing the mare occasionally. "Your little sister Obsidian is a new Shaper initiate, correct?"

Carver blinked. "Well… yes, I didn't realize you knew…"

"Petrus told me. He is the new drill master, after all. It seemed like information he thought I'd might like to know."

"I… I see…" Carver blushed. "I'm sure my sister would be honored to serve you , My Lord…"

"Actually, I was thinking she could serve as a sort of… cultural exchange student," Tyr said, leaning on the desk and switching to a more normal way of petting Chrys. He smiled at the confused look on Carver's face. "Stone Ponies are still learning about the surface world, correct?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Sherry?" The man turned to his daughter, smile growing. "How would you feel about taking care of one of my ponies?"

Sherry blinked several times rapidly. "Take… care of?"

"Teach her, help her experience the surface and keep her safe."

"M-My Lord!" Carver spoke up, stepping forward. "As an older sister, I have to make sure Obi will be safe…!"

"Sherry is my daughter," Tyr reminded the Shaper. Carver blushed, no doubt fully realizing what she had said. "And she is an exceptional mare."

Carver still looked uncertain, biting her bottom lip and looking around. "Nothing against your daughter, my Lord, but… Doesn't she live in Canterlot, the city on the mountain?"

Sherry nodded. "Yes, I do."

"I see… Will she be alright around all of those ponies?"

"I can personally promise you that I will look after her," Sherry promised. "I'll keep her close to me, and teach her personally."

"…Very well. Should I send for her?"

"Tell her the news yourself," Tyr said with a small smile.

Carver nodded, smiling softly. "Very well, my lord. I will return with her once I am able." She bowed once more before going back through the wall and closing the opening behind her.

Sherry turned to her father, noticing the small smirk on his face. "Why did you do that, dad?" She asked, frowning. "Not that I don't understand your reasoning, but why?"

Tyr leaned back in his chair, folding his fingers together. "Well, for one, I wanted to give you some sort of responsibility. Secondly, I think you'll like Obsidian. She's about your age, and like I said just become a Shaper. Specifically following the Way of Discovery."

"Uh huh… Are you trying to give me friends?"

"No, I just wanted you to be her friend."

"Right…"

Capstone frowned. "Are you sure sending her to someplace like Canterlot is alright?"

Tyr nodded. "Even if it's not safe, she'll have Sherry, and Celestia to watch over her. "

"I believe Capstone will be helpful in that regard as well," Sherry said, glancing back at the guard. The stallion nodded in agreement.

"I need more ponies than just Ponyville to get used to the Stone Ponies," Tyr pointed out. "And having one of my Shapers interact with ponies will be good for her and others."

Sherry frowned. "Okay. I might have to make sure it's alright with Aunt Tia…"

"She'll no doubt be elated," Tyr said with a chuckle. "Plus, you get to teach her about Canterlot."

"Joy. I enjoy it less than you think."

The man smiled. "Well, since you're not leaving for a while, want to do something together?"

The way his daughter's ears perked up made him chuckle. "What do you want to do?"

Tyr thought for a moment. "How about I tell you about my time in the Sereneighti?"

"Ooh! That sounds interesting!"

Sparing a glance at Capstone who looked just as interested, Tyr began his story. "Well, I had just found myself at a watering hole when a passing group of foraging zebras passed by…."

* * *

 **I'd continue with that story, but Tyr deserves a little quality time with his daughter, right? Well, daughter, Changeling, and Chaos Spirit. But those last two won't interfere.  
**

 **On that note, expect to see a lot of Carver. She is actually Tyr's personal assistant.**

 **And that is all from me. I'll be hard at work on this and Adventures of a Madman (which may or may not randomly appear during the next week) so Be ready to Read it, Return for Legacy, and don't hesitate to leave a Review. The Library will be waiting.**

 **Until next time.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Salutations abound, dear readers. I hope your weeks have been going well, and you've enjoyed life. I won't waste time here, so I'll jump right into comments.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Happens to the best of us. Sometimes ya get hit by the 'laze'.**

 **WarHusky2000: I've been told Sherry and Tyr don't spend enough time together. That will be rectified in the near future. And Capstone is only Sherry's guard... for now.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Yes, except they turn to crystal instead of ash. Celestia is almighty matchmaker, and Sherry _might_ be involved with the Stone Ponies. Maybe.**

 **Chaddmychal: Vanna enjoyed that realm. Free fire resistance and all that.**

 **leafsoul: Thanks for reading!**

 **Captain Alaska: Sums up how I feel about waiting on yoour new chapters! (No rush tho, keep up the good work!)**

 **Enough outta me. Let's get ourselves into the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 34: Minding a Monster

"Thanks for helping me clean this place up," Solstice said, wiping his brow with a rag as he set aside his broom. Behind him, using her magic to dust off a table, Sunset grinned.

"I don't mind at all, dad," She said. "I told you I'd help."

"You already found this place," Solstice said, looking around at the shop's interior. It was all wood, with a rustic lived in feel, and had plenty of space. It was nestled in between tall stone buildings on either side, but had a decent front near the main street. In addition, it had two stories, providing a living space. There was even a basement storage area. Solstice used his magic to pull over a chair to sit in. "I could have cleaned it up myself."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Maybe I just wanted to spent time with my dad?"

"Bah. You know I'm no fun to hang out with."

"Oh stop!" Sunset laughed and walked over to join him. The two gold ponies sat there in companionable silence for a minute, before the mare spoke up again. "So, when are you gonna haul in all your junk?"

Solstice looked at her in mock hurt. "Sunny! All those things you call junk are artifacts and relics! They're really valuable!"

His daughter gave him a flat look. "Okay… so when are you hauling in your junk?"

The stallion rolled his eyes as his daughter laughed at him. "This weekend. I have a lot of stuff, if you'd believe it. Plus, I have to get stuff to actually _live_ here…"

"Then you're going to invite Sunrise over?" Sunset smirked, jabbing her father with a hoof.

Solstice frowned, but let out a sigh. "…I dunno, really. I don't really have a way to contact her, or tell her about getting back earlier than expected."

"And I never ran into her at the castle," Sunset added. She gave her father a curious look. "And you're sure she works with Princess Celestia?"

"I'm certain. At least… unless she lied to me about it."

The melancholy in his voice caught Sunset's attention, and she frowned at her father. "Lied to you?" She asked softly.

"I mean, I've done my share of lying in my life, so maybe it's my turn to be lied to…"

"Don't say that!" His daughter snapped, jarring him from his self-pity. "You're a decent stallion, dad, and I refuse to let you think any different. You deserve to be happy, and not because you're my dad. But because you've already turned from your old ways and are trying to go clean, you should be happy."

"What about all the ponies I've stolen from?" Solstice asked. "I was a thief, Sunny. A freaking good one, but a thief nonetheless. Didn't they deserve to be happy too?"

"I guess like father like daughter, huh?" Sunset sat back against the wall. "I stole from Princess Twilight, and that's why I ran away to another world. So do I deserve to be happy?"

Solstice was silent, looking at his daughter. Despite looking largely the way he remembered, it seemed like his daughter was several years older. Which was true, in a way. He had questioned her about her time in the other world, at the school called Canterlot High. According to the stories she told, after graduating from the school, she had considered coming back home, but instead had gone to college. Unfortunately, the friends she had made at Canterlot High went off to other schools, only keeping in touch with text messages and emails. After a couple years on her own, Sunset had returned to visit Canterlot High and Principal Celestia. That's when she had her talk with the woman about returning home, and decided to do just that. She returned to how she was when she left in the first place, but still had all of her memories and experiences. So while it looked like an older stallion was spending time with his young adult daughter, it was more like Sunset was recounting experiences almost akin to his own.

"Dad?"

He blinked, looking up at her. A small smile crossed his face. "You deserve to be happy. Find a nice stallion or mare to settle down with and maybe have grandkids before I get too old to spoil them."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Gosh dad. Embarrass me more?"

"Not until you bring a special somepony to meet me."

"Double date then?"

They both shared a short chuckle at that. Solstice got up from his seat and walked over to the other side of the room, where a suitcase was sitting. "Well, at least I brought some of my camping gear so that I can—ow!"

Sunset jumped up from her seat, almost galloping over. "What? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Jeez, you freak out just like Flame Ruby," Solstice chuckled. He held out his hoof, where a small trickle of blood was coming from it. "I think there's an exposed nail around here, and I stepped on it. No big deal."

"…Right…" Sunset heard what he was saying, but at the same time she didn't. Her eyes were fixed on her father's wound. The hypnotizing sight of each droplet of blood dripping to the floor had momentarily paralyzed her.

"Sunny!" Solstice snapped suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie. Her eyes, slowly turning a slight red color, shot up to his. His confused expression gave way to one a bit more worried. "…You alright, Sunset?"

"I… uh… Might just be hungry," Sunset mumbled quickly, turning away. "Sorry."

"We can go get something to eat if you want," Her dad said, going to his bag and getting out a first aid kit. "I think I saw a decent place down the road…"

"It's fine dad," Sunset said, backing up a step. "I don't want you to waste your money. I'll go eat at home."

The gold stallion frowned, glancing back at her. "…You sure?"

Sunset forced herself to smile. The smell of blood was still in the air, and it was strong. She couldn't stay here for much longer. "It's fine, dad. My roommate is a really good cook."

"Oh? Maybe I should drop by and try it for myself?"

This was not going well. In mock frustration, Sunset raised a hoof and pressed it to her forehead. "Dad. Stop trying to mooch a meal off me."

"What~?" He chuckled. "Fine, fine. Maybe I'll luck out and see Sunrise or something. Have fun with your friends."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Right. I'll talk to you later dad. Don't do anything I wouldn't!"

"That's a terribly short list," Solstice said thoughtfully, laughing when his daughter hit him in the foreleg. She gave him a momentary pout before laughing as well. With one last wave, she left. Sunset made sure she was out of view of the building before quickly lighting up her horn and teleporting home. She must have been craving blood too much to think straight, because instead of ending up in the living room like she wanted, she appeared about a foot over the couch, hanging in the air for only a moment before crashing down into the cushions.

"Damn it," She muttered into the couch.

A small giggle. "That was very graceful of you, Sunset."

"Shut up, Snow White," Sunset grumbled, pulling herself out of the couch. Seated in her wheelchair and with a book open in her lap, Heart Song watched her with a small smile on her face. "What?"

"Rough day?"

"I need a drink," Sunset grumbled, getting up and heading to the fridge. Lucky for her, she had managed to claim one of the drawers in the fridge for her personal use, and convince Shining Light that she only stored a special herbal juice in there. Which was a lie, but whatever.

Heart Song followed her path with her eyes, suddenly speaking up when Sunset was a step away from the fridge. "…Would you like something fresh?" She asked softly.

The vampire pony froze on the spot. With a disturbing slowness, she turned to look at the all-white unicorn mare. "…What… did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted something fresh," Song repeated, smile never fading. "Do you?"

"How in Equestria would you…" Sunset frowned.

"Yes or no question, Sunset."

Sunset frowned. "…Fine. Yes. Why do you have to act so cryptic about stuff?"

Song giggled. "I just like the way it makes you get upset when I do. Follow me."

The disabled mare closed her book and began rolling herself to the hall. Sunset watched her for a minute, before sighing and following after. The white unicorn led her to the back of the house and stopped before a nondescript wall panel. She pressed one hoof to it, and then the panel opened to reveal a staircase. "…What," Sunset said flatly.

"A basement!" Song said with a giggle. "I don't even think Shining Light knows this is here. Come on, the steps are fine."

"I hope you're not gonna trap me down here and torture me or something…" Sunset frowned, following Song as she used her magic to levitate herself down the stairs.

"Whatever gives you that impression?"

"You'd seem the type. Generally nice, but has a dark side no one ever expected."

"Oh?" The sound of wheels hitting stone floor. "And you don't have a dark side?"

"Can't have a dark side if I'm all dark," Sunset remarked with a small laugh. She reached the bottom of the steps, finding Song staring at her. With her naturally red eyes, it was unnerving. "…W-What?"

"Even in the deepest shadow, there is always light," Song said. Then she grinned. "Don't you listen to my music at all?"

Sunset frowned and rolled her eyes. "I didn't even know you recorded."

Song giggled but said no more on the subject. Instead, she led her gold companion over to a side door. She paused before opening it. "…Sunset, I need to ask you something."

"…Hm? What?"

"I'd like you to not tell anyone what you see in here."

"What? Why?"

"Seriously, Sunset." Song turned around, fixing the other pony with her blood red eyes. "I'm not joking around. What I am about to show you is something I do not want you to speak a word of to anyone."

"Are you about to show me something I don't want to see?"

Song smiled softly, but there was a more evil feel to it. "I've already told you what I am, Sunset, and I know what you are. Consider it something only a monster could appreciate."

They were both monsters, Sunset had to admit. Both bloodthirsty in a world that strived for peace. "…Fine. I won't tell anyone."

"Good! I'd hate to have misplaced my trust in you," the other mare said, undoing a lock on the door. She pushed the door open. "Come on in."

The two mares entered the room, and Sunset nearly lost the bottom half of her jaw. The room was mostly barren, except for one table and a single chair in the middle of the room. Strapped to the chair was a dark brown pegasus with a scruffy unkempt sky blue mane. He was currently unconscious, and that didn't change as they entered. "…Song… what the hell is this?"

"This is Mr. Broken Bird," Song said, matter of factly and moving over to the table set against the wall. There was a folder on it, and she picked it up with her magic.

"You _kidnapped_ somebody?"

"No, he was brought here."

"But… why?"

Song smiled. "Remember when I told you about my urges? This is how I deal with them." The white unicorn moved back around the room to sit in front of Sunset. "Ask away. I know you have questions."

"Who is this stallion?"

Song opened the folder and rifled through it. "Broken Bird—former veterinarian out of Cloudsdale. Specialized in avian care and treatment. Later moved to Los Pegasus."

Sunset looked over at the stallion. He did have a Cutie Mark of a bird's wing. "And he… how did you get him here?"

"You remember Grace and her organization, right?" Song smiled softly. "He actually was… captured by them."

"Captured?"

"He's a criminal. Quite a bad one at that."

Sunset frowned. "…How bad?"

Song indicated the folder. "According to the information I was given… he is a rapist. Accused of multiple counts, in fact."

"A… a _rapist!?_ " Sunset was flabbergasted. She knew that Equestria wasn't perfect, that there were many ponies that were not inherently good, but she would have never imagined somepony being capable of… rape. "Are you… sure?"

"Very. Grace's ponies are very thorough."

"So… they brought him here?"

"Yes. I have an arrangement with ODIN. If they find a particularly terrible criminal, they bring them to me. And I… exorcise my demons." She giggled softly, before wheeling herself over to the unconscious pony. "Time to wake up, Mr. Bird…"

She punctuated the somewhat sweet statement with a brutal backwards strike with her hoof. The blow woke the stallion up immediately. "Oh BUCK! What the Tartarus was that?" He snarled, eyes snapping open to glare at Song. "…Who the buck are you?"

"I'm your new jailer," Song said simply. Her voice seemed to split and take on multiple tones, all in harmony with one another like if a chorus was singing. "You're in quite a jam, sir."

"Where the… where the buck am I?" His eyes found Sunset, simply staring from her spot near the wall. "You! Did you help her do this?"

"I didn't," Sunset said simply.

Song smiled. "Sunset here is a friend of mine, and observing."

Bird frowned. "Let me out of here. You have no right to hold me here!"

"I have the right to hold you in any way I please," Song said sweetly. "So please, do not shout."

"What, is this some sort of kink? I've dealt with weirder…"

"Well, it is a kink of some sort. Just not the kind you're thinking of."

Bird thrashed at his bindings. "Let me out of here!"

"No."

"Why? I haven't done anything to you!"

Song was silent for a minute. She glanced down at her folder. "…Have you ever met a filly known as Royal Flush?"

The stallion's eyes snapped to her. However he just as quickly looked away. "…No. I never heard of a filly by that name."

One of Song's voices whispered ' _liar_ ', but her mouth never moved. Instead, she simply smiled. She moved around to the side of the chair. "My brother is a pegasus. I've always been amazed at how their wings function…"

"What does that have to do with—?" His question was quickly cut off by a loud cracking noise and a scream from their captive. Song had maneuvered behind the pegasus and had taken hold of Bird's left wing. With barely any effort, she had snapped it in two. The pegasus seethed. "BUCK!"

"I do believe the bones in the wing are much more fragile than the others," Song said sweetly, voices singing as if they were laughing. "But all the nerves are just as sensitive."

"You… you whore! Why are you doing this?"

Song smiled widely. "Do you know a filly named Royal Flush?"

"I said I don't!"

The white unicorn sighed audibly, the tone of her song changed. The sounds of bones resetting and flesh knitting indicated that her song was fixing the damage she had just done to the limb. "…I want you to answer my question honestly."

"I said I never—AUGH!"

The sounds of bones cracking filled the room, and Sunset couldn't help but flinch as the wing Song was holding broke again. And to the gold unicorn's horror, her friend was enjoying this. Song's mouth was curled in a very dark smile, as the voices in the air clamored for more. The questioning continued, with Song continuing to break and repair the wing until finally—

"OKAY!"

"Hm?" Song paused in the middle of breaking the wing in her grasp one more time. "Yes?"

"I knew the filly! I saw her in Los Pegasus!"

"Oh, I knew that."

Bird gaped. "W-What? Then why…?"

"I wanted you to admit it."

"So I did it! Let me go!"

Song's demeanor changed almost completely. It went from a slightly sweet smile to something more demonic. "You… you really think I'd let you go? You? A rapist?"

"What? I—

"Do NOT attempt to tell me you didn't rape that filly. OR the thirteen other fillies that you've preyed upon over the years!" Song snarled. "Your kind make me sick. You think you can take advantage of innocent children and get away with it?"

Sunset felt sick to her stomach. This pony had not only was a rapist, but had raped thirteen innocent children. The very number was terrifying. "By the Princesses…"

Bird tried to speak, only to have Song strike him across the face. "You don't get to speak anymore," She hissed in seventy different tones. Her magic lashed out and struck his mouth, and then faded away. When Bird tried to speak, no sound came out.

Sunset blinked. "What…? What did you do?"

"I took his voice," Song said, almost nonchalantly. When she noticed Sunset staring at her, she shrugged. "My magic isn't just for controlling my voice or making music. I can also control sound in a relatively localized about me. That extends to the voices of those near me."

"That's… terrifying."

"I told you I'm a monster, my dear Sunset." Song smiled sadly. She turned back to her captive. "And now… this is the part where I ask if you want to watch."

Sunset felt something deep in her go darker as she looked at the restrained stallion. Song's last strike had left him spitting up blood. Blood that looked too good to pass up. "…What… what are you going to do to him?"

"Probably break all the bones in his body and then repair them," Song said, putting aside her folder. "And then break them again."

"How many times?"

Song turned back to Bird, his expression fearful and expectant. A devious smile touched her lips. "…At least thirteen times more."

"Good." Sunset scowled, feeling a sadistic pleasure at the soundless scream coming from the restrained stallion. "And I want to watch. It'll be even more satisfying when I get to drink his blood."

–x–

"Excuse me!"

Charlie looked up from the piece of metal she was chewing on to spot a white unicorn with a two tone mane approaching her. She finished with her iron and swallowed. "Yes?"

"You… wait, are you eating metal?"

"Yes." Charlie took another healthy bite out of the metal sheet. She smiled a little at the satisfying crunch. "The species of dragon I come from eat metal. I've tried gems, but they're more like candy."

The unicorn blinked. "You don't… eat normal food?"

"Oh, I do." Another crunch. "I just prefer metal."

"I see…" The mare shook her head. "But that's beside the point! You asked my boyfriend out on a date!"

"…I did?" Charlie frowned. Ever since she and her father had started visiting Ponyville, she had tried her hardest to avoid causing any problems. That's why she was even on the outskirts of the town park, keeping to herself under a tree. Yet she still managed to do it somehow. "Um… Sorry?"

"That's all you can say? You can't just go around asking out other pony's boyfriends!"

"Calm down!" The dragonkin said, holding up her hands. "I don't even know you, and I don't know who your boyfriend is."

The mare scowled. "My name is Sweetie Bell, and my boyfriend is Spike! Like the only other dragon in Ponyville?"

"Spike… oh, I met him the other day. I didn't know he was your boyfriend. And asking him out on a date? I just wanted him to make up for talking bad about my dad. I never asked him to take me on a date."

"You told him to take you out to eat," Sweetie Bell pointed out.

Charlie frowned. "I'm not planning on trying to date him or something. He pissed me off, I got angry, he apologized, and promised to make it up to me."

"…He's my boyfriend, don't forget that."

"If I wanted to steal someone's boyfriend," Charlie said, leaning back against the tree she was sitting beside. "I'd try a lot harder. Plus, your boyfriend isn't my type."

Sweetie Bell frowned. "Not your type?"

"I've been around enough adolescent dragons," Charlie snorted. "I am not attracted to guys like him either."

"Guys like… what's wrong with Spike?"

Charlie glanced back at the mare, who seemed quite upset. Obviously she really did like her boyfriend, and Charlie's off-hand comment about Spike bothered her. She fell silent, thinking for a bit. "…Sorry."

Sweetie Bell blinked. "…Wait, what? Why are you apologizing?"

"I said something you didn't like," the dragonkin said slowly, measuring each word. She set down her slab of metal. "And I apologize. I do tend to speak a bit… bluntly."

"Ain't nothing wrong with that," a country drawl pointed out. The two of them turned to see Applebloom approaching, what looked to be a tool belt around her body. "Howdy y'all."

"Oh, hey Applebloom," Sweetie said in greeting. "Where are you headed?"

"Tyr asked me ta help teach the Stone Ponies how ta work with wood," The farmer/carpenter said. She grinned. "Applejack apparently suggested it to him."

"I see the sense in that," Charlie said thoughtfully. "Stone is useful, but wood is as well."

Applebloom glanced over at the dragonkin. After a moment of looking her over, she smacked her hooves together. "You must be Charlie then. I heard about you from Goldie and Bramley."

"They remembered me? Oh. Well, nice to meet you."

The country pony grinned. "Pleasure. So you're the one Sweetie was complaining about?"

The dragonkin glanced over at the white mare, who blushed. "I was kinda upset at the time, to be honest."

"I didn't think what I said through," Charlie pointed out. "I have a tendency to be up front about how I feel."

"Ain't nothing wrong with being true to yourself," Applebloom said.

"It's more like my emotions run hot at the wrong times. Sometimes I know I don't need to get angry or bothered, but I do." The girl sighed and looked down at her hands. "I guess that's why I was classified as a World Ending Event."

"A world ending…?" Sweetie blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Watch. I showed this to the others, but…" Charlie held out one hand, focusing on it intently. As the two young mares watched, the dragonkin's arm went from solid to essentially a golden mist. They both gasped in surprise.

"H-How are you doing that?" Applebloom asked.

"I'm sorta cursed with awesome," the dragon replied, looking at her nonexistent hand. With a little effort, she forced the golden Dust back into the familiar form of her arm. "If I let go too much, then I'll just become golden dust. It's really stressful being so close to not existing."

"So ya gotta really concentrate all the time?"

"Well… not exactly. More like if I do something like that, I have to have really good control."

Sweetie Bell and Applebloom shared a quick look, before sitting beside the dragon girl. "That's terrible."

Charlie blinked. "What… wait. Why are you two sitting here?"

"You looked like y'all needed a friend," Applebloom said simply. She waved a hoof and grinned. "Plus, I reckon the Stone Ponies can wait for me ta show."

"And I was kinda being a jerk to you in the first place," Sweetie said sheepishly.

The dragon seemed quite confused. "I… wow. I don't know what to say."

"Did you not have friends before?"

"I guess you could say my dad was my only friend," Charlie said quietly, pulling her legs up to her chest. "Since I'm a dragon and all, most people I could meet are always younger than me."

Applebloom frowned. "You don't look that old."

Charlie gave her a flat look. "I'm twenty six."

Both mares blinked. "Oh. Oh! Oh wow."

"You certainly don't look it," Sweetie pointed out. She thought for a moment, before breaking out into a wide smile. "We'll be your friends though!"

"You… you will?" Golden eyes widened at the declaration. "But… you hardly know me! I'm a dragon, and I can turn bigger than you, or eat you…"

"But you won't, right?" Applebloom smiled. "Plus, y'all let us just ask ya a bunch a questions for about no reason."

"And dragons are scary, but when you're like this, you're not," Sweetie added. "Plus, I'm dating one!"

"So won't you let us be your friends?"

Charlie was silent for a bit. Both mares watched her in silence, unaware at the rapid analyzation of the situation that was going through the dragon's mind. Being exposed to Dust had made the girl stronger and more durable, and also supercharged her body in other ways. Her lungs worked more efficient, her heart beat more smoothly and rhythmically, and her brain processed twice as fast. That last part was the reason she took time to think through her replies normally—her brain acted faster than her mouth did. So it was after about a minute of thought that for her seemed to go on for much longer than that, that finally she looked up at the two mares, smiled as wide as she could, and said happily: "I'd like that very much."

–x–

Song stepped back after a bit, panting lightly. Despite the near constant vocal exercises she had been doing, she had managed to keep her Chorus active for the entire ordeal. Sunset was still waiting patiently near the door, a flushed look on her face. Broken Bird was looking more and more like his namesake, wings shattered multiple times along with the mental strain of enduring so much pain repeatedly. Even his legs had been destroyed, left completely useless at this point. There was blood pooling under the chair from the lacerations Song's more… violent notes had cut into him. "I think… I think I'm done," Song said, moving away from the chair.

She had given Broken Bird his voice back, and at the sound of Song's words, he looked up weakly. His voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "You… you're done?"

"You're not worth breaking any more," Song said simply, glancing back over at him. She turned back to Sunset. "I've had my fill—he's all yours now."

"…W…What?" Song moved over to the other side of the room, letting Sunset approach their captive. Despite himself, he tried to move away. "N…N-No!"

"Don't fight me," Sunset ordered, although there wasn't any real reason to. Almost all the bones in his body were broken—there was no way he'd get away or fight back. "This can either hurt a lot or hurt very little."

"Get… get away from me!"

Sunset shrugged, reaching up with her hooves to turn his head to the side. "Have it your way," She murmured, and snapped her head forward to sink her fangs into the stallion's neck. Despite how much he wanted to, hours of torture had left his throat raw and near useless. The scream he no doubt wanted to emit came out more as a groan. Sunset drank hungrily, holding onto the pegasus with her hooves and keeping her mouth closed on his throat. Song watched in morbid fascination, eyes fixed on the place where Sunset's mouth met Broken Bird's throat. Only a minute elapsed until Sunset finally let go.

"All done?" Song asked.

"I wanted to ask…" Sunset began, glancing back towards her. Her eyes were a deep red color, and her lips had gone red as well. "Do you want him to live?"

Song thought for only a moment. "Not particularly," She replied flippantly.

Another groan from Bird, but Sunset was already digging her teeth back into him. With a bit more force than before, she crushed his windpipe and sprayed more blood onto the floor. Seconds later he was dead. Sunset pulled away, thin streams of blood dribbling from the corners of her mouth. She let out a contented, shaking sigh. "Okay… now I'm done."

"Was it good?"

"Unbelievably."

Heart Song's smile was dark. "This doesn't have to be a one-time thing, Sunset."

The golden unicorn glanced away. "I…"

"They'll all be criminals like him. No one that will be missed."

"They're still living ponies, Song. Killing like this…"

"Would you rather it was someone innocent?" Song's eyes narrowed. "At least like this, we're not hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it."

"I get that, but… how do you sleep at night?"

Song's smile brightened a little. "Like angels sung me to sleep."

The other mare laughed. "Right! You're a monster too, just a different kind from me." She paused, hoping that she hadn't offended the other mare. But to her relief—and terror—Song simply smiled and giggled lightly.

"…True enough. Come on, I'll call Grace's ponies to clean up."

Sunset came over to the white unicorn, glancing back at the corpse still strapped to the chair. She had to keep reminding herself that he was a terrible example of a pony, a _rapist_ no less, and that what had just happened to him was what he deserved. It was difficult, but when she remembered just how sweet his blood had tasted, she felt a bit better about it. Shaking the thoughts off, she went to join Heart Song as she levitated back upstairs. As they closed the wall panel behind them, she spoke up again. "How often do you do this?"

"Hm?" Song glanced back as she began wheeling herself back to the living room. "What do you mean?"

They entered the living room, both relaxing a bit at not seeing Shining Light there. "How often do you have these… sessions."

"Once or twice a month," Song replied honestly, rolling into the kitchen. Her horn lit up and began gathering ingredients from all the cabinets and the fridge in order to make dinner. "More if someone especially terrible needs to be removed."

"And you… always do that to them?"

"Not for as long," the singer pointed out, watching as a trio of eggs rhythmically cracked themselves against a bowl. A mixer slipped in after them, beating a cadence as it began to whip them. "That was… a special case."

Sunset sat on one of the nearby stools, watching the other mare curiously. "I could tell. It seemed a bit… personal."

"…oh."

There was silence from the other mare for a long minute, only the musical noises of the kitchen in full swing providing any background noise. Song was quiet for so long that Sunset began to believe she had offended the other mare. "Uh… if you don't want to talk about it…"

"I apologize," Song said, turning around. It was a testament to her magical skill that the kitchen kept working smoothly even as she focused on the unicorn in front of her. "I've been a bit… overboard with everything lately, haven't I?"

"Er… well, kinda." Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean, if that's how you are…"

"No, I…" Song blushed slightly. "I honestly do not like how I am. I am a bloodthirsty murderer at heart that enjoys killing, and I hate it."

"If you hate it, why do you…?"

"Because I accept what I am," the singer said with a small smile. "There's not a lot of jobs for a mare who can sing people to death, is there? I know what I am, and I live with it. But I was kinda lying earlier. I do sleep well, but I feel I shouldn't. But that's just how I am."

Sunset paused, examining Song's face. It was impassive, yes. But she could also see the concealed hurt and suffering in those red eyes. "…What happened to you?"

The kitchen came to a halt. "…You really want to know?"

The vampire pony smiled. "You're my friend, Heart Song. I do want to know."

"I… I see. Well, I won't spare you the details." The white unicorn sighed and folded her forelegs into her lap. "…My parents used to work for the Princess."

Sunset blinked. "They did?"

"Yes. My father was captain of the guard before Shining Armor," Song said, looking down at her hooves. "And my mother was a medic. They were part of a special recon team that was tasked with mapping previously unknown areas of Equestria. While out on a particularly long mission, they left us with our uncle."

A pair of glasses levitated over along with a carton of juice. Sunset watched in admiration at the ease at which Song manipulated so many different things at the same time. Although as she listened to the clinking of glasses and taps of cutlery, she realized that everything was going according to a beat. It made her smile. "So what happened then?"

"They didn't come back." Song let out a gentle sigh. "We were told they came across a rather hostile patrol of griffons."

"…Oh."

"And that left us with our uncle," Song said, continuing. "However, he was jealous of our father because he got a job in the castle, not him. Plus, he was an uncle on our mother's side, so he didn't have the same bloodthirsty trait as us. But he was sadistic, evil man who took out his rage on us."

"He… he did what?"

Song scowled. "He abused us. Two children who needed his guidance as a parental figure. He beat us, starved us, spit on us… And Ace got the worst of it. Tied up in the basement for days while I had to cater to our uncle's every wish—cook his meals, serve as his punching bag when he was upset…"

Sunset frowned. "I used to think having a distant dad was bad…"

"Believe me, it was a hellhole. If I said anything, he'd hit me. If I used my magic for anything, he'd hit me. If I even _whimpered_ because he hit me, he'd hit me. Occasionally, he got drunk enough to just beat me anyway."

"He did that?" Sunset whispered, horrified. "He… he was your uncle!"

The white unicorn smiled ruefully. "I lived every day afraid that he'd just snap and kill me or my brother. " Song lifted her cup to her lips. After taking a short drink, she let out a sigh. "And then… one day he came home drunk."

A dark look came over Song then, and it made Sunset shiver. "W-what…?"

"He grabbed me, tossed me to the floor and pinned me there," Song said, emotion gone from her voice. "…And raped me."

"N… no." Sunset spoke the denial, but it was more a automatic reaction than anything. She could see the truth on Song's face. "He…"

"I was still a filly," Song continued, the dark truth spilling out of her like a wave. She was even crying at this point. Several of the Chorus were even begging her to stop. "Probably only a couple years older than Tyr's kids. He beat me while he did. And even after he finished the first time, he kept going. And kept going. And kept going. And—

"Please, just…" She shrunk back, trembling. Sure, she didn't know the rest of her family that well, but she was at least somewhat confident they wouldn't… do that. She really didn't want to hear more, but Song didn't stop.

"Ace had been down in the basement again after mouthing off for some reason," She said with a small smile. "He had been unconscious from a beating, but after the sixth time…"

"You remember how many times!?"

Song fixed the other mare with a sharp look. "When something like that happens to you, you _don't_ forget."

Sunset looked away, cowed by the ferocity in her friend's eyes. "S-Sorry."

"It's fine. At that point, I was probably dead to the world. I couldn't feel anything below my waist. But Ace managed to get out of his restraints, drag himself upstairs, and find our uncle 'enjoying' himself with me in the kitchen." Song giggled, but it was more sadistic glee than finding anything funny about it. "My dear brother lost it, and physically knocked our uncle off of me."

"…And then?"

Song looked over at her and smiled. "Ace bashed his face in, shattered his neck, and broke all his legs. All with his bare hooves. And that was before he killed him."

Sunset felt her heart leap into her throat. "…Oh god…"

"Ace never said a word. Simply brutally maimed and killed him. But once he was done, be pulled me into an embrace and told me he was sorry."

"…Sorry?"

"For not protecting me. For taking so long to get up the courage to simply end our uncle's pathetic life. For letting me be broken."

"It's not his fault!" Sunset countered. "He was still just a child—he didn't know what your uncle was going to do."

"I think he's come to terms with it," Song replied quietly. "Although he still regrets being too late to save my legs."

The other unicorn blinked, glancing down at Song's rear legs. "Your… legs? You can't walk, right?"

"Sort of. I can walk, but the damage to my… well you know—was so severe, I bleed whenever I walk."

"By the sun…"

Song gave her a lopsided smile. "That's what happens when somepony brutally rapes an undeveloped filly. I can't have children anymore… ever. But… I have my brother, and my friends. So I'm happy."

Sunset was quiet for a bit. Song had just related a very personal story to her. One that had shaped her life up to this point. "…So what happened afterwards? I know you ended up under Celestia's wing, but… how?"

"Her guards had come looking for our uncle to ask what happened to us," Song said. "She wanted to see how the children of one of her guard ponies were doing."

"And they came right then?"

"Yes. They found us huddled together in our uncle's blood. According to their protocol, they tried to take us into custody. Ace thought they were trying to hurt me, so he fought back." Song's eyes glittered with mirth. "He managed to knock out two guard ponies before I came to my senses and sang to him to calm him down."

"So you were taken to Celestia?"

"Mm." She nodded. "There we were, two little children who had just murdered their uncle, in front of the most powerful mare in the land. And when we got there, I threatened to blow the eardrums out of every pony in the throne hall if they hurt my brother. Mom simply smiled and told us that she wasn't going to hurt either of us. That we were brave for going through what we did. And that she… she wanted to protect us from anything else."

Sunset nodded. "That sounds like the Princess alright… But are you okay telling me all this?"

"I wouldn't have told you if I didn't feel comfortable about it," Song said. She smiled warmly. "You're my friend, and I trust you."

The white unicorn wheeled herself over to Sunset and with a bit of an adjustment, leaned a bit out of her chair to hug her. Sunset hugged her back. Being trusted like this was… good. "…Thanks, Song. I needed to hear that."

"Of course, Sunset. Now, let me go so I can make dinner."

Hooves tightened around her. "What if I wanted you for dinner?" Sunset asked quietly, the smell of Song's blood reaching her nose. Despite having just drunk off of Broken Bird, she was still in the mood. But Song's voice slipped into her mind like a worm into an apple.

"Sunset, _off_."

The vampire blinked several times as the other mare untangled herself from the hug. Sunset had simply let her go. "…What? How did you…?"

"Suggestion magic," Song said with a smile. "Although more of an order than a suggestion."

"I see."

"You'll not be biting me without my permission, missy," Song said playfully, bopping her on the nose. About a dozen of Song's other voices were giggling at her. "I may be a blood crazed sadistic murderer, but I'm still a mare. You've got to at least take me out to dinner first, miss vampire pony. Otherwise, I'll kill you. Or my brother will come and kill you."

Sunset started to laugh at the ridiculousness of the statement, but the sound of the door into the house startled them. The two of them jerked around to see Shining Light paused in the doorway, a look of disbelief on her face. The just-starting teacher swallowed heavily. "…Um… did I miss something?" She asked, looking at the two mares as though seeing them for the first time.

"Oh buck," Sunset murmured.

"Seems we all did," Song said while pressing a hoof to her forehead.

–x–

* * *

 **And that is the mindset of a monster. Sunset is dangerous yes, but Song is probably close to being a sociopath. Hopefully you don't forget she's still an adorable snow white unicorn.  
**

 **Charlie is a special case. Think about the movie 'Lucy' if you can't really see how her mind is working. That's where I went with it.**

 **But as usual, thank you for Reading, please leave a Review, and most definitely Return for the next chapter! The Library accepts all comments and reviews, and will be patiently waiting for your feedback.**

 **Until next time, dear readers.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Greetings again, dear Readers. Hopefully you've all had pleasant weeks, with nothing untoward happening. Before I delve into my comments for the week, I'd like to do something a little different. A shout out to a very talented writer known as Captain Alaska. You may or may not know him as the author of Fallen Eagle, a very good ApplejackxOC fanfic that is no doubt part of what inspired me to begin posting on . He gave me a bump in his last posted chapter, so I'm returning the favor. If you have the time, I'd urge you to go read his works. Sure he doesn't post every week like me, but it's well worth the wait.  
**

 **Kevin Lapse: There are times Tyr won't be around. Not often, but they will happen.**

 **WarHusky2000: Hey, you wanna ship it, go ahead. I might go through with it, but who knows. ;P**

 **Captain Alaska: I kinda wanted to make it more of a big deal, but I can't see Sweetie as the vindictive type. And writing Song's dark side is really fun for me.**

 **flammablefiredragon: The adorable white unicorn is a murderer and don't you forget it.**

 **Well, you've all be waiting! Here's the chapter:**

* * *

Chapter 35: Silk Hiding Steel

"So let me get this straight," Shining Light said after a long minute. She looked between Heart Song and Sunset, who sat in front of her. The three of them had moved into the living room, the faint sounds of food cooking providing background noise. "Sunset is a vampire and has been hiding it with magic spells, and Song is repressing murderous desires."

Song held up a hoof. "Actually, I'm not repressing them. I have a torture room for criminals in the basement."

"…That's not helping matters," Sunset said with a sigh.

"I thought honesty would be the best policy in this situation," the unicorn said with a shrug.

Light sighed. "…Wonderful."

"You're taking this awfully calmly," Sunset pointed out, rubbing her hooves together. "I figured you'd be more… well, freaked out."

The teacher-in-training rubbed a hoof against her forehead. "Believe me, I'm probably past 'shocked' and already into 'terrified acceptance'. Both of my housemates are killers. Wow."

"Sorry for not telling you," Song apologized. "We thought it best to not burden you with the information."

"Burden…? I wanted you two to be my friends. I mean, it is kinda terrifying how you both… er… _kill_ ponies…"

"I only kill those who deserve it," Song said.

Sunset nodded. "And I was previously surviving on preserved blood."

Light glanced at her, a small frown on her face. "Erm… I've seen you eating the dinner Song makes…"

"I can eat normal food, but it's not exactly… filling," Sunset pointed out with a lopsided smile.

"Right…" The hazel mare let out a sigh. "This is… crazy."

"We'll try not to talk about it when you're around…"

"No, it's fine. My sister tells me about all the weird stuff she gets into with the other knights. Ace Guard is your brother, right?" She directed that last part at Song, who nodded.

"He is. My brother is a bit worse off than me when it comes to the whole liking to fight thing," She admitted.

Sunset frowned slightly, looking at Shining Light. "So… you're okay?"

Light let out a shaky sigh. "Well… sort of. I'm still a bit terrified you might change your minds and kill me in my sleep, but I'm not going to run out of the house screaming or anything."

"We definitely wouldn't do that." A timer in the kitchen dinged, and Song perked up. "Oh! I should get that. Excuse me." She rolled herself away and into the kitchen. Light nodded weakly, glancing in Sunset's direction. The vampire hadn't bothered to replace her disguise, and her red eyes glanced over.

"Something the matter?" Sunset asked.

Light pointed at her mouth. "Your fangs…"

"Oh? Oops!" a hoof shot to her mouth. "Does it bother you?"

"No, I just… you hide them, right?"

"Well… yeah. Don't worry about it; I'm not going to try biting you or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, now that you point it out…"

"Don't worry!" Song called out. "We're your friends!"

"My scary friends," Light said with a roll of her eyes. "Goodness. All those days with Bright made me almost numb to this sort of thing…"

"How so?"

"She told me about your brother, and how much he likes to fight."

"Ah…" Song laughed nervously. "He's honestly a good stallion, just… passionate."

Light blushed. "Well… I kinda had a crush on him when I met him for the first time."

The other two mares stopped, eyes turning to the teacher. Neither of them spoke for a long minute. Finally, Sunset smirked. "…You did, did you?"

"Only when I first met him! And then when I met him for real, I found out he was already married."

"To Rainbow Dash," Sunset said with a nod. "Although it is cute that you had a crush on him."

Song chuckled. "Not gonna tell him. His head would totally swell up. Now come on girls, dinner is ready."

At the prospect of food, Light immediately brightened. She and Sunset got up and moved into the kitchen, taking their places at the oaken table. Their dinner—a mixture of mixed fruits, grilled daisies, and pasta salad made to perfection. As Sunset and Light looked at the meal with obvious hunger in their eyes, Song added one last thing to Sunset's end of the table—a glass of blood. Sunset glanced up at her before looking in Light's direction. "Um…"

"It's fine…" Light said, scrunching up her nose. "You ah… you need it, right?"

"Well… yes."

"Then go ahead. Just wash the glass after—I don't think I want to smell blood all the time."

"Fair enough. Thanks Light."

With that, the three mares hungrily dug into their food. After a few minutes of quiet eating, Light spoke up again. "Hey, Sunset? You mind if I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question," the golden mare said. "I may decide not to answer."

Light nodded at that. "I understand. I wanted to know how you became a vampire."

Sunset frowned slightly, sipping at her half full glass of blood. Her eyes flicked over to Song, who also looked genuinely curious. "Hm… Well, that's not a terrible question. Did you know I spent time in a different, parallel world?"

"Mom told me," Song said. Light simply shook her head.

"Well, imagine a world where there are human copies of us living their lives in a high school. Well, I became friends with the human versions of the Elements of Harmony." Sunset paused again. "Well, more than friends with one."

"More than… oh!" Light blushed. "I didn't…"

"Yeah, so I'm bisexual," Sunset said with a roll of her eyes. "Big whoop."

"In a society like ours where the females outnumber the males, it's actually more common than you think," Song said thoughtfully.

"True that. But back to the story. After dealing with the Sirens and the other Twilight going evil on us, I was pretty wary of anything else showing up. So suffice it to say I was really on alert." She frowned down at her plate. "…And then Flutters got into an accident."

Light blinked. "Flutters? Do you mean Fluttershy?"

"Yeah. She was hit by a car. I saw the whole thing from the school." Sunset wished she had hands so that she could ball them into fists. "By the time I had rushed outside, she was gone."

"What… what happened?"

"A boy by the name of Nero took her and changed her. Into a vampire, I mean. She showed up a few days later wearing dark clothes and hats to hide her face. Didn't help thought—doesn't matter what world you're in, Rainbow is insensitive. She revealed to all the others that Fluttershy was a creature of the night." Sunset sat back in her chair. "Next thing we know, Nero shows up and explains that he saved her life by turning her."

"At least he was there to explain things," Light pointed out. Sunset nodded.

"True. And despite the whole… drinking blood bit, we looked out for her and didn't treat her any different. Well, except for me. I was the one who looked out for her the most. But then we planned a trip to the beach."

"A trip to the beach?" Song tilted her head to the side.

Sunset nodded. "Well, it was Pinkie's idea. The other Pinkie, you know. Although we didn't want to at first, because of Fluttershy, we eventually figured it was a good idea to do it in order to get our minds off of the whole blood sucking thing. That's when I found out Fluttershy was avoiding drinking blood. She attacked me and turned me."

Song's eyes widened. "Hold on one moment. How long? How long did she go without drinking?"

"Almost two weeks as a newborn," Sunset said ruefully.

Light glanced between the two mares, confusion written on every feature. "Um… is that bad?"

Sunset gave her a weak smile. "I've been a vampire for the better part of a few years now. And I can only realistically go about a week before the cravings set in."

"…Cravings?"

"What do you think a pony would do if starved for food, Light?" Song asked pointedly, gesturing to her plate. "We claim to be the most peace loving race in Equus, but if it comes to it, we will kill, steal, and destroy in order to preserve what matters to us."

Light frowned. "I refuse to believe that. No pony would willingly harm another just to save themselves."

"I was raped viciously by my uncle, simply because of jealousy he had towards my father and brother," Song replied immediately. As Light's eyes opened in horror, she continued. "My brother and I enjoy killing, and I have to kill in order to sate my own urges."

"My father was a professional thief," Sunset said. "And I wanted Alicorn status just… well, just because."

Light looked down at her lap. "I… I want to think the best of other ponies. I teach foals and fillies, girls. Children who look up to me for guidance. I have to… feel that the world is worth living in."

"It is!" Song pouted. "I just wanted to point out that you're currently living with two of the ponies who live on the opposite side of the coin. Plus, we'd do anything to protect that ideal of yours."

Sunset nodded. "Not everyone has to end up screwed up like us."

Light looked between the two mares. One was cursed to only be able to survive off blood for the rest of her life, while the other struggled with murderous tendencies day to day. And yet they could sit down with her, a school teacher, and laugh and joke about it as if it was nothing. Her resolve hardened. "…I know what I want to do."

The other two looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" Song asked.

"I'm going to help you two," Light said. When their confused looks didn't go away, she continued in order to clarify. "I mean, this house will be a safe place for you. So you can unwind, do whatever you need to do. You two are the closest things I have to friends besides my sister, and I value that."

Both Sunset and Song smiled. "Well, you picked a decent pair of 'first friends'," Sunset said with a laugh.

"I don't know about you, but I'm a proper lady," Song countered, huffing like an uptight Canterlot noble. "Who just happens to look very good in red."

"Yeah, if you say so—" whatever retort Sunset had planned was cut off by a knocking at the front door. All three mares quickly shared a confused look. "Someone expecting a visitor?"

"I'm pretty sure my brother wouldn't be dropping by this late," Song said, frowning. And plus, I think he stayed in Ponyville to make sure Rainbow Dash isn't aggravating her wounds."

"I'll get the door," Light said, getting up. She trotted over to the front door, wondering just who it could be. Her sister was in Ponyville, so it couldn't be her. Was it someone from work? Well, she'd have to just open the door to find out. She pushed the slightly heavy door open, putting a bright smile on her face. "Hello! May I help you?"

There was a pale blue pegasus mare standing in front of her, her green eyes sparkling. Her powder white hair was swept back away from her face, and her tail was tied at the end by a bright yellow bow. "Um, hello there. My name is Cienna. I heard that there was a room for rent here?"

Light blinked. "Er… what?"

The pegasus before her frowned. "Oh, don't tell me I got the wrong house…"

"I think you might have," Sunset said, she and Song joining Light at the door. "I mean, it is true we have an empty bedroom, but we hadn't been looking for anyone to fill that…"

Cienna brightened. "So you do have an empty room!"

Song frowned. "Well, that is true, but…"

Light turned to the other two mares. "Come on girls, what could it hurt? We get to make a new friend in the process too!"

Song and Sunset shared a short look. "Well… I guess it's fine," Sunset said with a shrug.

"I suppose so," Song said. With a sigh she turned back to look at Cienna. "Well, welcome to the house, Cienna. Come on in and let's get you situated."

–x–

"This is embarrassing," Luna murmured.

Rarity had to try very hard to suppress a giggle. Years of working with sensitive clients came in handy right now. "It's honestly not that bad, darling."

The Princess of Dreams gave her a flat look. "It is very bad. Very, very bad. I don't even know how I managed to turn a whole piece of fabric that was previously blue _yellow_."

The two mares sat in silence for a minute at the offending piece of cloth, currently twisted into the sewing machine in a way that didn't seem possible. Rarity was a bit amused and dumbfounded, almost as if she was dealing with Pinkie Pie. Since Tyr was a bit busy at Wolfhome, the Princess of Dreams had come along with Rarity to the finally repaired Carousel Boutique under the explanation of 'spending time with other members of the herd'. Rarity knew better however—Tyr was starting a whole new venture as Lord of an entire race of ponies, and Luna didn't want to burden him with her own desires. A foolish notion considering Tyr would drop everything for his family if asked, but a sweet one nonetheless. She let out a sigh. "Well, I've seen stranger things."

"Truly?" Luna looked up at her, eyes wide.

Rarity smiled. "But of course! I do spend a very large amount of time with Pinkie, after all."

"A good point. Well, I suppose I will give this up," Luna said with a sigh, untangling the fabric and folding it neatly off to the side. "You are the dressmaker here, not me."

"It was a valiant effort, nonetheless."

Luna rolled her eyes and got up from her seat at the work table. "I will go to the kitchen and make some tea. Perhaps that will cheer me up…"

Rarity moved over to the spot the Alicorn had left, taking over at the machine. With practiced motions, she began working at a new dress. "Would you mind making me a cup as well, dear?"

"Of course." Luna went upstairs to the new remodeled kitchen, leaving Rarity to work her magic… literally. The mare went to work with gusto, the workroom coming to life as she began to hum her favorite working tune.

"Stitch by stitch, stitching it together…"

She was so engrossed in her work that she almost missed the bell at the front door ringing to signal a customer had entered. Quickly running her hoof over her mane to make sure it was in order, she left the workroom to enter the main showroom. "Ah, hello! Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where we make everything to the specifications of our customers!"

There was a tall and broad unicorn stallion standing before her, his bronze mane styled and curled elegantly. Behind him were two mares that looked like they'd be more at home on a runway than in her shop. They looked to be twins, both with brown coats and red manes. The stallion lifted his chin up upon seeing her, just like the ponies in Canterlot. "You are Rarity?"

Despite her urge to gag at the tone the stallion took, she had a long period of experience in dealing with customers. Especially high profile customers. "Yes, I am Rarity, owner and designer. Is there anything I can help you with, sir…?"

"I am Spot Light, and my companions are Rio and Tio," the stallion said. "I am told you make the best suits and dresses in the region. Is this true?"

"I'm not one to tout my own accomplishments, but I am dedicated to my work."

Spot Light walked over to a rack full of dresses, using his hoof to flip through them. "…I suppose these are adequate."

Rarity's eye twitched. "Adequate?"

"I see why many ponies speak of your supposed skill, but how long does it take you to make these? Months?"

"Depends on the size of the order, to be sure," Rarity countered. She couldn't help but huff. "For just one dress? No more than a week, barring distractions."

"Oh ho? So you are as talented as they say."

Rarity let out a delicate laugh. "Why, thank you."

"And yet you stay in a place like this."

The white unicorn paused, blue eyes tracking over to fix themselves on Spot Light. "…What was that?"

"Such talent secluded away in a country town like this. Such a shame." Spot Light turned to Rarity, a small smirk on his face. "Your skills would be better served in Manehattan, or Trottingham, or even Fillydelphia. Or maybe… with me."

"With… you?" Rarity blinked. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I do have a side hobby along with setting up modelling events," The stallion said, coming back over to the unicorn. "And that is collecting rare objects. You my dear, are a talented, self-made mare, with a business that easily rivals most other dressmakers. When I heard of you, I knew I needed to have you."

Rarity blinked again, still not following. "Er… forgive me, but I don't think I follow…"

Spot Light moved right in front of her, lifting up her chin. He smiled softly. "I have come to take you away from this place."

"Take me away… why?"

"I could give you the world stage you wish to perform on," the other unicorn said, smile growing. "To show ponies across the land that Rarity is the most talented dressmaker to ever live, and that they should emulate you above all else."

His voice had a seductive quality to it, and Rarity—for a moment if she admitted it—believed him. "…Truly?"

"Truly. You could leave all of this behind, and live a new life—with me—in luxury."

That made Rarity pause. She pulled away from him, shaking her head slowly. "I… I do not want that." She felt sluggish, as though fighting her way through fog.

Spot Light seemed put off by that answer. "What? I am promising you a better life!"

"A better life that apparently ignores the fact that I have a family," Rarity countered, making more space between them. It seemed the more she got away from him, the more clearly she could think. "I have two young fillies to look out for, and my herd to care for. Leaving them would simply be in poor taste."

"You are wasted here. I could elevate you to all new heights—!"

"Now this is a strange scene," A slightly confused and amused voice called from the stairs. The four ponies below turned as one to see the Princess of Dreams standing at the top of the stairs. She was carrying a tray with a tea kettle and a pair of cups full to the brim with steaming tea. Her cerulean eyes swept over the scene before her with undisguised irritation. "What have I stumbled upon?"

Spot Light seemed utterly shocked. "The… the Princess is here?"

"I believe Rarity has informed you she is in a herd?"

"With…" The stallion turned back to Rarity, who gave a short nod.

Luna set her tray onto a nearby desk. "Yes, she is in a herd with me. And our stallion asked us personally to join him. Also, as far as I'm aware, using suggestion magic on another pony is quite improper."

"Suggestion?" Rarity blinked, looking from the Lunar Diarch to glance back over at Spot Light. "You were… using mind control on me?"

Before the accused stallion could defend himself, Luna spoke up once more. "Indeed. A proximity based one. Had your own convictions not been so strong and pure, you might have been gone before I even finished making this serving of tea."

Rarity was livid, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she let out a slow, deep breath, before fixing Spot Light with a hard gaze. "…I'd like for you to leave my shop and _never_ come back. If you do so, that will be perhaps the last mistake you ever make."

"And how do you figure?" Spot Light was already moving to the door, although he was still trying to save some face.

"Our dear beloved Tyr is very… protective of his family," Luna said with a small smile. "Why, I don't doubt he'd let his wolf eat you for what you tried to do."

"He has a pet wolf!?"

"Not to mention he has a Changeling for a pet as well," Rarity added.

That was the last straw. Spot Light mumbled something that could be taken as an apology as he gathered up his two companions, and beat a hasty retreat. Rarity and Luna stayed silent for a minute, before both bursting into laughter. "The look on his face was priceless!" Luna said with a giggle.

"He deserved it for what he was trying to do," Rarity said with a scoff. "Why do I get all the stallions trying to steal me away?"

Luna smiled softly, walking over to stand in front of the unicorn. She gently tilted her head up with one hoof before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Perhaps they are attracted to your beauty, Generosity. Of course, any that are more interested in what is inside no doubt appreciate your devotion to those you care about…"

Rarity nodded, a bit caught off guard by the sudden show of affection. "…I… thank you, Luna. That means a lot coming from you."

"There should only be love between us all, Rarity," Luna said, placing another soft kiss on the smaller mare's forehead. "So why not express it?"

"…You talked to Cadance before she left, didn't you?"

The Alicorn blushed. "Is that such a bad thing?"

There was another knock at the door, and the two mares turned to look. "You don't think he came back, do you?"

Luna's eyes narrowed. "If he did…"

Rarity pulled away from the Princess of Dreams to go over to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find a Stone Pony at her door. "Er… Can I help you?"

"You are Lady Rarity, correct?" The gray pony asked. "Lord Tyr sent us."

"Tyr?" Rarity blinked. "Whatever did he sent you to me for?"

"Could you come outside please?"

Rarity glanced back at Luna before they both followed the Stone Pony outside. There was a covered wagon in the street outside her shop with a half dozen Stone Ponies around it. A small crowd had formed, no doubt because the Stone Ponies didn't wander into the town that often. "So… what is the occasion?"

The leader of the small group nodded. "Well, Lord Tyr said that you'd understand this note he wrote."

He held out the note in question, and Rarity took it in her magic. She opened up the sheet of paper, eyes scanning it quickly. "Hm…'I hope you enjoy this gift, Love Tyr'?"

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"I don't…" Rarity looked up from the note, just as the Stone Ponies removed the covering from the wagon. That revealed the massive pile of gems piled into it. The seamstress's mouth fell open wide. "…Oh. Oh my. Oh dear Celestia…"

Luna blinked. "This is… a very large amount of gems."

"This is the first shipment," the lead Stone Pony said.

Rarity's eyes snapped over at him. "First… shipment?"

"Yes. Lord Tyr told us to bring at least one wagonload of gems to you for each shipment of materials we bring to town."

"All of them would… have this much in them?"

"I would believe so."

Rarity took a long minute to think. A long minute. After her period of self-introspection was done, she nodded. "Take this around to the back of the Boutique, if you please. I will be in momentarily to help organize them."

The lead Stone Pony nodded. "As you wish, Lady Rarity."

As the seven Stone Ponies moved the cart, Rarity quickly ushered Luna back inside. Once the door was securely closed behind them, Luna spoke up. "Rarity? Is something the matter? I thought you liked gems."

"I do." The unicorn replied evenly, biting her bottom lip. "I just… oh dear."

"Rarity?"

"Luna. I am about to tell you something that I hope you will understand."

"Um… alright. What is it?"

Rarity let out a sigh. Her eyes drifted to a nearby shelf, where a pink flower was sitting in a little vase. "When I next see Tyr, I am more than likely going to offer him anything he wants. My _everything_. That man is… amazing. Just the very fact that he thought of me…"

Luna smiled warmly. "I understand. I will speak to Pinkie and Chrysalis—you may share his bed alone this evening."

"What?" That shocked the smaller mare. "But… why?"

"You obviously wish to show him your appreciation. Do not worry, after my talk with Cadance I am a bit more… open minded. Just do not presume to try to steal him away."

Rarity gave her a small smile. "Like I told you, I would only attempt that if I believed I loved him more. But the trust you place in him and myself… is humbling. Thank you, Luna."

Luna nodded. "Of course. I have not forgotten. Besides, Tyr was suggesting we try something with Chrysalis. Something about abandonment play…?"

–x–

"It's awfully bad that your father got called away while you were spending time with him," Capstone said thoughtfully, following after Sherry as they made their way into Wolfhome's dining hall. Tyr had been called away by Serenity for some urgent reason, and he was off solving it or something. They had left him to find something to eat, which was only possible because Pinkie was somewhere in the kitchen.

"He has his own problems to deal with," Sherry said calmly, nodding in greeting to the passing Stone Ponies. "We can't just take up all his time."

"Well, true enough, I guess… But you are a Princess visiting a foreign power."

Sherry gave him a flat look. "I'm not about to abuse my position to see my dad, Capstone."

"I wasn't suggesting that!"

The chocolate Alicorn kept her eyes focused on him for just a moment longer before letting out a giggle. "I'm just teasing, Capstone. I would like to monopolize my dad's time, but I know Serenity wouldn't have come to get him unless it was important."

Capstone didn't have much to say to that, instead just nodding in agreement. A minute more of walking, and they entered the kitchen. Almost immediately, it was like the stone room brightened. "Oh! Hiya Sherry! Who's your friend?"

Sherry accepted the hug from the magically appearing Pinkie Pie with a bright smile of her own. "Hi Pinkie. This is Capstone, my guard while I'm here in Ponyville."

Pinkie sent a warm smile towards the blushing guard. "Hi there! I'm Pinkie Pie, and I'm technically Sherry's aunt!"

"Part of my dad's herd," Sherry clarified when she saw Capstone's confused look. She turned back to Pinkie. "We haven't eaten in a while, so is there anything in the kitchen?"

"I can make you something pretty quick! Just give me a second!" To their surprise—and horror—Pinkie literally disappeared and reappeared, all in the span of a second. On her back was a tray that contained two bowls full of pasta. "Ta da!"

"That's…" Capstone blinked. "That's… impossible…"

Sherry swallowed, using her magic to take the tray from Pinkie. She glanced past the beaming pink pony to see the dozen or so Stone Ponies in the kitchen staring in terror as well. "I just try not to question it," She said softly.

Pinkie beamed. "Enjoy!"

"Thanks, Aunt Pinkie." She carried their food out to the large tables in the hall, setting it down at a clear space. The hall was in the design of a large feasting hall, with numerous long tables set in three rows. Sherry and Capstone took seats somewhere in the middle. Using her magic, she began to eat. A contented sigh escaped her lips. "Say what you want about how eccentric Pinkie is, she is still one of the best cooks I know."

Capstone glanced over at her, before his horn lit up so that he could dig into his own meal. His eyes widened. "Oh wow. This is really good."

"No doubt better than what they feed you in the barracks," Sherry said with a giggle.

"It's not all that bad," The young guard protested. "But this is still a nice change."

Sherry nodded, staying silent for a while as they ate. After a few more minutes, she spoke again. "So, what did you think of my dad?"

"Lord Tyr?" Capstone took a moment to swallow. "Well… I…"

"You have my permission to speak freely, Capstone."

"Well… alright. He seems like a very focused stallion—er, man. He knows what he needs to do. He's also very intimidating."

"Intimidating? I don't think my dad is that intimidating."

"No offense princess, but he is your father after all." Capstone smiled a little. "He doesn't seem to soften up whenever it comes to you."

"Hm. Anything else?"

Capstone thought for a bit. "He's… cold. Not like personality wise, but it's like whatever room he's in is just slightly colder."

Sherry laughed. "He is an ice elemental, you know?"

"Right, right. On top of that, he's… kind. Very kind."

"He is."

"Well, if anything, I can imagine you were well loved."

Sherry gave him a small smile. "Yeah… I really wish I could spend more time with him now that he's here in Equestria. But I have my duties, and so does he. I'll be doing my best to find reasons to come see him." She thought for a moment. "…As long as Aunt Tia doesn't need me."

"…Excuse me, Princess Sherry?" A quiet voice asked.

The two ponies at the table turned to look, seeing a somewhat small filly in a dark red cloak behind them. Although Sherry immediately thought she was small, she immediately corrected herself. The almost-black pony was about average size when it came to Stone Ponies. In the middle of her forehead was an onyx. "…Yes?"

"I was… told to report to you?" The pony fidgeted, no doubt a bit uncomfortable.

Sherry frowned. She had a feeling about this pony, but she had to be sure. "What's your name?"

"Obsidian, Princess. My sister Carver told me I could find you here…"

"Oh! You're the pony my father said he was sending with us to Canterlot."

Capstone paused in eating to look over the new arrival. "You're a Shaper?"

Obsidian nodded. "I recently passed my aptitude test and was granted choice in which Way I would follow."

"Way?"

"The paths that each Shaper follows in their service. There are three, but you are only allowed to join the third after time spent in the first two."

Sherry looked thoughtful. "And what are the first two?"

"Discovery and Protection. The last is Leadership."

"I see. And you chose?"

"Discovery." Obsidian blushed. "My sister chose Protection, but I like to… learn."

Sherry smiled. "Good. I'm the Princess of Creativity, so be prepared. Take a seat."

Obsidian nodded and moved to the table, taking a seat across from the two of them. Without warning, Pinkie appeared, another bowl of pasta on her head. She beamed. "Hungry?"

The nervous mare jumped. "A-Ah… yes, I haven't eaten anything since my meditation period…"

"Here then!" The bowl landed in front of Obsidian, a set of utensils landing beside it. "Enjoy!"

The pink pony vanished as quickly as she had arrived. When Obsidian turned her terrified look to Sherry and Capstone, the two of them shrugged. "It's best to not think too hard on it. Causes headaches, you know."

"If you say so…"

As the black pony began to eat, Sherry decided to keep asking questions. "So Obsidian, are you looking forward to seeing Canterlot?"

Obsidian nodded slowly. "It is the castle on the mountain, correct? I have seen it from Wolfhome's walls, but… it feels so far away."

"No more than an hour by train," Capstone said thoughtfully. The mare looked at him in confusion.

"Um… What is a 'train'?"

"A machine that transports ponies from one place to another," Sherry said, smiling at the young pony's innocence. "It might be a bit scary at first, but I promise you it is safe."

Obsidian nodded. "Carver said that I should trust you, so I will."

Sherry grinned. "Nice to hear that your sister has faith in me."

"I believe that is because of your relation to Lord Tyr," Obsidian said. Her head snapped up from her food. "I-I'm not saying that is the only reason…!"

"I understand," the Alicorn said. "I know that none of the ponies here know me, and I don't mind. Believe me, I'm actually happy for that."

"Happy…?"

Sherry leaned back a bit. "I'm surrounded by ponies that don't know me. None of them are trying to cater to my every need or check to see if I require anything—I'm just allowed to be me. Outside of you two, Pinkie and my dad, nopony really knows that's I'm a princess. And I like it that way."

"You don't like being seen as a Princess?"

"Just wait until we get into Canterlot. You'll see."

"As you say…"

They went back to eating in silence, Sherry focused on the sky outside while the Shaper and guard looked down in their food. After a bit of time, Sherry was jarred back into the realm of the aware as Capstone spoke up. "So, Obsidian, did you help with the castle construction?"

The black mare jumped. "Er… no, I did not. I was still in training, so I was relegated to transporting materials."

"But you can still… do that stone moving thing, right?"

"You mean Shaping? Yes, I can. Although I'm not as strong as my sister…"

"Can you show me?"

Obsidian glanced over at Sherry, who nodded. The Stone Pony pressed her hooves into the stone table, the onyx in her forehead glowing with a faint light. The stone in the table began to warp, pulling itself up into a rough statue that looked like a pony. She smiled slightly. "Carver is better at things like this…"

"It's still more impressive than me," Capstone said. "I'm good at building fortifications, and now you Stone Ponies can raise a fort without using a single brick."

"We've always been defensive minded," Obsidian said, staring at her little statue. "We always were looking to defend ourselves in the most effective way possible. So we built fortifications."

Sherry was thoughtful. "Ponies haven't had a reason to build forts or castles in years—really the only standing castles are Canterlot Castle and the Castle of the Two Sisters. And that one is in the Everfree, so I doubt it's in use."

Capstone nodded. "Not a lot of exterior threats means no need for defenses."

"Which goes against my philosophy," Sherry pointed out, frowning. "My father told me a long time ago: 'If you desire peace, prepare for war'. If we think everyone around us is going to stay content forever, then we are lulling ourselves into a false sense of security."

The guard frowned. "Princess Celestia hasn't said anything about exterior pressure."

"What I'm about to say stays between the three of us," Sherry said softly, glancing around. "…There's rumors of trouble in the north. On top of that, there's fear of war with the Griffons."

Capstone gaped. "The Griffons? But we've been at peace with them for years!"

"But there's recently been a change in power. The Griffon king was recently assassinated, and another Griffon noble took his place. We don't know what his stance on Equestria is at the moment. And then the dragons… we have no idea what they're up to."

"That's… worrisome."

Sherry gave him a tired smile. "These are the things royalty must worry about, you know?"

There was a chuckle behind them. "Seems my daughter is a worrywart."

Sherry jumped, only for Tyr to wrap his arms around her and rest his head atop hers. "D-Dad!"

"Hey sweetie. I see you've met Obsidian?"

The young Shaper jumped up to stand at attention. "L-Lord Tyr! I wasn't expecting…!"

"It's fine, Obsidian," Tyr said with a chuckle, running his fingers through Sherry's mane. "I finished with my business and came to find my daughter."

Obsidian nodded slowly, glancing past Tyr. "U-Um! Carvie!"

The Shaper behind Tyr winced, even as the man himself turned to fix her with an evil smile. "Oh dear."

Tyr grinned. "I know what I'm going to be calling you for fun now," He told her.

"Please not in front of anypony else…?"

"No promises."

"Oh dear…"

Tyr grinned, but turned back to his daughter. "So, everything alright?"

Sherry nodded. "I like her. So what did you have to run off and do earlier?"

"Marking up the area for the Jötunheim. The most skilled Shapers are going to work on opening up an area large enough for it to land. It'll be a hangar of sorts."

"Sounds interesting. How long do you think it'll take?"

"Probably a week or so. Most of the miners are in the tunnels, and I'd rather they did that instead of something out of the way like this."

Carver cleared her throat. "You know we'd drop anything to help you and your family, Lord Tyr."

"Precisely why I ordered the miners not to help. Only certain Shapers were tasked with this job." He smirked. "I'm learning, you know."

"Fair enough."

"So!" Tyr straightened up. "I'm going to head back to the ship and no doubt harass my other kids. You in, sweetie?"

Sherry grinned. "Sure, why not? Ancè wanted to try out some styles on my mane. Maybe I'll go back to Canterlot with a new style?"

"Worth a shot. Come on Capstone, don't get left behind."

As the man, his daughter and her guard got up and left, Pinkie came bounding out of the kitchen. "Wait for me~!"

Carver and Obsidian watched the group leave. After a minute or so, the older sister turned to her sibling. "Worried?"

"Yes," Obsidian said honestly. "But… Princess Sherry seems… kind."

"Well, I hope you get along with her."

"I do too, Carvie." Obsidian sighed. "I do too."

"Oh, don't be such a pessimist," Carver told her, patting her back. "I'm sure with time you'll get used to her."

"It's not just her," Obsidian said, surprising her older sister. "I'm worried about what happens to all of us. To the Stone Ponies."

Carver was silent for a long minute. Through the earth under them, she could feel the collective unease that covered Wolfhome. Not a single Stone Pony was sure of themselves in this new world they had been thrust into. But almost as if responding to her singular thought, a counter wave of calmness seemed to radiate from the center of the keep. Carver smiled. "…No matter what happens, we'll face it together. That's what we do—as resolute as the stone."

Obsidian smiled and nodded in agreement. "Right. I suppose I should get ready to leave…"

Elsewhere in the keep, Serenity set down her meditation stones and smiled. "As resolute as the stone," She murmured. "We will always endure."

–x–

* * *

 **A little Rarity and Luna bonding time. Capstone and Sherry get to have a bit of a conversation as well, no telling where that goes. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter as usual, and I hope you Return for the next chapter. No doubt something is bound to happen at this rate, you know?**

 **Don't hesitate to leave a review or a comment, for the Library accepts all. I will be waiting patiently...**

 **Will you?**


	37. Chapter 37

**Greetings, dear readers. Apologies for posting so late in the evening, but there was a special event today! My mother is now a Doctor! It's in counselling, so she's no doubt going to be doing marriage counselling. But that's why I'm posting so late. However, this is a rather action filled chapter, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **WarHusky2000: Hey, read at your own speed. And I too enjoy the dynamic of Luna and Rarity together. That being said, there's always a red oni to all blue oni, and there will be scenes with Pinkie and Chrys as well. And yes, the S.S. SunSong has set sail.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: I wasn't intending a reference, actually. And there may or may not be griffons making an appearance. The Sun family. Hm. I may have to find a reason to get a tiger in there somewhere. And on the topic of Solstice's actions: HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE WAS DONE**

 **Kevin Lapse: Possibly. Hard to order those out of country.**

 **Chaddmychal: They're coming, don't worry. I won't pull a George R.R Martin on you.**

 **Well, that's all the comments. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 36: Innocence Lost

"I'm actually very surprised you finished so quickly," Tyr said, looking at the massive cut out portion of the mountain. After only a week and a half of work, a chunk of the mountain was torn out and a cavern like area was left. It was large enough to fit the Jötunheim easily and still have space for ponies—and people—to move around it. Cindy had been quite happy to have a hangar as well. The Shapers in charge of the design even included different levels and walkways to reach different parts of the ship. It actually looked like what a dry-dock would look like—minus the fact that it was made of stone.

"The Shapers I assigned to the task are some of the best at clearing," Titan Forge said from beside him. The pale brown Stone Pony had a dark gray mane and had a garnet in his forehead, although he was currently wearing what looked to be a hard hat. Tyr wasn't sure where it came from, but he felt in his soul that Pinkie was to blame.

Tyr nodded, reaching up to ruffle Valor's feathers. The little bird on his shoulder chirped indignantly before fluttering up to sit on his head. He smiled. "So, what made you design the space like this?"

"Inspiration from your… Controller, was it?" He gestured to the hull of the ship where Cindy was happily sitting on the outside of the ship with a small group of Stone Ponies. She was showing them something on a screen. "She showed us pictures of what would be efficient."

"Nice of her to be helpful," Tyr agreed. "Find anything interesting while doing it?"

"Not much," Titan Forge said. "I asked your friend Vanna to check further up the mountain. He was busy with something, so he sent his daughter."

Tyr frowned, glancing upwards. "Charlie, huh…?"

"Titan Forge!" A red cloaked Shaper approached the pair of them. "And Lord Tyr, I bring a message from Charlotte."

Tyr chuckled. "Call her Charlie, Duster. You know she hates that."

The pale blue Shaper smiled nervously. "Right… "

"So what's the message?"

"She found some sort of cave near the top of the mountain. And she says it has something you might want to see."

"Did she say what?"

Duster shrugged. "Something she calls a 'metric crap-ton' of treasure."

Fenrir poked her head out of Tyr's coat. "Treasure? On this mountain?"

"I think Twilight told me a dragon lived on top of the mountain at one point," Tyr said thoughtfully. "Although… why didn't the girls ever clear it out?"

That very same question was asked by Rainbow Dash after she and her five friends met Tyr at the entrance of the dragon's lair. Waiting on them was Charlie, seated on a small pile of gold coins. "WHY did we never clear this place out?" The blue pegasus demanded.

"I guess we just never thought about it," Twilight murmured, examining something that looked like a painting. "After getting the dragon to leave, we really had no reason to come back, right?"

"A very good point," Rarity said, fidgeting slightly as Tyr gently scratched behind her ears. "D-Darling, please…?"

"Hm?" Tyr blinked, and glanced down at his hand. "Oh, sorry Rarity."

"I appreciate the affection my love, but still?"

The man removed his hand, only for Pinkie to shove her head under it. "I don't mind at all, honey!"

Tyr chuckled and shook his head, but did start scratching Pinkie's ears. Twilight rolled her eyes. "Glad to see you're not adverse to showing affection in public."

"I also give belly rubs for free," Tyr joked.

Fluttershy's wings twitched slightly. "O-Oh…?"

Applejack chuckled. "Maybe y'all should go see if Lotus and Aloe need more help. Reckon those fingers a yours would be mighty useful."

"Be weird for a Lord to be a masseuse," Tyr said thoughtfully. "Besides, I'm sure my her will be a bit upset they don't have a monopoly on me."

"Fair 'nuff."

"So what should we do about all of this treasure?" Twilight asked. She walked forward, horn lighting up to reveal just how deep the cave went. Piles upon piles of gold, gems, and other treasure filled the cave. "…Oh. Oh my. That's a lot more than I thought…"

Even Rainbow seemed shocked. "Holy buck! There's like, tons of stuff in here!"

"I told you a metric crap-ton," Charlie said, popping a gold coin into her mouth. As she chewed, she shivered. "Oh, melts in my mouth…"

"What does that even taste like?"

"I guess the easy comparison is chocolate," Charlie said with a shrug. After a moment of thought, she ate another coin. "Jeez, this stuff is good!"

Twilight frowned. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Okay? What do you mean?"

"I mean… don't dragons claim hoards? You're not going to grow huge or anything, are you?"

"Doesn't work that way with us," Vanna said, landing at the entrance of the cave. He nodded in greeting to Tyr as he folded his wings in behind him. However he did whistle in awe at the amount of treasure stored in the cave. "Wow. You guys kill a dragon up here or something?"

"We didn't kill him!" Fluttershy protested. "I asked him to leave and he did!"

Vanna frowned, but glanced over at Twilight for confirmation. The violet Alicorn nodded. "She did. We all saw it."

"Still don't believe it," Rainbow muttered.

"I'll take your word for it," the older dragonkin said. Charlie tossed him a coin, and he ate it. "Hm. Not bad. "

"So what do you mean, your kind of dragon?" Twilight asked, pressing for more information. Vanna glanced over at Charlie who rolled her eyes.

"My father and I already have 'treasure' that we value." The Dragonkin girl said.

"So you do have a hoard?"

Vanna shrugged. "Yup."

"…Don't dragons tend to stay near their hoards?" Applejack asked, frowning.

"I do."

"Er…"

Tyr chuckled. "His 'treasure' is his daughter," He pointed out.

Rarity gasped. "Oh! That is so sweet darling!"

Charlie blushed. Twilight frowned in thought. "I suppose a hoard does not need to be something like jewels ore gold…"

"So what do we do with it all?" Applejack asked, looking back into the cave. "I mean, obviously we aren't just gonna leave it here."

"It's not ours," Fluttershy said quietly. "That dragon might come back for it…"

"Any dragon that builds a hoard this size isn't going to just leave it. If he does, he would have already taken it," Vanna said, picking up a candelabra. "…Okay. Who takes something like this? This isn't even real gold!"

"Maybe Fluttershy scared him so much he didn't want to come back?" Rainbow offered

Fluttershy paled. "I…! I didn't mean to…!"

"Well, no use worrying about it," Tyr pointed out. "He's gone for whatever reason and left his stuff here. I guess we should pull it down into the keep…"

"I suppose we can melt down some of this stuff," Vanna said thoughtfully. He frowned. "Not like I'll be making any gold armor or stuff. That stuff is crap."

"Wouldn't hurt for embroidery and accents," Charlie offered. Vanna shrugged as he lifted up what looked to be an old helmet. He stuck it on his head, where it fell a bit and covered his eyes. His daughter groaned. "Oh, come on dad, stop being silly."

"Meh."

Twilight walked around, looking through a few of the nearby piles. "I want to make sure there aren't any magical artifacts in here…"

"We'll sort that out, I guess," Tyr said. "I'll call some of the Stone Ponies up here to help out—"

"My Lord!" The group in the cave turned to see Duster galloping to them, only stopping when he was a few steps short of the tall Elemental. "You are needed below!"

"Hm? Why?"

"There was a tunnel being dug in the mines that opened into a new tunnel," Duster informed him, glancing around at all the gold and treasure in the cave. a bit of surprise on his face. "Er…"

"Old dragon lair," Tyr explained. "So what's going on?"

"Erm… Well, it seems one of the tunnels that was just dug opened into another tunnel. However… the miners and foals that were in the tunnels have… vanished."

Applejack frowned. "Y'all had foals down there?"

"The children are messengers and gem sorters," Tyr said glancing over at the orange pony. "They don't do any heavy work, just gather up fallen gems."

"I see…"

"But that's beside the point. Duster, how many ponies went missing?"

"At least two dozen."

"…Damn. Get Carver and at least a small squad of Shapers. We'll go down and find out where they've gone."

"You want us to help you, my love?" Rarity asked.

Tyr was thoughtful for a bit. "It may be dangerous down there, and I'd not want you to get hurt."

"Then I'll go with you," Twilight said. She smiled up at him. "It'd be useful to have a unicorn down there, wouldn't it?"

"You're not leaving me behind," Vanna said, walking over with a silver sword in his hands. "You know, it's kinda interesting how many weapons are in this cave."

"I'll come along too," Charlie added, filling a little pouch full of coins. "Otherwise I've got nothing to do."

Tyr smiled at them. "Alright then. Girls? The rest of you stay topside. Duster, was anyone hurt when the tunnel opened?"

The Shaper shook his head. "As far as I know, no."

"Good. Let Serenity know. I'll be down momentarily."

Duster nodded and galloped back down the mountain. Rarity turned to Tyr. "Darling, we'll stay here and go through all of this. Be safe down there, alright?"

"Of course," Tyr replied, leaning down to kiss her. "Don't get buried in gems."

"No promises!" She said happily.

Tyr chuckled and followed the path Duster had taken, Twilight, Vanna and Charlie following after. The Shapers had put down a stone staircase to allow easy travel between the cavern and Wolfhome proper, meaning that there wasn't a need to go through a perilous climb just to get up to the cave. So it only took a few minutes before they were back in the castle town. Then just a little bit more to reach the gate that led down into Stonehome. It was the first time anyone other than Tyr had come down into the living area of the Stone Ponies, and it showed. "This is… this is amazing!" Twilight said. "And they've only been here no more than a month!"

Stonehome was unlike most pony towns. Instead of having streets, they had cleared out a massive chamber and built into the walls. Walkways went from either side and connected to a tall tower in the center. Crystal lights lined the walls, and larger crystals were jammed into the ceiling. It gave everything an ethereal blue glow, to match the still somewhat creepy glow of the Stone Ponies eyes. Many of them started at seeing Tyr enter, and a pair of them came over to greet him and his party. "Lord Tyr, I trust our message reached you?"

"Tunnel opened up, right?" He replied, getting two nods. "You two must be miners. What are your names?"

The two ponies, both mares, shared a look of surprise at that. "Um… Crackle and Silt, Lord. We… weren't expecting you to ask."

"I like to know the names of ponies I'm dealing with. Is Serenity down here?"

"The Seer? Yes, she is waiting with the Shapers. We can take you to her."

Tyr nodded. "Lead the way. Twilight, stop gawking and keep up."

The Alicorn's head snapped his way, eyes narrowing. "I wasn't gawking! I just… was interested. I'll keep up!"

She did, and they wasted no time at reaching the entrance of the mines where Serenity and Carver waited with a squad of six blue cloaked Shapers. "Lord Tyr! You join us at last," the white Stony Pony said.

"So what's the situation?"

Carver cleared her throat. "The tunnels that opened up into the new area have been evacuated and all the miners have been sent home."

Tyr nodded. "Good."

"Any sign of those that went missing?" Vanna asked.

"…Unfortunately, no. We've tried sensing them through the earth, but no luck."

"…Damn." Tyr frowned, glancing towards the mine entrance. He wasn't exactly sure how deep in the Stone Ponies had gone down into the mountain, but if they had hit existing tunnels it must have been pretty deep. "Well, best to not take forever in waiting around. Let's hurry."

A chorus of agreements met his declaration and they headed down into the mines, Crackle and Silt leading the way. All the tunnels had been opened up wide enough for Tyr and Vanna to walk through comfortably. All the tunnels were well lit as well, and had paneled walls and floors. "These tunnels are very… neat," Twilight murmured, looking around.

"We strive for efficiency," Crackle said. "If the tunnels are hard to traverse, injuries abound."

"I see. And these panels in the wall with these symbols… what are they for?" She pointed a hoof at one of the wall panels, where there was a geometric design etched into it.

"They denote specific tunnels and what is in them. That symbol indicates an offshoot that leads to gems."

"Interesting…" Twilight kept up the questions as they travelled, with either Crackle or Silt answering her. This went on for about ten minutes of walking.

Vanna moved up next to Tyr. "She sure is a curious one, isn't she?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"You have no idea," Tyr replied. "The first few days the Stone Ponies were here she had Serenity at her castle to answer a bunch of questions. I didn't see her for three days. She didn't mind, but I kinda need her around here, ya know?"

"Fair enough."

"So how are things with you and Grace?"

Vanna frowned at him. "Well, good. Her roommate gave me an earful about keeping her up at night, but… meh."

Tyr laughed quietly. "Don't make an enemy of Bright Soul, please. I've taken all this time trying to get her to tolerate me. I'd rather not lose all that progress because my best friend is too horny for his own good."

"Hey, you've got _four_ mares, right? You must never sleep alone!"

"Four mares and five kids," Tyr corrected. "Occasionally I've woken up with Aurora or Jubilee in my arms, but it's cute and I don't mind it."

The dragonkin snorted. "Wish Charlie was still little and cute. Now she's just cute."

"I don't hear you complaining, _mom_ ," The blonde muttered from behind them. "He's occasionally tried to braid my hair and stuff."

"I think it wouldn't look that bad," Tyr offered.

Vanna grinned. "I know, right?"

"…Sometimes I really feel like you were born in the wrong body," Charlie grumbled.

"Meh. I think I'd make a pretty cute girl." Vanna joked. They fell silent again, listening to Twilight ask about why Serenity was the only white mare in all of the Stone Ponies. Apparently it had something to do with the powers that made a Seer. However, Silt suddenly held up a hoof.

"We're getting close, everyone," She said quietly, garnet stone in her forehead glowing slightly. Tyr glanced around at the tunnel walls, noting that the end of the tunnel was actually getting darker. "We've only gotten this deep recently, so please forgive the lack of light."

Twilight's horn lit up like a lantern. "I can handle that. Just keep me going in the right direction."

Silt nodded, beginning to move again. It didn't take long to reach the hole in question, a straight downward drop into an unlit tunnel. Charlie immediately went to the edge, a frown on her normally passive features. "I smell metal down there."

"This was going to be an ore tunnel," Crackle offered. "Perhaps that's what you smell?"

"No. This metal has been forged. We should be very careful."

"I'll go first," Carver said, stepping forward to the hole. "I can lead us in there using the earth. Twilight Sparkle can provide enough light for the rest of us."

Tyr frowned. "We're not going to all go down there, we won't fit very well. Serenity? Stay up here with two of the Shapers. If we need you, you'll know."

"Are you sure?" Serenity asked. "I understand the prudence, but would we not be better off together?"

"Best we don't crowd ourselves in this tunnel. Crackle and Silt will be staying as well."

The two miners protested immediately. "But my Lord…!" Crackle began, but Tyr put a hand down on her head.

"It'll be fine. Nothing down there is going to cause us any issue."

Vanna grinned. "Plus, we're going down with two dragons. Anything wants to catch us in those tunnels is going to be roasted."

"Or buried in stone," Carver said darkly. "Shall we?"

Tyr grinned. "Lead the way, Carver."

The Shaper nodded, and hopped down into the hole. Twilight followed after, along with the rest of the Shaper squad. Charlie went next, and then Vanna. Tyr was about to follow when Serenity caught hold of the edge of his cloak. "One moment, Lord Tyr."

The Elemental glanced back at the mare, noting the frown on her face. "What is it, Serenity?"

"Be very careful down there, my lord. I had a vision regarding an event such as this."

"…What was it?" Serenity hadn't had many visions since the Stone Ponies built Stonehome and Wolfhome, so this was a bit of a surprise. Not to mention the grave look on her face.

"…I cannot be completely sure. I just know that something terrible will happen today. And that this event is part of it."

Tyr nodded. "I'll be careful. Contact us if anything changes."

"As you will, my lord." She bowed slightly, just before Tyr reached out and patted her on the head. She blushed a little bit. "Um…"

"Just accept it." He grinned. "See ya soon."

With that, he hopped down the hole after his friends. Serenity and the other Stone Ponies stood in silence for a bit before the Seer spoke up again. "That man sometimes… well, let us be prepared just in case. Better safe than sorry, as Lord Tyr has told us."

–x–

"I wish the Stone Ponies had more interest in mane and tail care," Ancè said with a sigh, using her magic to brush out Cori's mane. The two of them and Tyr's other three children were in the main yard, hanging out while the Stone Ponies went about their business. Aurora and Jubilee were building a small tower out of loose tiles, and Aleron was reading a book. "Their manes are… well, I suppose it would be polite to say untapped potential."

"When you live underground, I doubt they really worry about their manes," Aleron offered, not looking up.

Ancè huffed. "They should!"

"Opinion." There was a soft plink noise as a tile hit Aleron in the back of the head. "…Ow."

"Stop being mean," Aurora admonished.

"I'm not being mean!"

The Alicorn filly giggled by went back to her tower. Jubilee had somehow gotten it taller than them both. "…Huh. Think it's too tall?"

"Only if we knock it over!" The pink fill replied.

"Fair." Before Aurora or Jubilee could say anything else, the ground beneath them began to shake. It intensified to the point that their tower fell over, managing to bury Jubilee in the pile. "Aw!"

"W-What's going on?" Cori asked, looking around. The Stone Ponies in the vicinity were confused as well, all eyes on the ground below them.

Aleron closed his book and stood up, frowning. "I have a bad feeling…"

It was quickly proven right, as the ground began to break apart and holes began to open in the dirt. Burly, hunched figures rocketed out of the earth, landing around the open yard. They had large upper bodies with thick arms paired with small legs, and wore what looked to be metal armor and helmets over their fur. The resemblance to dogs was not lost on the fillies. "What in the world…?" Aurora began, and then the barking began.

"Diamond Dogs!" Ancè cried, just as the dogs began to rush towards the surrounding Stone Ponies.

"Grab the little ponies!" One of the dogs hissed, waving what looked to be a club. Many of the dogs rushed to do what he ordered, grabbing ponies that tried to run. The yard was in chaos.

"W-What do we do?" Cori asked, looking around in fear. The Diamond Dogs hadn't come after them, but who knows how long that would last. Aleron's horn was lit up, no doubt in preparation to defend his sisters. The Stone Ponies were in disarray, some trying to fight back or defend themselves while others were trying to flee.

Aurora's eyes narrowed, and she glanced around. Her silver eyes alighted on one pony in particular. "SHALE!"

The Shaper heard her, turning slightly from organizing a defensive line. A flicker of recognition crossed his face. "Little Princess! By the stone, bring your siblings here!"

"Come on!" Aurora cried, galloping off. Aleron and Jubilee followed quickly, with Ancè and Cori bringing up the rear. They were only halfway to relative safety when one dog came out of nowhere and swept Ancè up into its thick arms.

"Got you, little pony!"

"Unhand me, you brute!" Ancè snapped, kicking her leg into the Diamond Dog's chin. It did little more than stagger it, but it was all she needed to do. Aleron planted his hooves and swung his head around, the spell on his horn slamming into the chest of the Diamond Dog and blasting it off its feet. Ancè landed delicately on all four hooves. "…Thank you."

"Thank me later, we need to run!" Aleron turned to run, only for a trio of dogs to block him. One angled a spear his way. "Oh, crap."

"My turn!" Aurora declared, shooting past him. She crashed into the middle dog, knocking him onto his back. The filly turned quickly, a spell flying from her horn to blast the second. The third dog brought his spear around to attack her, only for her to duck under it and buck it right in the chest. Alicorn strength, even within the body of a filly, was still impressive. The force of the blow sent the Diamond Dog flying back. The weapon clattered to the ground. Aurora picked it up, noting that it was heavier than a pony made spear, but still relatively balanced. She grinned. "It'll have to do."

She moved forward, ducking under another dog's grasp and sweeping the spear in a wide arc. The blow sent the dog to the ground. Aleron struck next, magic encasing the Diamond Dog in ice. He turned to his sisters. "Come on! We need to get to Shale!"

Ancè and Jubilee nodded, quickly rushing to his side. Cori was a step behind them, but a Diamond Dog swept her up. "Weird little pony," it slurred dumbly.

Cori's first instinct was fear, but her father's words came back to her before she could begin to panic. Her eyes narrowed, her horn glowed slightly, and her voice took on its two tone effect. "No. I'm a weird little _Changeling_."

The Diamond Dog looked at her, a faint green glow about its eyes. "…Change…ling…?"

"Put me down." Under the power of her magic, the dog did just that. A small frown crossed Cori's face, and she ordered the dog to kneel. She touched her horn to his forehead for a moment before moving away. "…Ew. Go away." The dog quickly scampered away, and Cori trotted over to her siblings. They were all looking at her strangely. "…What?"

"Well done," Aleron said, lacking any other response. He turned his attention back to Aurora, who was giggling as she ducked and weaved between three Diamond Dogs as they tried to grab her. After each pass, she whacked them on the head. She seemed to be enjoying herself—the dogs, not so much. Aleron smirked and led his sisters past. "Ro, come on!"

"Coming!" She sang, giving one of the dogs one last whack for good measure. The young Alicorn rushed after her siblings and before long they had all made it to Shale's defensive line. The Dogs had launched one attack at their lines, and found that Stone Ponies were exceedingly difficult to attack once dug in. Ancè and Jubilee blanched at seeing the few bodies lying against the small stone wall. Cori swallowed heavily, while Aleron did his best not to look. Aurora moved directly over to Shale. "What's the situation?"

The Shaper looked at her in confusion at her tone, noting that she sounded several years older. It took him a moment. "Er… We're holding, Little Princess. Now that we can mount a proper defense…"

"We need to kick their butts outta here!" Aurora replied harshly. "Sitting behind this wall isn't going to do anything!"

"We've never…"

Aleron tapped his sister's side, getting her attention. "Ro… look."

The dark purple Alicorn filly turned and what her brother was pointing out to her made her freeze on the spot. The Diamond Dogs weren't killing the Stone Ponies they were fighting—they were _capturing_ them. The few Ponies that were actually knocked unconscious were being dragged back to the holes and tossed or carried down. Others had been overpowered and were crying out for help as they were taken. Aurora flinched. "…Prisoners?"

"They're… taking ponies…?" Cori whispered in shock.

Aurora's eyes quickly narrowed. "…Shale. We need to stop this."

The Shaper gaped. "I agree with you Little Princess, but we can't—!"

Those silver eyes fixed him with such vehemence that the older pony took a step back. "Fine. If you won't, I WILL!"

"Aurora!" Aleron called, but he was too late. The filly hefted her spear and shot out towards the Diamond Dogs, a pair that were currently dragging a screaming Stone Pony filly to a near hole. Magic lanced from her horn and blasted one off its feet. The other turned in surprise, only for the spear to shatter against the helmet it wore.

The filly grinned, darting away before the angry dog could grab her. "Too slow, puppy face!" She taunted, flying past and kicking him in the head. The dog growled and swung its arms at her, but she darted under the dog and grabbed the filly.

"L-Little Princess…?" The little gray filly whispered in shock.

Aurora grinned. "I'm bigger than you, ya know. Come on!"

There was a small pop, and the two young ponies reappeared atop the wall. "That was…" Shale began, but Aurora cut him off.

"That's what you should have been doing," She said quietly, ushering the little filly off. She looked up over the arrayed Stone Ponies. "You can't cower behind this wall and just defend! You have to protect what really matters, and you can't do that by being afraid! This is your home, and I've seen you move mountains just at a word! These dogs aren't anything to be afraid of! Now unless you like watching me show you up, you'll come with me and fight back!"

There was a period of silence, all the Stone Ponies staring in quiet shock and amazement. After about a minute, Cori jumped up onto the wall with Aurora. "Well, if anything, I'll help you."

Aurora smiled at her half-sister. Aleron climbed up next, or more like used his magic to teleport the short distance. He let out a sigh, but was smiling. "Well, someone has to make sure you're not too reckless."

"We'd help too," Ancè said with a nervous smile. "But Bibi and I aren't much for fighting…"

"It's alright," Aurora told her. "We got this!"

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day," Shale said, moving forward. Aurora eyed him suspiciously, but there was a smile on his face. "I've been shown up by a filly. And a filly with a point! We cannot cower in fear. Moonhowler brought us to the surface for a new life. We now have to fight for it!"

There were murmurs of assent from the gathered Stone Ponies. Aurora grinned. "Alright, now all we need to do is—!"

Her statement was cut short by the sound of something flying her way. She glanced back just in time for the javelin to impact her side, the pointed tip piercing her body. Her four siblings watched in horror as the momentum of the weapon carried her off the wall to land painfully on the ground a few feet away. She didn't get up. There was a cheer from the Diamond Dogs as the supposed leader of their enemies had fallen. They rushed to her, only to stop a few steps away. There was blood everywhere. Jubilee stared. "R…Roro?"

No response.

"No." Cori whispered. "No…"

And then, one plaintive cry. Aleron threw himself to the ground beside his sister. Even as the Stone Ponies rallied to charge into the Diamond Dogs, there was only one pony he was worried about. "AURORA!"

–x–

"What was that rumble?" Charlie asked, glancing at the ceiling. A small frown creased her lips. "We're not going to get buried down here, are we?"

One of the Shapers, a platinum blonde by the name of Etch, shook her head slowly. "No, Miss Charlotte. That rumble was someone digging near us."

"It's Charlie. Just Charlie. Please."

"I apologize."

"So what do you mean, someone digging near us?" Tyr asked, frowning. He glanced over at one of the male Shapers, a stallion named Tectonic. "I thought all the miners were evacuated?"

"They were, Lord Tyr."

"…Then that means we're not alone down here. Everyone on your guard."

There were nods and quiet affirmations. Carver continued moving, Twilight following in behind her with her horn aglow. The other two shapers, Engrave and Landslide, fell into step behind Twilight. "I might have an idea of what's down here," The studious mare said thoughtfully.

"Is it something we need to be worried about?" Landslide, asked.

"Well, considering—!"

"Hold," Carver said suddenly, holding up a hoof. Everyone stopped, even Twilight ceased talking when the lead Shaper spoke up. Carver slid forward one more step, hoof pressed to the rough stone wall. Her amethyst glowed softly for just a moment. A frown formed on her face. "…We're not alone down here."

Twilight sucked in a sharp breath. Tyr didn't have to use his Changeling senses to notice that she was nervous. The Alicorn had participated in combat before, but she was still reliant on the proximity of her friends. He slid forward a bit to place a comforting hand on her back. A pair of bright purple eyes looked up at him. "T-Tyr?"

"We'll be fine. We've been through worse, right?"

"You have," The Princess of Friendship countered ruefully. "The last real combat experience I had was my magic duel with Starlight. I didn't even really do much against the dragons…"

"It happens. Believe me, I wish I didn't have all this experience myself," Tyr muttered, creeping past her. He tapped Carver on the shoulder, and the Stone Pony began moving forward again, albeit at a slower pace. "I'd love to just spend all my time with my kids."

"Same here. Evie is taking her studies very seriously, but I'd love to teach her myself…"

"Maybe you should start a school," Charlie said off handedly. "I'm pretty sure you could easily find teachers."

Tyr nodded. "A fair point. You've got Starlight, who is skilled at combat magic. Grace is very good at healing magic, and you could even ask Bright Soul to assist. Actually…"

The violet Alicorn glanced at him, noting the thoughtful look on his features. "What is it?"

"How about this?" Tyr smiled softly. "Unless you want to convert your castle into a school, we could construct a suitable building here in Wolfhome."

Surprisingly, Twilight gave him a skeptical look. "I'd rather not place custody of young, impressionable unicorns in what is effectively foreign territory."

Tyr chuckled. "Well played. I can promise help with construction of any buildings you may need."

"Now that, I can agree to!" She smiled.

Carver paused at a sharp bend in the tunnel. "There is a large cavern around this corner, Lord. Your orders?"

"Any interior cover?" He asked.

"Some. We can sneak inside without being seen."

Tyr nodded. "Alright. Keep the noise down, and follow me." He slid past Carver, the rest of his little group falling in line behind him. The Shaper had been right—there was a few stalagmites and stalactites in the cavern, along with a few large pieces of rock that no doubt had fallen from the roof. The eight members of their party quickly spread out and found cover, hiding against the flickers of torchlight in the cave. As they kept their silence, voices drifted over to them.

"How many of the ponies did we grabs?"

"Uh… I dunno, boss. A lot?"

"We is getting little ponies for the gems! They have gems in their little heads, and we take them!"

Beside Tyr, Carver went pale. "W… What?"

The Shapers looked horrified, while Twilight frowned. "Those sound like Diamond Dogs…"

Tyr peeked out from behind his rock, and got his first look at the Diamond Dogs. There were about a dozen of them at the other end of the cavern, gathered about something or other. The faint gleam of gemstones alerted him to a small pile of jewels in a corner. But as his eyes focused on them, something strange caught his attention.

They were covered in blood.

"What the hell…?" Vanna murmured, no doubt noticing the same thing.

There was a tiny scream of terror, and another Diamond Dog came into the cave, dragging something behind him. There was a Stone Pony filly being dragged behind the dark furred dog, doing her best to kick free but ultimately only getting tossed into the group of dogs ahead them. "L… Let me go!"

"Not until we have that gem, little pony!" One of the thinner dogs said, grabbing the filly by the mane and lifted her up. His other paw roughly rubbed the amethyst in the filly's forehead. "Give it to me!"

"I… I can't! Please!"

The dog grumbled. "The last pony tolds us that too. So we take it from you too!"

Tyr's eyes widened as the lead dog was handed a small knife. Before he could even figure out the reason, the Diamond Dog stabbed the knife into the filly's head and after a second of agonizing wails, the gem started to slide out. Obviously excited, the lead dog grabbed the gem and tore it the rest of the way out. With a tiny whimper, the filly went limp. She was dead. Her body was tossed aside as the gem was placed on the pile. Twilight gaped. "What… what did he do…?"

"He removed her Mind Stone," Carver hissed, fury in her normally calm features. "When that happens, we die."

"That dog… that dog killed her…?"

Etch grinded her teeth. "We must correct this, Lord. We cannot allow such an injustice to stand!"

"Seconded," Charlie snarled. Both of her arms had morphed into long golden claws, the faint aura of Dust wafting off her. The rest of the party—minus Twilight—nodded in agreement.

[This will be easy] Fenrir thought, obviously bored. [You will not need my assistance, will you?]

[Course not] Tyr thought, drawing his frost sword. With a short motion to his group, he dashed from around the rock. He was on top of the dogs before they noticed them, blade sliding through the flimsy armor the dog was wearing and coming out the other side.

"Bury them!" Carver cried, at the same time the dogs reacted in surprise to Tyr's arrival. Stones came crashing down, crushing a quartet of dogs as they tried to draw their weapons. The Elemental didn't even pause, sword arcing around to behead another opponent.

A wild laugh echoed in the cavern as Vanna threw himself into the fray, silver sword flashing in the dim fire light. Charlie followed behind, claws easily shearing through armor and flesh alike. Caught off guard and beset upon by monsters even more vicious than them, the dogs were slaughtered with ease. There were only whimpers and even those only lasted for a few minutes. "Well," Charlie said, ripping her arm out of the chest of a Diamond Dog. "That was a fun distraction."

"Distraction?" Twilight squeaked from her spot at the other end of the cave. Her eyes were drawn to the bodies littering the cave, blood reflecting in her eyes. "Did you… you didn't have to kill them, did you?"

Vanna snorted, moving off to explore the other end of the cave. "Not seeing the reasoning behind that one, Princess."

"Last time we had to deal with Diamond Dogs, Rarity managed to get them to let her go," Twilight pressed, coming forward. She fixed Tyr with a pointed glare. "Without violence."

"I dunno if you've met us, Twilight. We're kinda geared towards that sort of thing," Charlie shrugged.

Tyr nodded slightly. "I had to kill quite often while I was working for Jehu. I won't say I'm desensitized, but… sometimes it's just necessary."

The Alicorn glanced over at Carver, who slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Princess. But while we lived under the Wastes, we were constantly at odds with the Lurkers. We are no more advocates of violence as you, but we know what must be done."

Etch and the other Shapers nodded at that. Twilight looked like she wanted to protest further, but Tyr cut her off. "You saw what they did to that filly, Twilight. She's dead because of them. I'd rather end the threat now before they kill any more."

"That is still no reason to not try diplomacy," The mare replied indignantly.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "That certainly worked with the dragons, huh?" She pointed out.

Twilight looked like she wanted to argue, but there wasn't anything she could say. Her head hung low. "…I… I just…"

"Better drop those notions quick," Vanna said, jogging back over to them. "We've got a pretty big issue up ahead."

"How big?" Etch asked.

"Consider a 'room full of Diamond Dogs' a big issue?"

Tyr moved up beside his friend, magical aura expanding outwards. He let it run down the length of the cave and into the next section, finding a massive cavern just a short walk from them. Several dozen silhouettes lit up, filling the area. However, before Tyr let his sonar spell go, he noticed something strange. As he could faintly tell outlines of rooms whenever he used this spell, he spotted several strange holes in the ceiling. Pressing his magic a bit more, he explored the holes. They ran all the way up to the surface. "…Twilight, do Diamond Dogs dig tunnels?" He asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Twilight had been busy trying to ignore the sensation of Tyr's magic running over her. "Uh, yes. We saw dozens of holes dug by them when Rarity got kidnapped."

"…Carver, are we still under Wolfhome?"

The Shaper in question frowned, amethyst glowing. "…Yes sir. You don't… you don't think…?"

"They dug up into the castle," Tyr said, but before he could continue a piercing pain shot through his chest. He grasped at the front of his shirt, hand shooting out to the wall for support. "What the hell…?"

"My Lord!" Carver said, rushing to his side. "Are you injured?"

Tyr didn't respond, information quickly filtering to him through whatever connection Dreamers had. And it all spoke of one thing: Aurora was hurt. A low growl escaped his lips. "I need to get back to the surface. Now."

"We could make a tunnel…"

"No. There's a bunch ahead. Vanna? Charlie? I want you two to torch the room ahead. Carver? I want the rest of you to assist them."

Charlie frowned as her father nodded. "What's in there anyway?"

"A small army of dogs," Vanna told. "No doubt they already have gone up to the surface."

Twilight blinked. "Wait, you want them to…! Tyr!"

The man turned, eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You can't just decide on their fates like that!" She stomped a hoof on the floor. "They're living creatures just like us!"

Everyone else in the cave was silent. Tyr sighed. "…Come here, Twilight."

"What?"

"Come here," Tyr repeated, gesturing her over. She hesitated only a moment, before trotting over to him. He led her forward a bit, before directing her to a nondescript section of the cave. "Look."

She almost threw up on the spot. The corner was full of bodies, specifically bodies of Stone Ponies. Each of them—mares, stallions, and foals—had their mind gems torn out. Their bodies had simply been tossed aside like trash. At the top of the pile was the filly from earlier, eyes and mouth still wide open in an expression of fear. Blood trickled out of the hole in her forehead. "…Oh… oh dear Celestia…!"

"That's why they don't deserve to live," Tyr said coldly, his elemental aura beginning to grow. "They have nothing in their minds except their own greed, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfil that need. My daughters and son are in danger on the surface, as are the rest of my ponies. I'm going to help them. I understand that this isn't what you want, but at this point I don't care. Complain to me later."

Twilight was silent as Tyr dissolved into a small blizzard, shooting down the tunnel and into one of the surface-bound paths. The dogs looked up in confusion at the sudden chill that passed by, but when nothing came of it went back to whatever they were doing. Back in the first cave, Vanna walked over to Twilight. "Well, that's how it is, Princess," He said with a shrug.

"You're awfully calm about this," Twilight shot back, scowling at him. "I've just been told my way of thinking is wrong and outdated. I thought anything could be solved through diplomacy. That there was no need to kill every threat that comes up."

"Not everyone is redeemable," The dragonkin replied sagely. "I'm sure you've dealt with your fair share."

"I've never had to kill anypony."

Etch shook her head. "I apologize, Princess, but this is how it is. Things might be different on the surface, but here in the tunnels we must fight to survive. And these dogs deserve to be killed for what they have done."

The Alicorn didn't reply, simply sitting down where she was. It was an obvious statement of non-inclusion. She didn't want to help with what she saw as senseless death. Vanna rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when you're used to peace. But then again, I'm a dragon. What can I say?"

"Let's just get this done," Landslide said. "From what Lord Tyr said, there is fighting on the surface. There may be need of us."

Vanna grinned, eyes glowing slightly and his features going draconic. "Oh yes. Let's show them what happens when they murder a child out of greed."

–x–

"There's so many of them!" Shale yelled, ducking under a clumsy club strike. With a stomp of his hoof, he sent a pillar of earth shooting up to knock a Diamond Dog into the sky. All around him, the Stone Ponies were putting up a valiant defense, going hoof-to-paw with the dogs. They had made some progress from the defensive line, galvanized by Aurora's speech and righteous fury for her injury. Behind him, their Lord's four children were still behind the wall, worrying over their fallen sister.

Something made the hairs on his back stand on end. He turned, seeing a squad of Dogs charging to the wall. He made to direct some of his Shapers to defend the children, but a blast of bright gray magic tore through the dogs. It killed the first one outright, before vaporizing parts of those that followed. "You will _not_ harm my family ANYMORE!" Aleron declared, appearing back on the wall. His horn was aglow with magic, and there was fury on his face. A couple more dogs braved the furious young unicorn, only to have holes ripped into them by his magic.

Behind the wall and the protective unicorn, the three fillies crowded around the unconscious Aurora. They had gotten a bunch of cloth from somewhere, and they were using it to staunch the flow of blood. "Is there anything you can do?" Jubilee asked, looking over at her sister.

"I… I never learned healing magic," Ancè admitted, blushing slightly and looking away. "Mother taught me first aid, but never anything to help with this…"

Jubilee's hopeful gaze roved over to Cori, who immediately shook her head. "I never thought about learning, and mommy could never teach me…"

"Then what do we do?" Jubilee wailed. "Roro is hurt, and we can't do anything…!"

"Mom is coming," Aleron said suddenly, catching the attention of the three fillies behind him. They looked like they wanted to question him, before a flash of dark blue light appeared in the middle of the battlefield. Pony and Dog alike paused in surprise.

When the magical smoke cleared, it revealed Luna and Chrysalis, flanked by Grace and Bright Soul. Neither the Princess of Dreams or the former Queen of the Changelings looked happy. "Where is my daughter?" Luna demanded, cerulean eyes wandering the battlefield.

Bright Soul whistled. "Diamond Dogs, hm? And quite a lot of them."

"Overwhelmed, Bright?" Grace asked.

"Not even. I've been looking forward to some sort of exercise."

"Mom!" Aleron called, catching Luna's attention. The three fillies had climbed up as well, relief on their faces. "Thank the Moon you're here! Aurora is over here!"

A brief flash of relief crossed Luna's face before she steeled her gaze once more. She turned to the red-brown pony at her side. "Grace, attend my children."

"Are you only counting two of them in that number?" Grace asked flippantly, beginning to trot over to the wall.

"They are all my children," Luna said softly. "Blood or no."

Grace nodded, continuing on her path. She was about halfway to the wall when one of the Dogs recovered from the shock of Luna's arrival and tried to grab her. "You stop, pony!"

In the span of a second, Grace had spun on the spot, pulled a pair of knives out of her cloak, and slashed the dog's throat open without batting an eye. It happened so fast that the dog didn't realize it was dead before Grace had put her weapons away and continued walking. As the body of the dog slumped to the earth, she hopped up onto the wall. "Hello kids," She said with a smile.

"Miss Grace," Aleron mumbled, in shock. "You…"

"Hm? Oh, I never was a dog pony. Thinking about getting a cat, actually. Where's your sister?"

Ancè gestured to where Aurora was still laying on the ground. "Here, ma'am."

Grace's eyes narrowed, and she moved over to the filly. Without a word, her horn lit up and she began repairing the damage. "Who thought to keep pressure on her wound?"

"That was me," Cori said. She blushed slightly. "Was I wrong?"

"No, you probably saved her life. If she had lost too much blood, she wouldn't have made it."

"She's going to be okay?" Aleron asked, coming over.

Grace nodded. "Thanks to Cori. I can repair the damage, so let me focus."

The colt nodded, before going over and hugging Cori. "Wh-What? Al!"

"I didn't know what to do for her, and you did," Aleron said softly. "You saved my… no _our_ sister. Thank you."

Cori blushed, but hugged him back. "You saved her too. Without you protecting us, who knows what would have happened."

Back out on the battlefield, Luna had turned her attention to the Diamond Dogs. "You made a grave error attacking this castle. You have harmed my children, and for that you must pay."

Chrys grinned, showing off her fangs. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Before any of them could move, one of the tunnels the dogs had used to emerge on the surface suddenly erupted with snow, whirling into an furious blizzard that quickly formed into a similarly angry Tyr. "…Seems you beat me here, love," He said, seeing Luna.

The dark blue Alicorn narrowed her eyes at him. "And where were you, my beloved?"

"They kidnapped and killed several of my ponies," Tyr said, straightening up and lifting his sword to his shoulder. "So I let Vanna and Charlie deal with that. Since these ones decided to hurt my daughter."

"Aurora's going to be fine, by the way," Grace called out.

Luna nodded. Both she and Tyr let out a soft sigh. "Good. Now… let us deal with this rabble."

–x–

* * *

 **Mook slaying commences.**

 **Next chapter: Damage control. Diamond Dogs need to learn that they're living below a very protective wolf with the capability to drown them in flames or bring the entire mountain down on them. Twilight is busy having a crisis of faith, at least when it comes to letting Tyr handle situations. However, the Stone Ponies are much more welcome to... violent solutions.**

 **Oh, and for those of you worried, Aurora is perfectly fine. I promise. And Aleron isn't going to go on some sort of rage filled rampage.**

 **But that's enough out of me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and plan to Return for the next chapter next Friday. Leave a Review or a comment and I will do my best to address any concerns. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting patiently.**

 **Will you?**


	38. Chapter 38

**Greetings Dear Readers. Unfortunately I place a shorter than usual chapter before you today, for at least two reasons. One, I picked up a lame cold at the beginning of this week, reducing me to a sniffling, yet still determined writer. The other was I got hit with a bit of inspirational mojo and my attention was divided between Lunar Legacy and a new short story idea I had. So, unless my cold hits me and tells me to go to sleep, the first chapter of that short story will go up alongside this one. And just as fair warning: it's not as... 'tame' as this one. It gonna be rated M for a reason, and it won't get any more PG from there.**

 **...Anyway.**

 **WarHusky2000: Tyr's seen some stuff while working with Jehu. And Twilight is no doubt going to bring it up with Celestia, so expect that talking-to to happen in the future.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I've seen Diamond Dogs portrayed as mafia type goons or just plan idiots. My depiction is more 'greed for the sake of greed' and they don't care what lengths they have to go to, they'll get their gems. And it isn't the last we've seen of them.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Pretty sure they only take payment in forgotten events.**

 **Captain Alaska: Tyr's mindset is slowly being altered by his continuing use of Carnage (obviously, a Spirit based on that concept isn't a big fan of diplomacy) so expect more ideological differences between him and Twilight. And I specifically wanted to show that while most of Equestria is a peaceful place, the Stone Ponies still have the short end of the stick. Hence their motto: We Endure. And on the subject of an inter-herd spat, I actually was considering something like that happening. But consider it not happening between Tyr and Chrys. Their emotions are too intertwined to have an argument, and the only thing Chrys holds with as high regard as Tyr is Cori. So unless Tyr is just doing something mean to Cori, no go. But that doesn't exclude Pinkie, Rarity or Luna, for that matter...**

 **Well, anyways. I've gone on for enough. At this point I'm just padding the numbers.**

* * *

Chapter 37: Perspective

"That's what happened down there?" Rainbow asked, incredulous. She, the Elements of Harmony and Tyr's family were in the Elemental's study, gathered around as the tales of the day had been told in detail. Half of those in the room were shocked, mostly due to not having a hoof in the battle below. Rainbow was particularly surprised. "How come we didn't hear anything?"

"The distance from the dragon's cave to Wolfhome itself is pretty great," Twilight pointed out. "And without any sort of warning system, there was no way you would have known."

Tyr nodded in agreement, hands aimlessly stroking Aurora's head. The filly had recovered quite quickly after Grace had healed her, but there was still a wrapping around her torso. Now she lay in her father's lap, providing him with a little comfort through physical contact. After Luna, her knights, and Chrys arrived, the remainder of the Diamond Dogs above ground had been swiftly dealt with. Between the fury of two mothers and one particularly incensed Ice Elemental, there was no escape.

However, there were still things Tyr needed to address. The man glanced over to Carver, who stood in the corner. "Carver, when you get a chance, I want you to detail places where we could place warning signals, something that could alert the entire castle to any threat."

The Shaper nodded. "As you wish, sir."

"We could set up a magical system," Bright Soul said, reminding them all of her presence. She cleared her throat. "I am well versed in setting up magical alarms. No doubt we could create a system of wards that could rouse all the ponies present without issue."

"I appreciate that, Bright Soul," Tyr said, giving the hazel pony a smile. To his mild surprise, the Lunar Knight simply smiled a little and nodded. Seems the ice queen has defrosted, He thought with a wry smile.

"Well, at least the whole matter is resolved," Rarity said, leaning down to nuzzle Ancè. Her daughter seemed a little embarrassed at the attention, but allowed her mother to do it anyway. "Our little ones are safe, the danger is passed, and we can put this all behind us."

Tyr glanced over at Aleron, who was seated beside his mother. "…Perhaps. From what Vanna told me, they don't know if there are any more Diamond Dogs in the tunnels down there."

"What are ya gonna do about them?" Applejack asked. "Diamond Dogs are pretty sneaky."

"No offense to you surface ponies," Carver said quietly, "But nothing can match us in the tunnels. We will find them, and kill them."

The ponies who had not gone into the tunnels winced at that. Twilight stood up quickly. "How can you talk about killing so easily? You're not even going to consider trying for peace?"

"They ruined that opportunity the moment they captured and _murdered_ my kin! You expect me to want peace with those monsters?" Carver shot back with particular venom.

"They had to have their own reasons…"

"Greed," Came the calm voice of Serenity. The ponies and Tyr all turned to see the Seer enter the room. She gave Carver a small reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning her attention to Twilight. "I understand your position, Princess Twilight. But the Diamond Dogs killed us simply for our gems. They cared not for our lives."

"But…!"

"This is one you need to let go," Luna said, cutting her off. "The Stone Ponies lived in fear of death each and every day. No doubt their perceptions on what is 'morally correct' is much different from yours."

"And not yours?" Twilight shot back.

The Princess of Dreams scowled. "My understanding is garnered from years of experience, _Princess_ Twilight. A fact that you should remember," She reminded her junior with venom.

Twilight seemed suitably taken aback by the rebuke, instead sitting back down and looking away. "I… I do not want to be part of this."

"Then you don't have to be," Tyr said shortly. "The Stone Ponies are not your responsibility, they're mine. Carver, who's our lead Shaper?"

The Shaper blinked. "Er, currently Commander Boulder."

"Alert him to prepare for expedition teams into the tunnels. I need accurate details on how deep those Diamond Dog tunnels go and if they bothered sticking around. If they find any, let me or Vanna know. Diamond Dogs are kill on sight."

There was a quiet murmur of surprise and relative disgust at the order, only Chrys, Luna and the two knights not saying a word. Serenity stood in the doorway, a small frown on her face. Carver simply nodded and left. "That isn't too… drastic, don't you think?" Rarity offered, looking up at him.

"They almost killed my daughter," Tyr offered as explanation.

That was enough to silence her. "So… what happens now?" Rainbow asked with a huff. She seemed the least disturbed by Tyr's kill order, instead just pressing forward with the conversation.

"You all are free to continue picking through all that treasure and whatnot up there," Serenity offered. "But as it stands, I'd request you allow Lord Tyr a few moments with his thoughts. It has been a long day for him, after all."

"I'd argue against it normally, but she's right," Chrys said, forestalling a comment from Luna. The Changeling rose. "Give my Master some time with his thoughts. We can bother him at another time."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy spoke up, suddenly reminding them all that she was there. Serenity in particular seemed quite caught off guard by her voice. "We didn't mean to bother you, Tyr."

"I make time for my friends," The man replied with a small smile. "But I would like a minute or so. Thanks, everyone."

"Okay." There were nods all around, Luna sparing him a glance as she followed Chrys out. Pinkie gave him a big hug, while Rarity paused to give him a soft peck on the cheek. Aurora was a bit harder to convince to leave, no doubt very comfortable in her father's lap. After he tickled her a bit, she was all too eager to chase after her sisters as they left.

"Aleron."

Tyr's voice made his son pause at the door. Silver eyes met silver eyes as the colt turned to look at his father. The Elemental seemed thoughtful, not angry or reproachful. Still, Aleron wasn't used to his father calling him with that tone of voice, so it was with a short moment of pause that he replied. "…Yes, dad?"

"Sit." Tyr gestured to the spot in front of his desk. Aleron only hesitated a moment before obliging and walking back over. He took the spot and waited. Tyr was running his fingers along Valor's wings, straightening out an errant feather no doubt knocked out of place by whatever hijinks that the little bird got into while his owner wasn't around. After about a minute or so, Tyr let out a sigh. "So? What's up?"

"Huh?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I… I'm fine."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Al, I'd like to remind you that I'm part Changeling, and I can actually sense your emotions."

"Oh. Right. Then I'm not okay." Aleron let out a stressed sigh. "I… I killed some of the Diamond Dogs."

"I heard," Tyr said with a nod. "And how do you feel about it?"

"There… I had to do it, to protect Aurora and the others, right?" He looked up at his father, worry in his face. "Should I… Should I be worried about how easy it was to kill them?"

Tyr was quiet for a moment. He sighed. There was a lot he could say to that, but nothing that his son wanted to hear. After a moment of thought, he decided to ask a question. "Do you regret protecting your sisters?"

Aleron replied immediately. "Of course not! I'd do it again if I had to!"

"Good. Because I count on you to take care of them." When his son looked at him in confusion, he continued. "Aleron, I'm going to tell you this because I have lived a very… interesting life. I've fought monsters most ponies have nightmares about. I've thrown my life on the line for almost a dozen different reasons. But killing is never easy, especially when it's another sentient life. Diamond Dogs are idiots, yes, but they can still think. However, they were threatening your family. At that point, you do what you must to protect them."

"Even… killing?"

Tyr nodded. "Only as a last resort, mind you. I don't want you to think that killing is the only solution."

"Does it… ever get easier?"

"No," Tyr shook his head sadly, looking down at Valor. The ice phoenix chick seemed to notice his deteriorating mood, and pushed his head into his hand in a show of comfort. "It never does. Each one will be just as hard."

"And how do you handle it? It doesn't seem to bother you—I saw how easily you killed those Diamond Dogs."

"Because I know what I'm fighting for. And that trumps any unease I feel at killing. I was protecting you, your sisters, and all the Stone Ponies. Heck, I was fighting to protect your mother, not that she really needed it." Tyr smirked. "But I know I was fighting for you."

"So… Was I in the right?"

"You did the right thing to protect your sisters. And because of that I'm proud of you."

"You are?"

"Yes." Tyr let out a heavy sigh. "I've missed five years of your lives, son. I haven't been here to watch you grow up, or to teach you the things a father is supposed to teach his children. I haven't had that opportunity, so now I'm playing catch up. A proper father would have protected you and your sisters from this sort of thing, but I wasn't able to do that, and I'm sorry."

Aleron shook his head. "I understand, dad. And I don't blame you for not being here. Mom told me the circumstances—what you sacrificed."

The man smiled slightly, before motioning his son to come around to him. With a confused look on his face, Aleron did so. When he was right in front of him, Tyr simply put his hand on his son's head and rubbed it gently. "You've grown up strong, Al."

"I… I've looked up to you, dad," Al said weakly, sniffing. "Even though I didn't ever get the opportunity to learn from you, Mom told me plenty of stories about you. Twilight and all the others only ever told me good things about you. And when you finally came back… those stories were true."

Tyr couldn't help but grin. "Well, glad they never said any bad things. Now, I'll let you go. Aurora's been eavesdropping outside the door since we started talking and I'm sure she wants to hug you."

There was a small eep of surprise outside the doors and then the sound of rapidly retreating hooves. Both Tyr and Aleron shared a chuckle at that. "Alright dad. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me."

"Of course. You know I love you, son."

"And I love you, dad." The colt hopped up and hugged his father, and Tyr hugged him back. It was short, but it was obvious how they felt. They broke apart then, and Aleron trotted over to the door. Just before he left, he stopped. "…Hey dad?"

"Hm?" Tyr looked up from pulling a little bag of birdseed Fluttershy had given him out to feed Valor. "What is it?"

"For what it's worth, I think you're a great father."

"A sentiment that is shared by us all, father." Suddenly, all five of his kids were in the doorway, looking at him with wide smiles. Ancè gave him a bright smile, as she had been the one to speak.

"Mmhm!" Jubilee said happily.

"You've been nothing but wonderful to me," Cori said shyly, rubbing a hoof against her leg.

Aurora went without words, instead flying over and hugging him. She nuzzled him. "I love you, dad."

Tyr smiled warmly, gesturing for them all to come over. When they did, he pulled them all into his arms. "I love you too, sweetie. I love you all, and I'm happy just to have you close like this."

"Well, get used to it happening a lot!" Jubilee giggled. "You give really good hugs!"

"I don't mind at all," Tyr replied, ruffling her mane. "Not one bit."

–x–

Audio scrunched up her nose, shaking her little head. She moved her headsets off and nudged the stallion beside her. "Mr. Read, that doesn't sound good."

The dark violet stallion frowned, pulling off his own headsets. "It doesn't? What's wrong?"

"The sound just doesn't mesh," the little pink filly pointed out, sightless eyes narrowing in thought. "Can you try adjusting the second track down a key?"

"Right." The stallion's horn lit up, magic seeping into the music. After a moment of fiddling, he adjusted the track in question. With a slide of his hoof, he put his headsets back on and sent the music playing again. Audio replaced her headsets, and in moments the two of them were engrossed in the sound again, lights playing out around the room. It didn't last long, before Read stopped the music again, frown deepening. "Darn. Now this section is off. Like this, we're just knocking down dominos."

Audio pulled off her headsets and set them on the desk, knowing Read well enough by now to know his thought process. The more they tried to adjust, the more the rest of the music would be thrown off. At this point, they might have to start over from scratch. "Are we stopping?" She asked, just to be sure.

"Yeah, we might as well. We've been at this for a couple hours now." Read pulled his headsets down onto his neck. He stared at the mix table in front of him for a minute, a frown on his face. After sitting there in thought for a while he glanced over at Audio. The pink filly was silent, ears twitching as they picked up all kinds of ambient noise. Her face was turned away, mainly because she couldn't see anyway. "…Hey, you hungry?"

That got her to turn to face him. "…A little."

Read grinned, reaching over with a hoof to rub her head. She was an adorable little thing, and since Tempo and Rara were with Trixie, doing something that only adult mares would enjoy. Audio had chosen to stay with him, no doubt because of her burgeoning love of music. He didn't mind—he enjoyed the company, and Audio was proving to be very adept at noticing little nuances in the music. "Well, come on. I'm in the mood for some macaroni and cheese. That alright with you?"

Audio beamed and nodded rapidly. "Yes, please!"

The sound technician laughed while he got ready to go. Audio had been working with him for a while, and because he was the one who normally watched over her, he had developed a way for Audio to follow him without having to be constantly holding onto his tail or something. He hooked up his headphones, turned the speakers around, and started music playing out of them. It was loud enough that Audio could follow it easily, but not so loud to be obnoxious. He got his music started and started leaving the room, Audio jumping up to follow him. The Soundscape was one of those many buildings in Equestria that was both a shop and a house, with all the practice and recording rooms on the bottom floor, a living area above it, and a basement to store everything else. There was a connected staircase in the back outside of where customers usually went, so no one would ever see the tenants without going back there. It allowed for quite a bit of privacy. And it let Read play his music as loud as he wanted.

They went upstairs, easily getting into the kitchen. Read went over to the cupboard and began getting everything he needed for their meal. Audio felt her way over to the little table in the dining room, getting up into one of the chairs and began to wait patiently. Read spared her a gentle smile before getting to work. He was getting everything ready when there was a noise from downstairs. "Hm? Are the girls back already?"

"It's not them," Audio said quietly. "I can hear talking, but it's not their voices."

Read made to reply, but then a wave of heavy feeling washed over him. He froze on the spot. "…What was that?"

"You felt it too?"

"I did," the older unicorn said. Normally only powerful unicorns or other magical creatures gave off an aura like that. Who could have possibly walked into his shop? "…I guess I should go see who it is."

"I'll come with you," Audio said, hopping out of her seat to follow. Read smiled at her, but since she couldn't see him he simply patted her on the head before putting his music back on. Audio dutifully followed after him as they made their way to the main part of the Soundscape. When they emerged from behind the main counter, they found a peculiar set of three ponies standing before him.

One was a dark blue Pegasus with a bright blue mane and tail, with pure blue eyes that resembled the sky. Her mane was tied away from her face with a singular braid, but her mane was very long and seemed to flow over her back like water. On her flank was a symbol of a scale situated inside of an hourglass. She was smiling at him and Audio.

The second was a dark green pony with a brighter pale green mane and tail that had taken a an interest in the pictures along the wall. She was an Earth Pony, but seemed just slightly more well-built than most Earth Ponies. Her Cutie Mark was a singular seed that sprouted into a tree. She had her mane high up in a ponytail, however from the way it was styled it seemed like it was leaves instead of hair. It didn't help that flowers were strewn about her mane and tail. To Read's eyes, it looked like she had simply got up and walked out of a forest.

And last but not least, the last of the trio. She was a unicorn, and was wrapped in a dark black cloak that obscured her entire body. Read could see wispy gray hair trailing out of her hood and from the back of her cloak. It was short enough for him to see her hooves, which were snow white. They were capped with what looked to be silver horseshoes much like the Princesses wore. When she noticed him looking, she pulled her hood back. The unicorn was breathtaking, almost looking as if she was fragile as glass. Her ash gray hair was left wild about her head, and her gray eyes were piercing. She seemed to be a bit nervous.

"Er… welcome to the Soundscape," Read offered. "I'm Read Write, the owner. Anything I can help you ladies with?"

The blue pegasus's smile grew slightly. "Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting to meet the owner. And who is this little one? Your daughter?"

Audio blushed at that, but Read put a comforting hoof on her head. "No, although I wouldn't mind that. Audio here is my friend's daughter. She's a really good girl."

The green Earth Pony giggled. "How adorable!"

Read smiled slightly. "So, I haven't gotten your names, ladies…?"

"My name is Harmony," the pegasus says first. "These two are my sisters."

"Genesis," the Earth Pony says, nodding. "A pleasure."

The unicorn was last, and she turned away slightly. "…My name is Terminus, sir," She said softly.

"Well, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Read replied. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just wanted to ask a few questions," Harmony said amiably. "If you have the time."

"We were going to eat dinner, but I can answer a few questions."

The atmosphere in the room seemed to shift, as all three of the newcomers turned to look at him. "Well, if you're sure."

"…Okay. What did you want to ask?"

Harmony seemed to be thoughtful for a moment. "If you had to decide, what is more important to you? Duty, or Family?"

"Family," Read replied without hesitation. If he was confused at the topic of the question, he didn't show it. Harmony nodded at that, almost looking as though she had expected that response.

"I suppose I'm next," Genesis said with a little giggle. "Which is closer to your philosophy—Balance, or Growth?"

That made Read think for a bit. "…Well. I'd have to say Balance. My whole job is about making musicians sound good—making sure that the vocals and the music go well together and don't overpower each other."

Genesis seemed a bit put off by that answer, so she moved aside to let Terminus have her turn. The unicorn came forward silently. Her gray eyes regarded Read for a moment, before she dipped her head slightly. "I suppose I must test your resolve then. If you had the choice between fighting to protect what matters to you or allowing another to take the brunt of the burden, what would you do?"

"I'd like to help out," Read said honestly after a moment. Then he grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "But I know I'm not much of a fighter or anything special like the Elements of Harmony. I couldn't really face down some ancient evil like them."

"But you would still do your part?"

"I would do whatever I could."

Harmony grinned. "A very valid stance."

Terminus nodded in agreement. Genesis looked like she was still pouting. "I'm happy he'll be a Keeper, but I never get the answer I want for my question…"

Audio tilted her head to the side. "Keeper? What's that?"

Terminus and Harmony glared at their sister, who shrunk back with a nervous giggle. The pale unicorn rolled her eyes. "Ignore her. She has a tendency to get upset when things don't go her way."

"I do not!" The Earth Pony complained.

Harmony rolled her eyes. "Stop antagonizing our big sis, Termie."

Terminus blushed, something that seemed almost physically impossible for her. "D-Don't call me Termie, please!"

"But it's such an adorable nickname!"

"Please, big sis…"

Read cleared his throat, getting their attention despite how amusing this whole thing was. "Ladies, if I'm allowed to ask: what were all those questions for anyway?"

"Just gauging the sort of pony you are," Harmony said smoothly, smiling. "You do seem to be a decent sort. Genny?"

Genesis frowned at her sister, but rolled her eyes and moved over to the desk. After running a hoof along the wood, she blew onto the surface of it. As Read watched in confusion, the surface of the counter began to ripple. Then it cracked, and a little shoot came up out of the wood. It grew a couple for inches before sprouting a bright pink bud. "I hope it's comfortable there, my little one."

Read's eyes widened. He knew Earth Ponies were skilled at growing things, but this mare had just made a flower grow in his counter. Without even planting a seed. And it was obvious that it hadn't been magic, or at least what he knew as magic. "…Who are you three?" He asked, torn between terror and confusion.

"Just three sisters on vacation," Harmony offered with a bright smile.

Genesis nuzzled the little flower on the counter. "Take care of this little one for me, won't you Mr. Read?" She asked, smiling at him.

"I… how did…?"

"That flower will be important," Terminus said softly, fixing him with her eyes. "Do keep it safe."

"Important…? How?"

"You will know what to do when the time comes," Harmony said with a nod. "It'll be obvious to you."

"That's… not very reassuring."

"Do not worry," Genesis said with a smile. "It will no doubt be clear. Just take care of the flower."

Read glanced down at the flower. "…Well, I guess the place did need a little livening up…"

Audio frowned, and tapped his leg. "A flower? Is it pretty?"

Genesis and Harmony glanced at each other. "May I?" The green mare asked.

"I don't see the harm in it," Harmony said with a shrug.

That got a smile on the other mare's face. She turned to Audio, who looked confused. "Don't worry, little one. Just consider it a gift from me for being so cute."

"…huh?"

"When this flower blooms, you'll get something as well." She touched the filly's head. "Just remember to thank Miss Genesis for her generosity."

"…Okay."

"We should get going if we are going to do all that we wished to today," Terminus pointed out to her sisters.

Harmony stared at her for a minute. "…You know, we really need to get you used to more casual speech patterns."

"What? Why?"

"You speak like a Victorian era lady sometimes," Genesis said as they began walking to the door. "It's adorable, but still really old."

"Well, excuse me," Terminus countered. "At least I choose to carry myself in proper fashion befitting a lady!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Harmony rolled her eyes. "Please stop bickering you two…"

They left the shop, Genesis and Terminus making jabs at each other while Harmony tried to mediate. Read watched them go, not particularly sure how to feel about what just happened. The silence that followed in the wake of their departure was heavy. After about a minute of watching the flower growing on his counter, Read turned back to his little companion. "So… Mac and cheese?"

"Mac and cheese," Audio agreed.

–x–

"Well, I guess all's well that ends well," Vanna said, tossing himself onto the couch in the common room of the Jötunheim. Charlie rolled her eyes at her father as she went over to Cindy for something to drink.

Tyr rolled his eyes at his friend, sitting across from him. "I suppose so. Were there a lot of diamond dogs in the caves?"

"A decent amount. Enough to warrant drowning them in fire."

"Hm. Well, they've broken themselves against the mountain, so they won't be attacking anymore."

"We can dream."

"No more mopey stuff!" Pinkie said, suddenly throwing herself in Tyr's lap. He winced at the impact, but despite being an Earth Pony Pinkie was still pretty soft. She turned over so she was on her back, grinning up at him "You need to smile! You've been working hard all day!"

Tyr smiled and rubbed her stomach. "That is true. I guess it's good to finally be home with my family."

"Ooh, that feels good…"

Vanna rolled his eyes as Tyr proceeded to scratch and pamper Pinkie like one would a cat. "You know, I just thought of something," The dragonkin said after a minute.

"Hm? What is it?" Tyr asked, glancing over at Vanna.

"We need to make you some armor."

"What? Why?"

"You need it," Vanna asserted, frowning. "I know you rely on speed and technique in order to win your fights, so nothing heavy, but… What if you come up against something you can't just dodge?"

"…Fair enough."

"Probably can make something out of the mythril the Stone Ponies are pulling out," Charlie said, coming over with two cups of what looked to be tea. She handed one to Vanna. "Here you go dad."

The older dragonkin nodded. "Thank you my dear. And that's a good idea. Mythril is light and easy to work with, plus it's very strong."

Tyr frowned. "Do I really need to have armor…?"

"You never know when it would save your life, bro. Believe me."

"If you say so…"

"It's not like we weren't planning to do it at all," Charlie said, sipping at her tea. "We've been teaching the Stone Pony metalsmiths how to make armor. Yours is… well, consider it a symbol of station."

"I agree with them," Pinkie said suddenly, surprising Tyr. "I would rather you not get into any fights, but… if you have to, I don't want you to get hurt."

The man blinked. "Pinkie…"

"I agree," Cindy spoke up. When Tyr looked her way, she gave him a smile. "Your mother did not care much for armor, but then again she tended to use overwhelming force whenever she fought. Your father never went into battle without his armor, however."

"Okay, that's true."

"And it would make me happier knowing you'd be at least somewhat protected from random chance."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. As long as it's nothing heavy. I'm used to being fast in a fight, and I'd rather not be impeded."

Vanna grinned. "No worries bro! When you let a Pyrros make you something, it'll be perfect!"

"Speaking of making things…" Tyr glanced over at Charlie. "Did you ever fix that gauntlet you let me borrow?"

"Oh, I finished that," Charlie said with a grin. She jumped up and went to deeper into the ship, returning a minute later with the item in hand. "Come here and let me make sure it still fits right."

"That means up, Pinkie," Tyr said, to an upset—yet playful—groan from the mare on his lap. She did get up, and Tyr went over to Charlie. The young dragonkin to his arm and affixed the gauntlet to it, easily attaching it to his wrist. As Tyr looked at it, he noticed that the mechanism under the bracer had gotten more complicated and a little heavier than before. Considering there was now a blade attached to it. The ring trigger was attached to it now, and when he extended his hand, the blade shot out. "…Huh."

"Consider it a useful addition to your already impressive arsenal," Charlie told him with a smile. "Those sleeves on your cloak should be able to hide it. Never know when you need a hidden weapon or two."

"Having something like that could be useful," Vanna said with a shrug. "Forge knows I've needed to shank a fool or two."

"Please dad. Never say those words in that way ever again."

"What? What did I do?"

Tyr chuckled and looked at the gauntlet. "Well, I suppose it may come in handy. At least I can…" He trailed off, a frown crossing his lips. Something was wrong. Not with the gauntlet itself, but… his vision seemed to swim as he looked at, almost as if he was seeing further away…

"Operator?" Cindy called, from somewhere behind him.

Vanna looked concerned. "Hey… Tyr? You alright there?"

Tyr opened his mouth to reply, but his vision was swallowed up by a dark ocean of blue and the last thing he could hear was Pinkie screaming his name.

* * *

 **Yeah, that's a cliffhanger. This chapter is mostly set up for later events, and to introduce three characters that will have a big part in the story later on. Also, Father Son talk on the subject of killing. I still want to do more 'close and personal' talks with Tyr and his children. Since Aleron is the only son, it stands to reason these talks will happen frequently.**

 **Anyways, I'm going to go ready up this other chapter for another story in no way connected to this one. Read if you please.**

 **Don't hesitate to Comment, Review, and please return next week for the next chapter, when we figure out why in the name of the multiverse Tyr just passed out.**

 **The Library accepts all and will be waiting patiently.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Greetings, dear readers. Another Friday, another Chapter. And here's the big part: This is officially the longest solid chapter I've written, coming in at 10,000~ words. There was a lot I needed and wanted to get done in this chapter, and trying to separate it and delay it just didn't work. A bit of introspection and explanation, plus a little information revealed. Hope you were looking forward to it. As a side note, I saw the finale for MLP season 6. A little disappointed at how it ended (if you've seen it, you can guess why) but all in all, a good finale.**

 **WarHusky2000: It was a particularly heavy cliffhanger, wasn't it? Twilight (and for that matter the rest of the Mane 6) has lived in a world where the majority of problems could be solved through talking it out, or in the extreme cases only banishing or imprisoning a particularly dangerous villain. Out of all of the evil figures she and her friends have faced, only Sombra is (technically) dead. And judging by the Season 6 finale (no spoilers here!) even another villain is possibly going to be redeemed or reformed in the future. If you've seen the finale, you'll understand why I'm hoping it happens, but if you haven't... go see it?**

 **Kevin Lapse: Why field test? We all know bananas are the most lethal food.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Sort of. Dreamers can't control when and where they have their 'Visions'. Tyr was just unfortunate enough to have his while standing up. And the three sisters are important, very much so, and you've already figured out the basics of the jobs Terminus and Genesis have. Just don't forget about them. And about the hidden blade, Charlie hadn't included it in the original design. Why? She was lazy. And I was thinking about the Tiger of Jiang Dong. For Celestia, I do feel a phoenix would fit her as a symbol.**

 **Chaddmychal: I told you it would happen, we just needed the proper person to build the weapon.**

 **That's enough outta me. Onto the Chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 38: In Your Dreams

"What do you mean he won't wake up!?" Luna demanded, hoof cracking the floor beneath her as she stomped down in anger. Cindy winced a bit at the fury on the Princess of Dream's face.

"Please don't damage the ship," Cindy attempted, only getting a glare in response.

Grace looked up from her examination of the sleeping Elemental with a flat look on her face. The rest of the adult residents of the Jötunheim backed away, noticing the disinterested look on the medic's face. She had been woken up from a rather restful nap to come see what had happened to Tyr. And it was very obvious she wasn't happy about it. "Exactly that, Princess. I'd appreciate it if you didn't get so angry."

Luna scowled, glaring at the Lunar Knight. "This is my husband lying here, Grace. I want you to find out what is wrong with him!"

"Grace…" Vanna said warningly, hoping that the sleep deprived Grace would mind her tone.

"I can't find a single damn thing," Grace replied with a sigh, before letting her eyes fall back on Tyr. The man had been in a deep sleep since the other day, and hadn't responded to any stimulus, magical or physical. There was no obvious injury or anything, nothing that would have caused it to happen. And it wasn't easy for the rest of his herd either. The children had been ushered off to school with the explanation that Tyr was just sleeping heavily, but it was a terrible lie with Cori being the only reason it had worked. Despite knowing just what was going on, the Changeling filly had realized how bad it would be if her siblings panicked, so she had managed to convince them not to press the issue. Even when the others started suspecting something was wrong in the evening, she had ushered them off to their rooms without argument. "For all intents and purposes, he should be getting up."

Closing the door to the medical bay behind him, Vanna glanced over at the other mares in the room. Rarity looked especially worried, although she hadn't said a word since finding Tyr in this state. Chrys hadn't left her master's side, sitting right next to him with a dejected look. Pinkie had a haunted look on her face, no doubt because she was the only one of Tyr's mares that had actually seen him pass out. Vanna didn't want to say it, but Tyr held this group together. Even Grace seemed upset and frustrated at not being able to do anything. He put a comforting hand on the medic's shoulder. When she looked up at him, he gave her the warmest smile he could. "Is there any way you can wake him up? Like magic or something?"

"I've tried," Grace said sadly. "Nothing I do works."

"You were with him when this happened," Luna said, looking over at Vanna. Her tone was softer, but her eyes were still narrowed in frustration. She was barely containing her fury. "Tell me _exactly_ what happened."

The dragonkin shrugged. "Charlie had gotten him to try on her bracer again. When he looked at it, his eyes went all blue and stuff and then he just passed out."

Cindy perked up at that. "His eyes did what?" She asked slowly.

"They… turned blue right before he passed out," Vanna clarified. "Is that… important?"

Luna glanced over at Cindy. "Is there something you know and are not telling us?"

"There are many things I know that I am not telling you," Cindy said matter of factly. Almost immediately, several hooves went into faces. Not because of how silly it sounded, but because that was the match to ignite the Princess of Dream's anger. Luna's gaze turned vicious as she turned on the automaton.

"You will tell me what you know, _machine,_ or I will tear this ship apart until you do."

Cindy's normally happy expression turned emotionless. She slowly turned to Luna, pale blue eyes boring into her. When she spoke, there was the weight of years in her voice. "Do not imagine yourself powerful enough to threaten me, _child_. I have watched empires rise and fall without batting an eye. I have watched civilizations tear themselves apart from the inside. This ship is as much of me as my own consciousness, and I will do everything in my power to preserve it and the information stored within. I _will_ snuff out your life without a second thought."

Luna didn't back down. "You believe you could do it that easily?"

"Lunie…" Pinkie tugged on Luna's tail gently. When the Princess of Dreams looked back at her, she noticed that Pinkie's hair had gone knife straight. "…Can you not fight with our house?"

"Considering we technically live inside her, we should not upset her," Charlie said, a little nervously. "You never want to piss off your home. Trust me on that."

Luna looked like she wanted to argue it further, but Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. "Please, dear. Calm yourself. We are not helping Tyr at all like this."

"You…" The Alicorn trailed off, before letting out a heavy sigh. "…You are right. Cindy? I apologize."

Cindy immediately went back to smiling warmly. "Of course. This is a trying time for you all, so I understand your frustration."

"So you said you have an idea of what is occurring?" Chrys asked, frowning. "Care to elaborate?"

Cindy nodded. "Tyr has entered into what is usually called a Vision. He is trapped within his own mind until he sees what he needs to see."

"Until he sees what he needs to see…?"

"Visions may show any number of things—from the past, the present, to the future. Until he has finished finding his way through this dream, he will not wake."

"A dream?" Luna frowned. Then, she immediately brightened. "Then I can go inside and see if I can help him—!"

"That would be unwise," The automaton said. "The Visions of Dreamers are very powerful. No doubt you would end up trapped inside as well."

"Trapped inside of a dream… I can't believe that."

Pinkie spoke up again. "Um… Tyr isn't going to go into that… um… one of those Long Dark thingies, is he?"

Cindy was silent for a moment. "…I do not know."

Luna was beginning to rage again, and Rarity quickly cut her off with a hug. "Is there a chance of it?"

"A very small one. But I highly doubt it because of the fact that his magical signature has not grown at all."

"…come again?"

"His aura would have increased in intensity," Cindy pointed out. "If he was going into the Long Dark, none of you would be able to stand in this room due to the heavy cold."

"I see…"

"So we have to just leave him like this?" Chrys asked, voice shaking a bit. She took a shaking breath and laid her head back on Tyr's chest. "…Don't do this to me again, Master…"

Luna was silent for a bit, no doubt remembering the same event. With a small choked sob, she turned away for fear of crying. "…Do not make me wait this time, Beloved…"

Suddenly, Pinkie got up. She crossed the room slowly, all eyes on her as she went to Tyr's other side. With deliberate slowness, she pushed herself up onto the medical bed, leaned down and placed a small yet tender kiss on Tyr's cheek. A little sniff escaped her as she pulled back a bit. "…Come back to us… please?"

There was a bit of surprise, but Chrys simply moved forward to kiss his other cheek. "Your family is waiting for you, Master…"

There was a poignant silence for all of a minute, before Tyr's eyes slowly fluttered open. His silver eyes gazed around at the shocked looks around him before narrowing in confusion. "…What…? Where am I…?"

"TYR!" Four voices exclaimed.

Tyr sat up, just in time for Luna and Chrys to hug him simultaneously. "Uh… Nice to see you girls too?"

"You had us worried, Master," Chrys said, pressing her face against his. He wrapped an arm around her, feeling her worry and happiness flow into him. She let out a small sigh at his touch. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up…"

"He's okay!" Pinkie whispered, terror replaced by happiness. Her mane poofed back out, and she began bouncing around the room. "He's okay! He's okay!"

"I wasn't expecting that to happen," Tyr admitted, glancing over at Cindy. "Care to explain? Last I remember I was talking to Charlie about something."

"You had your first Vision," Cindy said with a nod. "It is your unused Dreamer abilities coming to the forefront. May I ask what you saw in your Vision?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed as he thought for a second. "…We need to go to the Everfree."

Rarity gaped. "The Everfree? Why in Celestia's name would you want to go there!?"

"Especially at a time like this," Chrysalis added. "What is so important that you must go there now?"

"Believe me, I… I just need to be in the forest. Soon."

"Great," Vanna said dryly. "You pass out for a whole day, worrying us all to death. Then you get up, no worse for wear, and tell us you have to go into the deadly dangerous forest. I'm starting to think nothing can actually keep you down for more than a week."

"Nothing's tried hard enough," Tyr joked, getting a smile from his friend.

"Screw you. I'm going to bed."

Luna was silent, watching as Vanna and Charlie left the room. Her eyes met Tyr's, no doubt searching for some sort of hint of her husband's intentions. After a while, she let out a sigh. "Very well. I will come with you."

Chrys nodded. "I will be coming along as well. You will not be leaving me behind, Master."

"The same goes for us," Rarity said, she and Pinkie both nodding. "You will not be going without us."

Tyr gave them a weak smile. "I know for sure I want you to come with me. Because what I saw is not something I want to face alone."

–x–

"Well, I guess that was a decent first day of business," Solstice said with a small nod to himself, looking at the sack of bits behind his counter. It wasn't more than a couple hundred or so, but it was more than he had expected for only being open a single day. He smiled. First two hundred bits made through completely legitimate means. That's not saying all his retrieval jobs were illegal, but he had to call in a few favors and grease some rather greasy hooves for some items. But this time, a simple exchange of currency for an object he had simply stumbled upon while travelling. It just so happened to be a very rare sculpture.

He went over to his safe in the floor and secured his money before doing a walkthrough of his shop. A few pieces were out of place, no doubt due to browsers. He took a minute to put them back before letting out a soft sigh. Time to lock up. He trotted over to the door, going over what he had in his fridge to eat for dinner. Leftover pasta sounded kind of good. One of those times he wished he had learned how to cook. He was just about to turn the lock when a soft voice interrupted him.

"Are you closing?"

Solstice's eyes snapped open wide and he found himself looking up into the amused magenta eyes of none other than Sunrise. "Uh… oh."

The mare giggled. "I don't think that answers my question."

"No! I'll always make time for you—er, I mean, I was just about to close—er wait, no!" Solstice quickly smacked himself in the head with his hoof to stop his rambling. Sunrise was busy giggling at him, so he let out a sigh of defeat. "…Come on in."

He moved aside to let the mare enter, watching her as she looked all around in awe. "Are all these yours?" She asked.

"Sort of," Solstice replied, closing the door and rubbing a hoof against his forehead. "A lot of the stuff is mine, and some is from friends who just wanted to get rid of stuff. No room and all that."

"These things must be very old."

The gold stallion shrugged. "I've been to a lot of places and picked up a lot of stuff I just thought was interesting."

Sunrise glanced back at him, smirking. "You aren't a tomb raider, are you?"

"I'd rather not deal with dusty old curses. Just finding the random trinket here and there is good enough for me."

A small laugh. "Good. I'd hate to find out you were cursed by some evil artifact."

Solstice snorted. "And risk getting blasted by the Elements of Harmony or something? I'd rather not."

Sunrise gave a small smile at that, continuing to look around. Solstice followed, basking in the warmth of being next to the mare he had fallen in love with. It had been a while since their last date, and he had been worrying about contacting her. Before she left, he had to remember to ask for a mailing address or something. "Isn't there a second floor?" Sunrise asked suddenly.

"Hm? Oh right. I live upstairs, above the shop."

"Oh, how interesting."

"I'd invite you up there, but it's still pretty messy…"

Sunrise gave him a small smirk. "Perhaps you simply need a mare's touch. Show me to the disaster zone."

Solstice rolled his eyes but obliged his—well, was she his marefriend now? He'd have to clarify that later. When they reached the top of the staircase, he heard Sunrise gasp in mock horror. The living space was full of stuff, like books and some assorted hats and the like. Most of it was haphazardly strewn about, although there seemed to be some sort of organization to it. "Well, here's the tornado impact site."

"Were there any injuries?" Sunrise said, giggling at his joke.

"Just my pride," the stallion said. "I'm not exactly neat, although even I know this is too much…"

Sunrise giggled and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. "Perhaps I can fix that, in enough time. For now… the room."

Her horn lit up a brilliant gold, and the objects in the room began to shift about and get into a sort of order. Solstice sat on his appropriated couch, watching with mild amazement. She made it look so easy. "You must do this a lot at your job," He said without thinking.

Sunrise glanced back, frowning slightly. "Well, I suppose you could say that. I do handle a lot of paperwork."

"Sounds like a pain."

"It is. However…" She smiled over at him. "These moments are… good. I enjoy them."

Solstice smiled. "Nice to know you enjoy spending time with me."

"I mean it, Solstice. I have not spent time with a stallion like this in many years."

"I have to say I'm surprised. You're a very beautiful mare—and you haven't been hit on?"

"…No. I do think I'm imposing at times. Some stallions are afraid of me."

"I wonder why."

Sunrise sighed. "Perhaps it's because some stallions do not like a mare in power over them."

"That's a thought." Solstice grinned. "I don't think I mind though. Although Flame Ruby was quite the… well, she was the assertive one in our relationship."

Sunrise glanced over her shoulder to give him a suggestive look. "Oh? You enjoyed being on the bottom?"

Solstice coughed. "Not particularly. Although Ruby was the type to still give orders even when she was on the bottom."

"Such a strong mare."

"Worth all the strife, especially since I got Sunset out of the deal."

"You consider Sunset a bonus?" Sunrise giggled.

Solstice thought for a moment, watching as a picture floated over onto a bookshelf. It was one of him and Sunset, no doubt right as she had gotten into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She was happy, while Solstice was looking down at her, beaming. "…Well, she's certainly special an immensely special pony."

"…True." Sunset turned back to the room, putting away the last few things. Solstice had to admit, the room looked a lot neater. He could even see his little dining table! "So, have you had dinner yet?"

"No, but all I have is leftovers really."

"You don't have _any_ ingredients?"

"Er… Maybe?"

Sunrise rolled her eyes and went over to his fridge. There were a few random fruits, a couple containers with leftover food, and a jar of cheese dip. "…How long have you been here?"

"I eat out a lot!" Solstice protested. Then he blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Plus I… I really don't cook."

"…Oh dear. Well, I will let it slide this time. Next time I come by, I will bring food." She retrieved the leftover pasta, the cheese dip, and snagged a large bag of tortilla chips on the counter before returning to the table. "This will do for now."

"…I think I'd like that. Are you a good cook?"

"I don't get to cook for myself that often, but I do believe I'm a better cook than my sister."

Solstice's ears perked at that. "You have a sister?

Sunrise winced slightly as she pulled the bag of chips open. "Um… yes. I do. She lives with her husband in Ponyville."

"I figured she'd be living in Canterlot somewhere."

"She used to, but… her husband is very well connected to Ponyville. Plus, I don't think she liked it here."

"Oh, I see. Do you get to visit them often?"

"Not as often as I like." She said sadly. "Plus, her husband recently got a very important job, and she's worried she is becoming distant to him."

Solstice nodded. "I assume you still send her letters?"

"As much as I am able to."

"Well, at least you keep in contact." Solstice levitated a cup of water over and took a sip from it. "I'm pretty much estranged from Flame Ruby's side of the family, and I only have one brother who I haven't seen since Sunset's birth. No doubt he doesn't want to see me anyway…"

"You should try to connect again," Sunrise suggested, popping a chip into her mouth. "It's never good to be at odds with family."

"Not exactly at odds, more like… he promised to put me in prison if he ever saw me again."

"…what?"

Solstice let out a sigh. "…I didn't want to do this today, but… I guess I need to tell you."

The mare frowned, drawing back a bit. "…Tell me what, Solstice?" She asked warily.

"…My previous profession. I was… well, I am a professional thief." Solstice looked down at the floor. He didn't want to see the expression Sunset had right now. No doubt it was horror or… revulsion. "When I told you I had self-made riches, I meant that I had amassed a very large fortune through stolen goods and misappropriated bits. From Canterlot to Trottingham, I stole at least enough money to pay travel expenses. At mot enough to suitably settle down in a pretty big house. Every last bit was unjustly earned. I was really good at it, until Flame Ruby caught me."

"She caught you?"

"I had broken into her home in Vanhoover. She had a very large gem that a client had their eyes on, so I was hired to steal it. She was waiting on me when I got in."

Sunrise's eyes narrowed. "And she didn't report you?"

"No. She was actually happy. Turns out she was a security specialist for owners of precious gems. I was the first pony to ever break past all her traps and alarms. She made me dinner as a reward."

"And you two… started dating?"

"Not at first. She told me to leave so that she could try and stop me again. For at least a week we went through the same motions—I would break in, she'd treat me to dinner, and then I'd leave. It wasn't until the week had passed and my client told me to hurry it up that I brought it up with her. Apparently she had refused to sell the gem to that pony in particular, and he wanted revenge."

Sunrise frowned slightly. "I'm guessing she wasn't surprised that that particular pony had hired you."

"That's right," Solstice said with a nod. "She asked me to help her get revenge."

"And did you?"

"I did. That pony was rich because of the efforts of others, so we devised a plan to circumvent all his securities and rob him instead."

Sunrise was quiet for a bit. "So you stole from him instead?"

"…Yes. We did. And when the dust was cleared we left him with half of his wealth and none of his pride."

"So then what happened?"

"Flame Ruby and I left Vanhoover and moved to Los Pegasus for a while. After that, we moved to Canterlot. Then after a few years, we had Sunset. I guess the rest of the story is pretty obvious."

"When did you decide to stop stealing?"

"When Flame Ruby passed away, I became a single father. I needed the income to take care of Sunset, so I continued stealing. I did do the odd job here and there, but nothing major. Sunset caught me coming home from a job one night. She had stayed up all night to show me her grades she got in school. She knew I had been working, but was willing to wait for me, no matter what. I promised Sunset that I would do my best to stay away from illegal jobs. Then she got into Celestia's school and accepted as the Princess's personal protégé."

"You must have been so proud."

"I was." Solstice smiled softly. "That little filly is everything to me—everything I did after Flame Ruby's death was for her. She may not know everything I did, but I'd do it again for her in a heartbeat."

Sunrise chewed thoughtfully on a chip. "…You know, I could report you to the guard for this sort of thing. You just admitted to robbing ponies of their hard earned money in several different cities in Equestria."

Solstice shrugged. "I suppose it was going to happen eventually. I guess I can only really be happy that I got to see Sunset again and that I met you."

"You… you trust me that much?"

"To be honest, I'd be more surprised if you didn't report me to the guard. I was a pretty callous pony back then, and I guess falling in love and having a kid made me soft. All Sunny had to ever do to get me to do something for her was call me Daddy and hug me."

Sunrise glanced over to the wall, where there was a dresser set against it. On it was a picture frame, with a picture of a much younger Sunset being hugged—obviously to her embarrassment—by a grinning Solstice. "…When was that?"

"Huh?" Solstice glanced over and spotted the picture in question. "Oh. I think that was after her first year in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I had stopped by to visit, and we went out together."

"You truly love your daughter, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"And… Do you love me?"

Solstice blinked. "I… er… well, yes. I do. Is that bad?"

"Far from it," Sunrise said, moving around to his side of the table to his surprise, she leaned against him. "The resolve you showed in telling me all of that, in addition to admitting your love for me… it has been some time since I felt trust like yours. And truly… I do feel very strongly about you."

"So do you love me back?" Solstice mentally cursed himself for how weak he sounded. This mare beside him just seemed so… superior to him, and so powerful. Yet at the same time she was a comforting presence to him.

There was a soft giggle from the mare. "Yes, I do. You are unlike any stallion I have ever met, and I find myself drawn to you. I enjoy this feeling of… closeness."

Solstice swallowed heavily. "…Sunrise?"

"Yes?" Her magenta eyes turned to gaze down at him, that sweet smile on her lips.

"…Stay the night?"

That seemed to catch her off guard. However it was only for a fleeting moment, and then the smile returned. This time, it seemed to make her radiate light. "…I do believe I would like that."

–x–

"I really hate the Everfree," Chrys murmured quietly, fluttering her wings to shake off a leaf. She and the rest of the Winter family had come into the forest at the request of their patriarch, and were now slowly working their way through the overgrowth. The Elemental in question was leading the way with a single Recorder floating overhead. That was so Cindy could see what was going on.

Tyr gave her an apologetic smile and patted her head. "Sorry Chrissy. But this is important."

The Changeling blushed slightly, turning her head away. "I-I do not mind it if it is so important to you."

"I am still a bit concerned," Rarity said, chiming in from behind them. "This is still the Everfree, and I still do not feel safe here."

"You will be perfectly fine," Luna assured her. "You are safe with all of us here."

"I will take your word for it…"

"How much further, Beloved?" The Princess of Dreams asked, turning to the man.

Tyr looked around at his surroundings for a moment. "…We're close."

They entered into a clearing and found a very peculiar sight before them. Sycamora was sitting in the clearing, a pack of Timberwolves arrayed around her. Upon hearing them approach, she glanced back in their direction. "Ah, if it is not the Blizzard and his companions. What brings you to the Forest?"

"I'm guessing you found something peculiar today?" Tyr asked amiably.

Sycamora narrowed her eyes. "You seem to possess the gift of foresight, Blizzard. I did indeed find something unusual. Something I believe you would know about."

Luna frowned, glancing between Tyr and Sycamora. "What is she talking about, Beloved?"

"If you don't mind?" Tyr asked Sycamora, who nodded. The gathered Timberwolves parted slightly, revealing a sight that none of the ponies had expected. There was a young human woman backed up against a tree, obviously wary of the creatures surrounding her. She was dark skinned and slim, dressed in a form fitting blue jumpsuit. Her reddish brown hair was tied back away from her face in a bun, and her black eyes were watching them all with suspicion. However, when those eyes fell on Tyr, they grew wide.

"…Tyr?"

Tyr nodded slightly. "It's… good to see you again, Freyja."

Luna and Chrys both turned to look at him in shock. "Freyja? As in… your younger sister?" Luna asked slowly.

"Indeed."

"How could she be here?" Chrys demanded in a hiss. "The humans from that world didn't have the magic to travel between worlds!"

"You've already gotten close to the ponies, huh?" Freyja asked, chuckling weakly. "I've only managed to meet just the one…"

"Sycamora is a bit… paranoid," Tyr said, walking over beside the wood-pony and patting her head. She seemed to be surprised by the action, mostly just staring up at his hand when he stopped. The Elemental glanced over at his former little sister, noting that she looked a lot older than he remembered. "…You seem older."

"And you don't seem to have changed much," Freyja countered, that happy smile not leaving her face. She gestured to his face. "You've got a bit more stubble, but that's about it."

Tyr rubbed at his face thoughtfully. He indeed had been growing a beard. "Huh. I never really noticed. Why didn't anypony tell me?"

"I thought you were going for a more rugged look, dear," Rarity pointed out. "Not that I mind…"

Pinkie grinned. "It's kinda funny when you're all scratchy scratchy!"

Luna blushed. "…I thought it made you look… handsome."

Chrys nodded in agreement. The Recorder next to Tyr turned to examine him. "It does make you look more like your father, Operator," Cindy's voice told him.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks for that vote of confidence."

Freyja frowned slightly. "…'everypony', huh…? Seems you've gotten used to this place."

"Well, I've been in this world for about three years, it was bound to start rubbing off on me." Tyr shrugged.

"Only three years?" Freyja stared at him in shock.

"Well, it's been five since I left the other one. Our home, I guess."

The woman shook her head sadly, before sighing. "Tyr… you've been gone for twenty years."

There was a group of collective gasps. Tyr, however, looked thoughtful. "Well, Jehu did tell me about how time runs at different speeds between some worlds…"

"Who?"

"A friend."

"Uh huh…"

Luna cleared her throat before moving up beside Tyr. "Freyja, has it really been twenty years since we left?"

"…That's Luna, right?" Freyja asked, getting a nod in reply. "Huh. Pony Princess. Well, to answer your question, yes. After you all left, things got… weird."

"How so?" Pinkie asked. "Like, funny weird, awkward weird, or crazy weird?"

"A bit of all three. After you left, the agency that had employed Nanna suddenly vanished."

Chrys sniffed. "Not surprising. My Master tells us he slew their leader."

Freyja glanced over at Tyr for just a second before nodding. "Well, whatever he did, it caused some sort of chain reaction. Nanna's machines took off after she unveiled her more… advanced ideas."

Tyr frowned. "Like what?"

Freyja was silent for a bit, before lifting up her arm. She pulled up her sleeve to reveal a gleaming silver surface instead of actual skin. Luna gasped. "Is that… a prosthetic?"

"A fully articulate mechanical prosthetic arm," Freyja clarified with a sigh. She wriggled her fingers. When she saw Tyr's horrified expression she gave him a smile. "I lost it in an accident. Lucky for me Nanna could replace it, huh?"

"How much has changed in that world?" Chrys asked.

"All the stuff that Nanna was keeping a secret she brought to the forefront," the woman said with a shrug. "New computers, new modes of transportation, new types of weapons… she made it all. I don't know how much of it was her and how much of it was because of that stupid Knot."

"She still has the Gordian Knot?" Tyr asked.

His sister nodded. "She does. And she jumped humankind's technology level at least several hundred years forward in just twenty. A lot has changed, big brother."

"Same goes for me."

Sycamora cleared her throat. "Blizzard. Are you going to be removing this one from the forest?"

Freyja made a face. "Why does she keep calling you that?"

"Sort of a long story. And yes Sycamora, we'll be taking her back to the Jötunheim."

The wood-pony nodded. "Very well."

"And by the way… if you wanted to drop by the castle, you can if you want to."

That got a dark color to show up on the forest dweller's face. "I…! I had noticed the change in the feel of the earth and wanted to see…"

"Don't be shy about it, just come by." Tyr smiled. "We'll be more than happy to welcome you."

"…I will consider it. Thank you."

"Well then. Freyja, come over here. Luna, do you mind?"

While the woman in question grabbed her small backpack and joined the little group, Luna simply lit up her horn. With a flash of cerulean they were back in the common room of the Jötunheim. Grace was already gone, and Charlie and Vanna were no doubt either asleep or working. Mitta, seated on the couch reading a book, flailed in shock as they appeared. "Done," Luna said softly.

"Welcome home, operator!" Cindy said happily. "And welcome to the Jötunheim, Miss Freyja Hymir."

Freyja frowned slightly, looking around at the interior of the ship. A terrified Mitta scurried away, no doubt confused and scared of what had just happened. "Despite all the stuff I've seen in my world, this is still leaps and bounds ahead of it…"

"Thank you!" Cindy said happily.

"I believe we have something we need to talk about?" Luna said, gesturing to the couch. Freyja glanced over at Tyr, who simply nodded.

"…Alright then," The woman said, shrugging.

Pinkie suddenly yawned. "I'm… pooped. It's been a long day."

"I agree with Pinkie-winkle," Rarity said, covering her own mouth and subsequent dainty yawn. "We were quite… stressed today, and it would be best if we got some sleep. I'm sorry my love."

"It's fine," Tyr said, reaching out to stroke her mane. "Get your rest. I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded, making her way to the bedrooms. Pinkie walked over and kissed him on the cheek before trotting off. Tyr smiled after her, before glancing back over to Freyja. The woman seemed utterly speechless. "…Um…"

"Before you assume the worst," Luna spoke up, sitting beside Tyr. Chrysalis took his other side, leaning against him. "Tyr has formed a herd with myself, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Chrysalis. We have all agreed to share our love with one another."

Tyr nodded. Freyja still seemed skeptical. "And that's not… strange? Or weird?"

"More commonplace here than you think," Chrys said, purring lightly as Tyr rubbed behind her ears.

"It may be strange where you come from, but it is an arrangement we have become comfortable with." Luna nodded slightly. "Now, the real order of business. How did you come to this world?"

Freyja let out a sigh and sat down in one of the chairs. "Well. Where do I begin?"

"The start is usually a good place," Chrys said with a little giggle. The visiting woman rolled her eyes.

"Right. Well, after you vanished and that castle you had crumbled to dust, Nanna became almost obsessed with that stupid Knot of hers. It was always 'what can we learn' or 'what invention can I make next'. The only time I saw her not doing something like that is when I got married."

Tyr blinked. "You got married?"

"Yeah, I did." She held up her hand, revealing a gold wedding band on her ring finger. "Though only for a short time. He was… killed in a raid."

"A raid?"

"Our sister didn't make a lot of friends," Freyja said with a sigh. "There were many other groups that wanted her technology and were willing to kill for it. Bryan was… he was part of the security team since I was helping Nanna. One particular attack was quite brutal."

Tyr frowned. "How brutal?"

"Three dozen dead, including Bryan and Sif."

The Elemental's head snapped up, silver eyes narrowed. The entire room got several degrees colder. "…What happened?"

"They bombed the base we were staying in," Freyja said, rubbing at her arms. She flexed her mechanical fingers a bit before continuing. "Sif was staying there because she wanted to stay close to me and Nanna. Her room was right against the wall they blew in."

"…Is that when you lost your arm?"

"It was crushed by a blast door," Freyja said softly. "Amputated on the spot."

Tyr was silent for a long minute. Luna and Chrys shared a worried look, the former placing a hoof on his hand in support. After a period of self-introspection, Tyr buried his face in his hands and let out a shaking sigh. "…Damn it."

"Nanna wanted to try and save her, but there was… nothing she could do. Nothing any of us could do." Freyja fell silent. "But the next day, it was business as usual."

Tyr couldn't decide whether he should be furious Nanna pushed on despite losing their baby sister or proud that it hadn't broken her. He decided to simply return his attention to Freyja. "…So how did you get here?"

Freyja shrugged. "Some gate thing that Nanna built. I don't know what she did with it, but I volunteered to go. Somehow it ended up with me in the middle of that forest. And then surrounded by fricking wolves made of wood, and then you and your pony posse show up."

"Perhaps Sycamora would have tried to bring you to me," Tyr said thoughtfully. "But regardless. Blind luck brought you here?"

"Seems so."

"Awfully convenient," Chrys said warningly. Tyr glanced over at her, noticing her very pointed gaze at Freyja.

The woman shrugged. "Nanna was sort of rushing when she sent me. I guess she had a very specific window."

"And how are you going to get back?" Luna asked.

"I'm… not sure really. Never crossed my mind."

Tyr sighed. "…Well. You are my sister, so you're free to stay here until we find a way to get you home."

Freyja was silent for a moment. "…Thanks, Tyr."

"Of course."

"Well, I suppose that's the end of this discussion for now," Luna said, rising. "I need to go about my duties. I will see you later tonight, my beloved."

"I'll be waiting," Tyr replied, leaning up to kiss her. Luna returned the gesture eagerly.

"Duties?" Freyja repeated, watching the two of them. If it disgusted her that her brother was kissing a Technicolor pony, it didn't seem to show. She seemed more interested in what Luna meant.

"I patrol the sleeping world of ponies to protect them from nightmares," Luna stated. When Freyja simply stared at her, she giggled. "I am not surprised that is strange to you. Good night, Freyja."

"Mm," the woman responded, staying relatively quiet. Chrys stayed there quietly, before a mental complaint from her daughter made her get up and leave. Tyr stayed there with Freyja, the other woman staying relatively quiet. Finally, she looked up at him. "You're not going to bed?"

"I was asleep for most of the day, so I'm fine." Tyr gave her a small smile. "Plus, you looked like you wanted to talk to me alone."

Freyja smirked. "Well, nice to see you haven't lost that sense of yours. Yes, I needed to talk to you."

Tyr opened his mouth to reply, when a small voice called out to him. "…Father?"

Both Tyr and Freyja turned to see Ancè standing a little ways away from them, her mane and tail tied up in preparation for bed. Upon seeing him, her eyes widened, and she briskly walked over to him. Without saying a word, she climbed up into his lap, snuggled up against his chest, and settled down to sleep. Freyja raised one solitary eyebrow. Tyr simply chuckled and stroked Ancè's mane comfortingly. "She's my daughter."

"She is?"

"Well, to put it simply, I have five kids by blood at the moment," Tyr explained. "Then there's Sherry, who you already know."

"…You've been busy."

Tyr chuckled slightly. "Sort of. Although I wasn't expecting Ancè to be like this…" He glanced down at the young unicorn in his lap, letting his hands go from her head to her back. She seemed to appreciate the gesture, nuzzling up close to him. "Given that, she's extremely adorable right now so I don't want to make her move."

"…Fair enough, I guess." She giggled. "Always a softy."

Tyr resumed his comforting motions on Ancè's back, getting a small noise of what he assumed was happiness. He glanced back over at his erstwhile sister. "…So, what did you want to ask me?"

"That whole blizzard thing. What was that about?"

"I'm an ice elemental," Tyr replied, holding up his free hand and forming a crystal of ice in his palm. "…Unfortunately, it seems we're not related by blood."

That seemed to cause Freyja some distress, before she shook her head to clear her shock. "We're… we're not?"

"Mm. Seems my real mother left me with your mom and Nanna before erasing their memories of that whole event."

Freyja frowned. "Why… why would she do that?"

"To keep me safe, but from what I'm not completely sure."

"…Fine. Blood or not, I still see you as my brother."

Tyr smiled at that. "Thanks, Freyja."

She grinned suddenly, causing Tyr to look at her in confusion. "Remember that play Nanna had us go to? The Shakespeare one?"

"I think it was Hamlet," Tyr said thoughtfully. "What about it?"

"Remember that Sif fell asleep in the middle and started snoring so loud you had to sneak her out?"

Tyr smirked. "I remember her drooling on you."

"She drooled on you too!"

"I think she even drooled on Nanna."

Freyja giggled. "She was so upset when we woke her up. Something about a dream full of cheese?"

Tyr couldn't help but laugh as well. "Sif did love her cheese."

At that, the memories just came flooding out, of school dances, and dates taken, events missed and smiles shared. Tyr couldn't help but let the smile on his face keep growing as he and his sister reminisced, and told new stories. Of particular interest was how Freyja had met her husband Bryan and how elated Sif had been. Likewise Tyr gave her a few stories of his time with Jehu, at least the ones he was allowed to talk about. They didn't even realize that the time had flown by until Tyr felt Ancè lightly snoring in his arms. "Oh dear, I almost forgot about this little one."

"Your daughter, from one of the other mares in your herd, right?" Freyja shook her head. "Polygamy. Weird, but I guess when you consider the race in question…"

Tyr shrugged. "It's an acquired thing. I'm happy with a big family though."

"…Speaking of family…" The woman frowned, chewing at her bottom lip. "Big Brother… there was something I was told I should ask you if I ever got the chance."

"…What was it?" Tyr narrowed his eyes slightly.

"…Would you come back with me?"

"Not a chance," Tyr replied smoothly, not missing a beat. "I'd be a lot more angry with you Freyja, but I know that Nanna asked you to ask me that."

She winced, letting Tyr know that he had hit the mark. "I… Our family is falling apart, big brother. Nanna won't stop working, Sif is gone… What happened to us? I thought… I thought we'd never grow apart…"

Tyr wanted to feel some sort of frustration or anger, but he couldn't. There was just a cold void where his affection for his old family used to be. That was not to say he didn't care about and love Freyja, but… "Sorry Freyja. If it's any consolation, you could just not go back. This world isn't so bad."

"…I don't know if I could get used to it that fast," Freyja said with a little cough. She looked away. "Especially not in the way you have."

"Blame my mother's preferences," Tyr said. He stood up, lifting Ancè into his arms. The filly squirmed at being lifted, but stayed asleep. "Getting used to it or not, you're stuck here, Freyja. Might as well make the best of it."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to put Ancè in bed. Do you need a room readied or…?"

"I can handle the couch." He started walked over to the door leading to the bedrooms, pausing slightly when he heard Freyja cough one more time. "…I love you, big brother."

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "I love you too, little sis."

He moved to the door, preparing to take Ancè to her room and tuck her in. But when he heard footsteps behind him, he frowned. Did Freyja want something? Just before he could turn to see, he felt something impact his shoulder. Judging from the sharp pain there, he had just been stabbed. "Operator!" Cindy cried out.

Tyr shot his arm back automatically, knocking his assailant back. The shock of the impact had made him lose his grip on Ancè, and the little filly thudded to the ground with a surprised squeak. "F-Father?"

The man whirled on the spot, eyes widening in horror at his sister who was crouched in an aggressive stance. Her bloody knife was in her grip. "Freyja, what the hell…?" He began, before noticing the blank look in her eyes.

"Operator!" Cindy cried out again, rushing from around her station to try and intercept Freyja. However the woman simply smashed her mechanical arm into Cindy's side, tearing a gash into her side. Mechanical parts went flying.

Ancè screamed. Tyr blocked the noise out as he focused on his sister. "Freyja, what the hell?"

[She is not in control] Fenrir thought hurriedly. She appeared on his shoulder, growling lightly. [Something has been done to her—her mind is gone]

[What?] Tyr dodged to the side as Freyja attacked again without warning, knife angled for his throat. Using her momentum against her, he shoved her aside, knocking her into the wall. Like this, she'd never get to him, as Tyr had much more combat experience and skill. But she was trying to kill him, while Tyr was simply aiming to protect Ancè.

[You remember the indoctrinated soldiers we met before? This is just like them]

Tyr focused on Freyja for a moment. Her eyes were blank, except for what seemed to be a faint light of recognition in her eyes. A feeling of horror fell over him as he realized what that meant. Freyja had been mentally conditioned to attempt to kill him. He scowled. "Whoever did this is going to pay."

Freyja leapt forward again, and Tyr hammered his hand into her chest and tossed her over onto the couch. "Father… what… what is happening!?" Ancè whispered, clinging to her dad's leg.

"Someone has done something to her," Tyr said, narrowing his eyes as Freyja got back up. Her breathing seemed a bit ragged as well. "And I have to stop her."

The door behind him opened up then, revealing a confused Luna and Chrys. "Beloved, we heard Ancè scream, what—?"

Tyr glanced back momentarily, which was the opening the mind-addled Freyja was waiting on. She leapt towards him again, blade held high. Even as Fenrir was yelling a warning to him, Tyr was already moving. He swung his arm up, the hidden blade in his gauntlet snapping out for the killing strike. But just before she could get to him, a cerulean aura of magic snared her in midair to arrest her movement. "Ah," Tyr murmured, glancing back at Luna. The Princess of Dream's horn was lit up brightly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Luna asked evenly. Her blue eyes narrowed at Freyja. "I thought you would be fine with just your sister, but I see that I was wrong."

"She's not herself," Tyr said quickly. He mentally admonished himself for being to ready to kill Freyja. The blade on his wrist retreated with a snap. "She must have been conditioned to respond to a trigger to kill me."

"Conditioned?"

Chrys frowned, her own twisted horn lighting up. "…I see. It seems she is trapped behind a series of mental blocks."

Luna glanced back at her. "I am not following."

"She has a set of mental commands placed on her that put her into this state."

Tyr nodded, kneeling down beside Ancè. The filly quickly threw her forelegs around his neck, hugging him tightly. "It's okay, sweetie. Your dad's okay."

"I require a reason for not ending this woman's life, my love," Luna said softly, gesturing with her head to the still immobilized Freyja. "She threatened you, and attempted to kill you in front of one of our children."

"She's not to blame for that," Tyr said with a frown. "Something was done to her, and she can't…" He trailed off as Freyja suddenly began coughing violently. All of them turned to her, just in time for her to cough up blood. The shock of it made Luna drop her unceremoniously to the ground.

"Oh dear," Chrys murmured, as Tyr covered Ancè's eyes.

"Call Grace," The man said softly. When Luna didn't move immediately, he growled. "Call her, Luna!"

She winced at the sound of her name, before nodding. "…Grace. Attend me."

A moment or so passed, and then with a flash of pink light Grace was there. And of course, she was pissed. "Princess, I hope this is an emergency, because Vanna and I—!" She stopped, Freyja choosing that moment to cough up more blood. The medic glanced over at the suspended woman, the obvious question on her lips.

"My sister, somehow transported from her home world, and she suddenly started coughing up blood right after I said a trigger phrase to make her attack me," Tyr supplied. "Also, Ancè is here."

Grace spared the young filly a pitying look before fixing Tyr with her eyes. "Vanna's gonna be mad at you."

"Let him. Is there anything you can do for her?"

The medic looked back over at Freyja, her horn lighting up. After a moment, she frowned. "…She has mana poisoning."

"What?" Tyr's look of confusion was mirrored by Luna and Chrys's.

"It means that her time in this world has finally taken its toll," Cindy said, reminding them all that she was still there. A host of mechanical parts were showing from the area where Freyja had hit her, and her entire right side was immobile. "Her body is reacting to the latent mana in the air."

Grace nodded. "I've only ever seen this in non-unicorns around magical disaster zones. Normally, since all Equestrians have innate magic, it usually only shows as stomach pains or nausea. But since your sister isn't Equestrian, or magical…"

"It's toxic to her," Cindy finished.

Tyr swallowed heavily. He'd suffered from several poisonings during his tenure with Jehu and the Library, and was lucky enough that being a Chaos Mage made both his magical and physical biology hard to keep down. Plus having Isabel and Mercy, two accomplished herbalists and healers handy was always a good thing. A poisoning this serious was lethal unless you had the antidote on hand right that second. Doing his best to comfort his terrified daughter, Tyr glanced over at Grace. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"I've never dealt with lethal mana poisoning," Grace said sadly. "At this point, you'd have to ask Zecora for help—this is outside of my expertise."

Freyja began convulsing, a low, pained moan escaping her lips. Ancè whimpered a little bit, clinging to her father even more closely. Tyr glanced over to Chrys. "…Chrissy. Take her back to her room."

"P-Papa…!" Ancè whispered, tightening her grip on him. Tyr felt a pang of emotion run through him, since this was the first time Ancè had ever called him 'Papa' instead of 'father'. He gently stroked her mane.

"I'll be fine, my dear. Just go with Chrissy for now, okay?"

She sniffed, but nodded. "…Okay."

Chrys gently guided Ancè away from her father, the young filly not letting her eyes leave him until the door closed behind them. Tyr let out a heavy sigh. "…Okay. So what can we do?"

"The simplest thing to do is nothing," Luna offered. She winced when Tyr's eyes regarded her coldly. "I… I do not suggest that is what we do…!"

"I suggest you kill her now," Fenrir said, frowning. When everyone looked over at her, she shrugged. "The red haired one says there is nothing she can do. Finding the herbalist would take too much time. The Moon Princess has no healing magic, and there is nothing you or I could do, Alpha. Except for ending her suffering."

"She is in a lot of pain," Grace said softly, adding her voice to the wolf's argument. "If it's too much, I could—?"

"No." Tyr's voice was quiet, yet firm. He looked over at his sister, still convulsing and in pain. He got up and let out a hard breath. "…She's my sister, and my responsibility. Letting anyone else do this… would be an insult to her."

"I understand," Grace nodded. Luna stayed silent as Tyr walked over to the prone Freyja, the man kneeling beside her. He was silent for a bit, reaching out to touch her cheek. To his surprise, whatever mental conditioning had been done to her was no longer present. Her eyes regarded him as they had before—with love, and a small tinge of regret.

He let out a small breath. "…Freyja?"

"Big… brother…" She choked out. A hand lifted up, which was quickly taken by her brother. "…I'm… sor…ry…"

"It's not your fault," Tyr told her. He felt his aura come to life even as tears began to seep from his eyes. "It's… unfair what they did to you. But as always, your big brother will take care of you."

"I wish… I wish we could have all stayed together…"

"…I know. Goodnight, Freyja Hymir."

"Good… night… big brother…"

Tyr was silent, the chill working itself through himself and his sister. Slowly yet surely, she closed her eyes, slipping into unconsciousness. An agonizing minute passed, and the suddenly a flower made of ice bloomed over her heart. But instead of clear blue-white, it was a deep blood red. "What…? What caused that?" Luna asked softly.

"I did," Tyr said softly, reaching out to gently caress his sister's face. An older face than the one he remembered, but no less hers. Nothing but emotions and memories came to the fore as he looked at her. "An… Ice Elemental last rite. Reserved for those close to the performer of the rite."

"I… I see."

Tyr gathered up his sister's body in his arms. "…Cindy, if you're able, send a Recorder to contact Serenity. I'd like to bury my sister's body as soon as possible."

Cindy nodded, a console made of light appearing in front of her so that she didn't have to move. Luna moved forward to place a hoof on his shoulder. "Beloved… I…"

"I know," He said softly. With a ragged sigh, he shook his head. He leaned against her for both physical and emotional support, shaking slightly as she wrapped her hooves around him. "I know. I… I'm just tired of not being able to protect the ones I care about…"

–x–

It was a slow morning for Solstice, eyes flicking open and closed a few times before he finally embraced the brightness of the day. A little yawn escaped him before he could stop himself. "…Ha. Why in Celestia's name did I sleep so well last night… ah, right. I didn't sleep alone."

He felt the weight on the bed beside him, and the delicate hoof draped over his chest. The stallion grinned. Being with a mare after so long… it felt good. And Sunrise was, for lack of a better word, perfect. He twisted in bed to wake up his companion with a good morning kiss.

Only to find himself staring into the face of Princess Celestia herself, horn gently glowing. It took all of five seconds to process in the former thief's mind.

Sunrise had been there last night. Now there was an equally beautiful Alicorn mare there now. That meant one thing: Sunrise = Celestia.

To say that he threw himself out of the bed in terror was an understatement. He crashed into the bookshelf, sending the few books there tumbling to the floor. The noise was enough to wake up the Alicorn mare he had been sleeping beside. She leaned up on her forelegs, one coming up to rub at her eyes. "Mm… Solstice? What happened? Is something the matter?"

"C…Celestia…" He whispered, eyes wide.

Celestia giggled. "Oh come now. I understand you have a penchant for the theatric, but I am not…" She trailed off, a sudden frown coming to her face. The mare glanced down at herself, lifting up one hoof for examination. "…Solstice. What do you see right now? Be specific."

"A tall, Alicorn mare with a long flowing mane made up of morning themed colors," Solstice said matter-of-factly. "Otherwise known as Princess Celestia."

"…I see. Well. This is… something."

"We slept together," Solstice said.

"Yes, we did. I remember you being very… vigorous."

The yellow-gold stallion made a small noise of despair. "Oh by the sun and sky I had sex with the _Princess_."

"Oh come now. Was it that bad?"

"No, it was amazing—wait, that's not it!" He quickly shook his head. "I just had sex with my daughter's mentor! And the ruler of the nation! How am I supposed to feel?"

"Accomplished?" Celestia supplied, leaning back down on the bed.

"…Well, now that you say it, I do."

The Princess of the Sun giggled. "And besides—you've already revealed a dark secret to me. Now that you've told me you were a professional thief, what do you think happens now?"

Solstice blanched. She had a point—he had revealed all of his past life to the Princess of the entire land. She was well within her rights to imprison him for life. And yet… "I… I don't know."

Celestia scooted forward on the bed so that she was closer to him, and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "You could climb back into bed with your beautiful marefriend and enjoy the morning."

"Wait… you still…?"

"I wasn't joking when I said I loved you. You are unlike any stallion I've met in my many years, save for my sister's husband. You are kind, yet have your own dark past that you're attempting to atone for. And despite all that you're not giving up on yourself."

Solstice chuckled. "Sunset wouldn't let me."

"From what I know of her, that is very like her," Celestia giggled.

"True enough… Are you going to tell her?"

That actually got the Alicorn mare to look nervous. She bit her lip and glanced away. "Well… considering the fall out of having a suitor... especially one that's actually her _father_ …"

"I think we should tell her."

Celestia glanced over at him, before turning back to the wall. "…I suppose you are right. Only Sunset, however."

Solstice frowned. "Ashamed of your thief coltfriend?"

"Far from it," Celestia said firmly. "This has nothing to do with your past. I just… the attention drawn to you would be… quite a bit. The fallout from Tyr's arrival in the world has not fully gone away. I would hate to drag you through that unprepared."

The stallion moved to put a hoof atop hers. "Well, as long as you're doing it for my sake and not just because you want to hide me, I can live with that."

Celestia looked relieved. "Thank you so much, Solstice. You are the first stallion to simply treat me like a mare in a very long time, and I appreciate that. I would hate to lose you."

"The feeling is mutual," Solstice told her. Then, he glanced away nervously. "So… what happens with us now?"

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Like I said, you climb back into bed with me. We may or may not make love once more before I leave to tend to my duties for the day."

Solstice blinked. "You're… very forward."

"And would you love me any other way?"

"Most likely not."

"Then get back in bed—that's an order from your Princess." Celestia grinned and patted the space Solstice had vacated beside her. "Post haste, good sir."

"As you wish, Celestia." He climbed in the bed beside her, immediately being greeted by a fervent and sensual kiss. When they finally released one another, he found her warm smile still stuck on her lips. "What?"

"Hearing you say my name, without titles or honorifics… I like it."

Solstice grinned. "Then I'll be sure to say it more, Celestia."

The Alicorn's wings stiffened. Without warning, she hungrily claimed Solstice's mouth again. "Oh dear. I may be really late today…"

* * *

 **If you take nothing from this chapter, at least remember this: "Don't piss off your house."**

 **A dramatic reveal both ways for the Sun Couple, and it has only served to deepen their relationship. Tyr has one more bit of heartache, although he does have his family to support him. The next few chapters are already in the works, so be prepared for their arrival next week. I will warn you, I may be a bit late on posting (my girlfriend is getting a tooth removed, so I'll be taking care of her) but it will come. The Library appreciates your patience.**

 **Please leave a Review, a Comment, or just a Favorite or Follow, and don't hesitate to ask a question or just leave a criticism. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting for your Return.**

 **Until next time, my dear readers.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hello, dear Readers. I hope you all are doing well this fine day. As stated in the previous chapter, I had to take my girlfriend to surgery today. She's doing better (now that the numbness is gone) she's actually aware of her surroundings. Mostly. Anyways, comment time.**

 **Kevin Lapse: You know, I've never actually eaten pineapple.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Yeah, I had my wisdom teeth removed a while back. Being alone and dealing with that is not fun. And it's fine, I was hoping people were aware Sunrise was Celestia. I wasn't trying too hard to hide it, lol. And Tyr is on a down slope right now. His family will no doubt pull him back up. He has Pinkie Pie, after all. And no telling if Nanna was the direct cause.**

 **WarHusky2000: I think only Rainbow and Tia are ever described as having magenta eyes. And I wasn't disappointed that Chrysalis didn't get reformed, it was more so that she's depicted as being a bit more vindictive for no reason. And MLP is running a bit lwo on villains anyways. Unless they bring Ahuizotl or something. And yes, Tyr is running out of sisters. Maybe Nanna can be saved from a similar fate?**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Freyja's time with her brother was short, but at least they had the opportunity to say goodbye. Tyr never actually got to see Sif grow up. And Celestia's not the type to sugarcoat things. She screwed up, so she owned up.**

 **That's enough out of me. Onto a more lighthearted chapter!  
**

* * *

Chapter 39: In the Company of Friends

Vanna wandered the main yard of Wolfhome, golden eyes wandering. There were quite a few non Stone Ponies at the castle today, trading for gems and ores and the other goods the Stone Ponies provided. Some were even picking up large slabs of stone. It was becoming a little trade town, by all rights. Many of the ponies called out in greeting to him, and he replied in kind. As one of the three dragons that lived in the area, he was pretty well known. A flash of white caught his eye, along with the tell-tale glint of light off an opal. He grinned. "Serenity!"

The mare started at the sound of her name, before looking over to see him. As the tallest living thing in the area, he wasn't hard to spot. On top of that, he was wearing a black frilly dress with a silver choker. Such a peculiar appearance was enough to make him easy to see. A small smile appeared on Serenity's face. "Sir Vanna, I was wondering where you were."

He walked over and stopped beside her, giving her a smile of his own. "Hey there. You seen my idiot brother?"

Serenity frowned, tilting her head to the side. "…I do not recall you ever telling me you had a brother, Sir Vanna."

"I mean Tyr," Vanna clarified with a chuckle.

"Oh. You and Lord Tyr are that close?"

"Yeah, I like to think so." Vanna grinned. "So where is he?"

"I believe he is down in the Crypt," Serenity said, raising a hoof to her chin in thought. The Crypt was the new addition to the castle, where the bodies of the fallen had been buried. Freyja's body had been buried there at Tyr's request. For the past three days, he hadn't left Wolfhome, a pervasive cold surrounding the castle. The ponies inside didn't really mind, but for Vanna it was pretty obvious. Charlie was avoiding the castle like the plague herself. So on order of the Elements of Harmony, he had been sent in to retrieve their unhappy Ice Elemental.

Vanna nodded. "I figured. I know the way, so thanks."

"Of course, Sir Vanna."

The dragonkin made his way to the Crypt, easily finding it due to the wall designs that served as signs. A staircase led down into a lit chamber with several rows of graves. Seated in front of one of them was Tyr, the ever loyal Valor perched on his shoulder. Vanna walked over beside him, smoothing out the hem of his dress before sitting beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither deciding to be the first to speak. Finally, after about ten minutes, Tyr spoke up. "…Nice to see you."

"Glad you haven't died down here," Vanna said with a tiny smile. "Hate ta have ta drag your body out for identification."

"Carver brings me food and water. She's hiding over in that corner." He gestured with one hand. A small squeak of surprise gave Carver away.

The dragonkin chuckled at that. "How dedicated. But how are you doing?"

"…I'm… getting there."

"Your family is worried. So are Twilight and the others."

Tyr smirked. "I'd have thought Twilight wouldn't want anything to do with me for a while."

Vanna shrugged. "She was a bit skeptical when I went to her, but once I explained what happened, she softened up like iron in a furnace."

The Ice Elemental glanced around at him. "…You know that's an analogy no one but you would really get."

"That's why I get to use it!"

The two men laughed at that, a more comfortable air between them now. "So, sorry about dragging Grace away," Tyr said, once their mirth had died down.

"She explained everything to me after," Vanna pointed out. "Although I am highly upset that our… quality time was interrupted, it was for a good reason. Sorry there was nothing I could do to help."

"It was too late for her," Tyr pointed out. "I did what I could."

Vanna nodded. "You let her go peacefully. That's a good thing, Tyr."

"…Right."

"So!" The dragonkin clapped him on the back, almost knocking Valor off his perch. "The girls sent me in here to retrieve you for a picnic. You've kinda neglected us all for the past week."

Tyr looked over at his friend, raising an eyebrow. "I've 'neglected' you?"

"I'm a delicate flower!"

"Please no. If anything, you're a flower made of metal."

Vanna chuckled. "Well, regardless. Your family and friends want to attempt to pull you out of this slump, man. So come on?"

Tyr rolled his eyes, but couldn't help his smile. "Alright, fine. I've had Chrys asking if she can come see me for a week, and she was threatening to come barging in if I didn't come out by tomorrow."

"Then all is well!"

The elemental could only shake his head and get up from his spot. Before he followed Vanna out, he set something on the stone slab covering his sister's body. Her wedding ring. "This is yours, after all," He said softly.

They exited the Crypt, Carver hurrying along behind them. Almost upon exiting the cave, Valor stretched his wings and took to the sky. Vanna grinned at the sight. "Someone wanted to stretch his wings."

"He's flying a lot better," Tyr agreed, watching Valor make a circuit of the castle. Upon seeing him, a number of ponies began murmuring in surprise, until most of the Stone Ponies spotted Tyr.

"Lord Tyr!"

"He returns to us!"

Several other voices called out as a crowd of Stone Ponies gathered around Tyr to welcome him. Serenity came forward, followed by Etch and Petrus. "Is your period of mourning finished, my Lord?" She asked with a small smile.

Tyr nodded. "Thanks for sending Carver in to check on me."

"Carver?" The white Stone Pony glanced past to the Shaper in question. "I never sent her in there, my lord. She no doubt took it upon herself to assist you."

Tyr glanced back at the Shaper, noting the blush on her pale cheeks. He smiled. "Thanks then, Carver. I appreciate it."

"Anything to assist, my Lord," She said softly.

"Well, as a reward, how about you join us for this picnic?" He smiled. "I think the girls would like to meet my trusted aide."

"Your…!" She blushed furiously, eyes snapping to the ground. "Your praise is very generous, my lord…"

Etch rolled her eyes. "Please stop making her blush, my Lord. She is technically a high ranking Shaper."

Tyr grinned. "That just makes it more fun. I could tease you if you like, Etch."

"I would appreciate you refraining."

Serenity gave Tyr a warm smile. "I am glad you are recovered, my Lord. We have missed your kind and—somewhat teasing—nature."

"I only tease those I like," Tyr pointed out.

"Of course," She replied, rolling her eyes. Tyr grinned at that. For the first couple of weeks in their new home, Serenity had tried to be all business and formal in the way she spoke to him. But eventually, Tyr had convinced her to be more relaxed around him, something that had rubbed off onto the Shapers as well. They still respected him, but no longer treated him as though he was unapproachable.

Vanna put a hand on Tyr's back. "Well, we're requested by this guy's herd. Can't stick around for too long."

Serenity nodded. "Of course. Your family no doubt misses you, Lord."

"I suppose so," Tyr admitted. He smiled as Valor finished his 'stretch' and landed back on his shoulder. "I'll no doubt be back later. If anything pressing comes up, send a messenger."

"As you wish. Enjoy your time with your family."

"Thanks. Come on Carver."

The Shaper blinked in surprise as the Elemental and Dragonkin began walking away. "Huh? W-Wait!" She galloped to catch up to them, finding the two men laughing. "What's so funny!"

"I'm sorry for making you go through so much stress," Tyr told her, grinning. "Must be a pain to be my assistant."

Carver frowned at that, before shaking her head. "Not in the slightest, my Lord. If fact, I find your playful side part of the reason I am fine with being your assistant. I truly do respect you."

Tyr blinked. Then a warm smile crossed his face. "Thanks, Carver."

The Shaper smiled widely, but fell silent as they kept walking. Vanna was sort of leading the way, since he was the only one in the trio that knew where they were going. The crossdressing dragonkin had a little skip in his step. They walked on for a bit, passing through Ponyville proper. A lot of the ponies waved hello to them. That fact seemed to distress Carver a little bit, as she looked around in confusion. "Are all Ponies in this town so welcoming? They aren't freaking out about my appearance…"

"Well for one, you're just a gray pony," Tyr said, poking the top of her head. "One that wears sunglasses every day and has a gem in their forehead, but still just a pony."

Vanna grinned. "Maybe they find you cute?"

That got a blush out of the Shaper, who quickly shook her head. "N-No! I'm… well… am I really cute?"

"When you get all flustered like that, yes."

"…You two are incorrigible."

They all shared a short laugh then. They kept up their pace through Ponyville, coming out into fields on the outskirts. A minute later, and a relatively large group could be seen in the distance. Twilight, her friends, Luna and her knights, and all the children (plus Charlie) were seated amidst at least six large picnic blankets, all spread out and full of food and drinks. "Seems like everyone's here."

At the sound of his voice, several heads turned. However Pinkie had the most noticeable reaction. She jumped up and literally _flew_ at him, catching him around the waist in a tight hug. "Well, we know she missed you," Vanna joked.

Pinkie grinned. "Target restrained. Alpha team: PONY PILE!"

Tyr blinked. "…What."

It was all he managed to get out before all five of his children leapt on him, their combined weight managing to bring him down. "Dad's better!" Jubilee squealed.

"I'm so sorry, Papa," Cori said, rubbing her cheek against his. "I wish I could have helped you…"

"Stop running off and doing stuff on your own!" Aurora admonished.

Aleron smiled. "You're always there for us, so let us be here for you."

Ancè was the last to speak, a small blush forming on her pale white cheeks. "Erm… Perhaps it is obvious at this point, but we love you, Papa. And when you are sad, we feel your pain as well."

Tyr blinked a couple of times, before Pinkie scooted up far enough to kiss his cheek. Despite the bright smile on her face, her tone was more measured and thoughtful. "You can't hide from us, Honey. If you do, we can't be there to cheer you up!"

"…Well, that is pretty true," He said with a chuckle, managing to sit up despite Aurora hanging from his neck. "Thank you. All of you."

There was a good natured chuckle from Vanna as Tyr stood up, covered in ponies. "Well, I don't know if that's adorable or just plain funny."

"I think it could be arranged for you too," Grace pointed out from her spot beside Charlie. "Come sit down you dorks."

Charlie snorted. "Total dork."

Vanna scowled as he, Tyr and Carver came over to join the group, the elemental managing to disentangle the majority of the ponies attached to him. By the time he got to his spot between Luna and Chrys, only Aurora was still stuck to him. Jubilee settled for hopping into his lap. Ancè, Aleron and Cori all gathered around him as well. "Seems all the spots are taken," Luna said amusedly. Rarity giggled from her other side.

"Aw!" Pinkie complained, but she was happy regardless. "At least it's cute!"

Applejack chuckled. "Well, I reckon you've got the happy family, huh Tyr?"

Tyr nodded at that, reaching over to ruffle Aleron's mane playfully. "Yeah, I should spend more time with them, shouldn't I?"

"You should!" Aurora said.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. "Well, we're all glad to see you back, Tyr."

"Oh?" Tyr raised an eyebrow.

"W-Well yes!" She blushed slightly, turning away. "Even if we have differing opinions, we're still friends… aren't we?"

"Of course, Twilight."

"Mom," Evie caught her mother's attention. "Who's that behind Tyr?"

Carver made a small noise as a cerulean magical aura dragged her from her spot behind Tyr. Luna smirked at the confused Stone Pony. "Do not hide behind your Lord, Carver. Introduce yourself."

The Stone Pony looked to Tyr, who simply nodded. She turned back to the group and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Hello everyone, my name is Carver Inscription, a Shaper following the way of Protection. I currently serve as Lord Tyr's personal aide."

"Personal aide?" Twilight frowned. "I thought Serenity did that?"

"The Seer is one of Lord Tyr's 'advisors' as it were. I serve as his messenger and servant. As well as his personal guard."

"A servant?" Fluttershy asked softly.

Tyr shook his head. "I don't treat her like one. If anything, she is like a secretary."

Twilight smirked. "Huh. The closest thing I have to a secretary is Spike, and even he has his own things to do."

"Although I kind of do that for you now," Starlight pointed out.

"Fair point."

"Carver's really nice!" Pinkie said, appearing beside the mare in question. Carver stared at her for a minute before Pinkie simply continued on. "She goes to the kitchen and stuff to get food for Tyr even when he doesn't ask!"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you attend to my beloved in that manner?"

The Stone Pony blushed even more. "I… I simply wish to be helpful…"

"Well, she certainly is dedicated," Rarity said with a little giggle.

"The other Shapers are really nice too!" Aurora added. "Like Shale and the others!"

"I still can't understand how you became friends with the older Shapers so quickly, Little Princess," Carver murmured.

Rainbow sat up at that, pausing the card game she was playing with Vibrant. "Little Princess? Who gave you that nickname, squirt?"

"The Shapers did!" Aurora grinned. "I don't know who started it, but it caught on quick."

"Aurora is an Alicorn," Bramley said thoughtfully. "Maybe that's why?"

"Fair to think so," Bright Soul said. "If the only other Alicorn they've met was Princess Twilight, then it is fair to assume Aurora is as well."

"Considering she's my daughter, she is already a Princess," Luna pointed out.

Twilight was still looking at Carver, frowning a bit. "…I remember now. You were in the room after the Diamond Dog incident."

Carver nodded and bowed her head. "I apologize for talking out of turn, but you must understand…"

"No, I get it," the Princess of Friendship said, a bit of a frown creeping into her features. "Like I said, I don't understand or accept your views but… even with different views, we can still be friends."

"Very well, Princess Twilight."

There was a surprised noise from the other side of the group. Everyone looked over to see Vanna sitting with Grace, the dragonkin with his head atop hers and his arms wrapped around her body. Despite being a red pony, she was still bright with a blush. Vanna looked at all the eyes focused on them. "…What?"

"Well, at least Grace won't be all snappy now that she's getting some attention," Rainbow said with a giggle.

"Watch it round the kids, RD," Applejack warned with a small grin at Grace's expense. "We all know Grace is a bit rough round the edges, but she wasn't all that bad."

The medic grimaced, before leaning back into Vanna's embrace. "…Well, at least I sleep better than I have in years. That tea your sister gave me really helped, Bright."

"I'll let her know," Bright Soul said with a little smile.

It was a comfortable atmosphere, Tyr thought, absentmindedly running his fingers through Cori's mane. His friends were all around him, his family was almost literally on top of him, and it was a beautiful day. It had been too long since he had just relaxed like this. "…Aurora, get off for a minute."

"Hm?" His daughter looked at him curiously, before letting go and dropping to the ground. The man laid back down on the grass, the wolf in him approving of how it felt against his skin. With one hand, he gestured to Luna to come closer.

"Um… Beloved? Is there a method to your motions?" She asked, deciding to move over anyway. Tyr grabbed her hoof and yanked her down to him eliciting a small eep of surprise from her. When he wrapped his arm around her, she realized his intent. "…Oh. I approve."

"Of course you do," He said, kissing her cheek. He glanced over at Pinkie and Rarity, who were sitting together on his other side. "Sorry girls, I'd offer you the same, but I'm currently covered in fillies and one colt."

Rarity giggled. "It's quite alright, my love. You haven't spent a lot of time with Luna lately, so do as you wish." A sort of suggestive smile crossed her gaze then, and she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "You can always make it up to us later."

"Oh dear Celestia," Rainbow groaned. "Gloat about having your guy here more, will ya?"

Vibrant grinned at his mother. "Lonely without dad, mom?"

"Oh don't you start!" She rubbed a hoof roughly into his head. She was grinning despite herself. "I don't know who you get that from, me or that idiot I call your father."

"Probably both," Chrys said dryly, getting giggles and chuckles from the rest of the group. Rainbow scowled at her, but it wasn't malicious. "Oh, don't make that face. You know it's true!"

"Yeah, whatever buggy!"

"Such a ridiculous atmosphere," Luna said with a little snort. Then, she nuzzled closer to Tyr with a smile. "But not one that I could see in the castle. Thank you, my love, for making this possible."

Tyr smiled right back. "Of course, Mani."

As the couple listened to their friends talk, their children play, and Valor's happy chirps from above, they snuggled together and enjoyed the fall day.

–x–

"Are you sure we're allowed to just walk into the castle?" Shining Light asked for the third time today. Sunset looked back at her and frowned.

"Light, come on. I told you it's fine—I am Princess Celestia's student, after all," The flame haired mare told her.

Behind those two walked (and rolled) Cienna and Song. The latter let out a little giggle. "Light, you don't have to be so nervous," the singer stated. "Not only is Sunset always welcome, so am I."

Cienna frowned, tilting her head to the side. "I thought Twilight Sparkle was Princess Celestia's student?" She asked innocently.

The other three mares turned to look at her, strange looks on her face. Sunset decided to take a shot at answering the question. "Well, Twilight used to be, but she's a princess in her own right now."

"I'm surprised you didn't know," Song said thoughtfully. "Twilight's been a princess even before the Merge."

"O-Oh!" Cienna giggled, embarrassed blush crossing her face. "I… um… I lived quite far out in the countryside, so I guess I wasn't able to get the news?"

The others all looked at one another, before Light nodded. "That makes sense. There are plenty of small towns out there that probably don't keep up with what happens here."

Sunset shrugged. "I suppose. Come on, Princess Celestia should be at the castle." The other mares followed, navigating the city streets before they reached the castle gates. A pair of guards stood there, stock still as they always were. Sunset walked over to them without hesitating. "Hey, can you open the gate for us?"

The guard she spoke to frowned just a tiny bit, before leaning slightly to look past her. "…I recognize two of your companions, but who is the last one?"

"Her name is Cienna," Sunset replied evenly, figuring out who the guard meant without looking back. "She recently moved in with us, and we thought it'd be nice for her to come to the castle with us."

The guard glanced over at his companion, who nodded almost imperceptibly. "Very well. Behave yourselves in the castle."

"Hey, I'm a good girl now. No worries."

"…Uh huh."

The first guard moved to open the gate, while the second one gestured to get Song's attention. "Yes?" The singer asked.

"Um… I'm a big fan of your work, Miss Heart Song, so I was wondering…" The slightly blushing guard held out a picture of the pure white unicorn, who took it in her magic.

"You'd like an autograph, I assume?" She giggled as the guard nodded vigorously. A small black marker emerged from inside her mane, and she quickly wrote out her name on it. "There you are."

The guard received the autographed picture with barely contained glee, while his partner sighed and shook his head. "…Goodness. Enjoy your time in the castle, Miss Sunset Shimmer."

"Thank you!" Sunset gave him a smile before leading her group past the gate. The front yard was clear as usual, and they made it to the castle without incident. "So, I didn't know you had groupies," Sunset said after a moment.

Song rolled her eyes. "You'd understand if you listened to my music."

"You always say that!"

"Song's music is really good," Light agreed. When the other mares looked at her, she shrugged. "What? Bright told me about her, since she works with her brother. I went and listen to her, and I really like her music!"

Song gave Sunset a smug grin. "See Sunset? Even Light knows my music."

The yellow unicorn groaned. "Fine! When we get the chance, I'll take a listen. Happy now?"

"Elated."

"…Come on. Someone's probably in the throne room right about now…"

Song and Light giggled, while Cienna just shrugged. Sunset grumbled a bit more, but stayed relatively silent for the rest of the walk. The castle was relatively empty to their surprise. There was the occasional guard on their patrol of course, but nothing interesting until— "Ace!" Song called out happily.

The pegasus in question had been speaking to a pair of guards near the throne room doors, the sound of his name making him jump. He turned quickly, the speed causing his helmet to spin and cover his face. "…Damn it."

Song giggled while her brother's two subordinates tried almost unsuccessfully to hide their amusement at their captain. "Stop being a dork, big brother."

"Can you stop being adorable?" He replied smoothly, fixing his helmet and beaming at his sister. "Don't answer that. You can kill with cuteness and I'd rather not be the first victim."

Song rolled her way over to her brother and the two white ponies embraced. Sunset watched the exchange without a word, remembering the story Song had told her. To anyone without that information, they only saw two siblings who were overly affectionate. To Sunset, she saw to ponies that had lived through hell together and come out with only each other to rely on. Song nuzzled her brother. "…I missed you."

"Enjoy your gift?" Ace asked when they broke apart. Song looked at him curiously, prompting a small chuckle. "Oh come now, Heart. I thought you liked wings?"

That got his point across. A little blush touched at her normally pale cheeks. "Oh! You got that for me? I thought it had been just a little happy coincidence…"

"Who else would know your preferences like that?" Ace told her, a deepness in the blood red of his eyes that Sunset could see. He leaned his forehead against his sister's. "To be honest, I almost enjoyed it before you…"

Song giggled. "I gave Sunset a taste. I hope you don't mind."

Ace's gaze flicked away from his sister for a moment, meeting Sunset's eyes for a moment. In the space of just a second some sort of comradery was established between them, the knight giving her a tiny, almost invisible nod. Sunset returned it. "Well, I've hugged my sister for long enough."

"No! I demand cuddles!"

"Later, you selfish dove!" Ace said, letting his sister go. She gave him a playful pout, before smiling. The captain of the guard glanced over at the group. "So, I'm guessing you're here for Princess Celestia, Sunset?"

"Not exactly," Sunset pointed out. She gestured to Cienna. "She wanted to see the castle, so we figured a pleasant visit was in order."

"Hm, fair enough. Oddly enough though, the Princess isn't back yet."

"Back?"

"Well, she slipped out last night without anypony noticing, and Princess Sherry and Princess Hope are currently holding court."

"Oh? Are they busy?"

Ace glanced at the two guards behind him, before turning back to the mare. "Well, sort of. But I do believe the situation would be… _expedited_ by the appearance of the resident court mage."

"Court mage?" Cienna asked, confused.

Sunset chuckled nervously. "Well, I technically _was_ Princess Celestia's student way back when, and she did say she didn't have anything to really teach me…"

"So she gave her the title of Court Mage instead," Ace finished. "She wasn't happy at first, but when we told her she didn't have to wear a specific uniform, she relented."

"Hey, it was a valid complaint!"

"The robes weren't that bad."

"Oh shut up," Sunset growled, but she was smiling. "So can we go in?"

"Go for it. You'll probably be a happy sight for Sherry to see."

The unicorn beside the main doors opened it, allowing Sunset to enter the hall. Almost immediately, she could see Sherry and Hope up on the dais, in their respective thrones. Flash stood to Hopes side, while Capstone stood beside Sherry. Before them were a number of ponies. They seemed agitated at something, which was revealed to be the other pony up on the dais with Sherry. "How can we trust this Stone Pony in our capital?"

Sherry rubbed her hoof against her forehead. "I'm still relatively curious as to why whenever something new pops up in our lands, you ask if they can be trusted. Fair, my dad is very dangerous, but the Stone Ponies are not."

"I'm pretty sure Obsidian isn't a threat," Hope said curiously. She tilted her head as she regarded the nervous Stone Pony a little off to the side of Capstone. She was still dressed in her Shaper cloak, although she looked torn between staying or running away. The golden Alicorn smiled. "She's actually really shy, and even learning to read like me!"

Obsidian blushed at that. "Lady Hope, please don't…"

"Does it matter?" The stallion who had spoken before said. "You yourself admit that your father is dangerous, and he leads the Stone Ponies. How can we expect him to act in the best interests of Equestria?"

"You forget about Tyr's reasons for even being here," Sunset called out, catching everypony's attention. Sherry and Hope looked at her in surprise, while Flash looked slightly relieved. The complaining ponies seemed skeptical at first, but the fire-haired mare continued on. "First off, isn't Sherry Tyr's daughter? Why would he want to put himself at odds with her?"

"On top of that, he's married to Princess Luna," Ace called, joining them. "Doubt he'd want to fight his wife."

Sherry gave them all a relieved smile. "It seems I have more business to attend to. Please, if you have more complaints…" A curious look crossed her face, and then she grinned. "Don't bother bringing it to me."

"Or me!" Hope said cheerily.

The ponies before them looked disgusted, before storming out as one group. Once the doors behind them closed, Sherry let out a frustrated sigh. "All day its 'Princess, what are you going to do about the Stone Ponies' or 'Princess I cannot get cheaper prices in the market despite my noble status', or 'why have you not considered getting married like Princess Cadance or Twilight'?" She frowned. "That sort of thing gets on my nerves."

"Nobles are a nosy sort," Sunset said. "I remember I was being pestered during the Gala. Some ponies even thought Flash was starting a herd. All because I was hanging around Twilight."

The named knight sighed. "That was an awkward night."

Sherry giggled. "So? What brings you and all of your housemates here, Sunset?"

The unicorn opened her mouth to reply, only to pause. She gave Sherry a once-over with her eyes, finally finding the thing that had caught her attention. "…Are you wearing a bow in your mane?"

Sherry blinked several times, the other ponies in the hall looking towards her. There was indeed a silver bow in her mane that tied it back into a ponytail. "Oh, er… yes, I am. I figured since my mane doesn't do the whole 'wave even though there's no wind' like mom and auntie's, I can do what I want with it."

"I think it looks cute," Song said with a smile. "And I assume the color is for your father?"

That got the Alicorn to blush a bit. "Well… yes."

"Hah! That's adorable," Sunset giggled.

"Whatever!" Sherry pouted. "What brings you here anyway, Sunset?"

"Just visiting. Plus, our friend here hasn't ever seen the castle." She gestured to Cienna, who bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Princess," the mare in question said. "It's… a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Sherry replied with a nod. "It's very seldom I get to meet common ponies on a day like this."

Hope nodded. "Auntie Celestia is playing hooky again."

The guards near the doors began snickering at that, while Flash just gave a long suffering sigh. Obsidian simply looked confused. "Um… Princess? What does the word 'hooky' mean?"

The snickers and small laughs increased. Sherry simply sighed and turned over to the Stone Pony. "Hooky means she ran off from work."

"Oh. But why would a Princess do that?"

More laughter. "Because she… wanted to have some time to herself?"

"Doesn't Tyr take off from his leadership duties to slack off once in a while?" Sunset asked.

Obsidian looked like she was considering it for a moment. "Well… Occasionally, he does go off to play with his kids… but the Seer takes over in his stead. Since there are so many Princesses, can't you just… take time for yourself?"

Sherry opened her mouth to reply, but then snapped it shut. Obsidian had a point—even with Luna staying on the Jötunheim, there were still three Princesses in Canterlot. Hope may not be one for holding court, but even she was capable of dealing with some paperwork. Maybe one of these days Hope could take over so she could see her dad… She didn't get much longer to think on it, for at that moment Princess Celestia herself came striding in to the throne room. If she was surprised to see the number of ponies that were in there, she didn't show it. Instead, she gave Sunset a warm smile. "Oh, hello Sunset. A pleasure to see you and your friends here."

"Nice to see you too, Celestia," Sunset replied. "Done hiding away?"

"I wasn't hiding away. I was relaxing for a bit—I knew Sherry and Hope could handle it."

"There were mean ponies today!" Hope complained. She pouted. "They yelled at me!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, my little ones," Celestia said, coming over to them. "But you may go for now, if you wish."

Sherry let out a sigh. "I need to look over some reports I finally got from the merchants. Along with written complaints and a couple of trade disputes. Maybe I'll even have to send for a few to talk to face to face…"

Celestia listened to Sherry's voice with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "It seems you're getting quite into what I have given you to do, Sherry. Perhaps…"

"Huh?" The chocolate Alicorn glanced at her senior. "Perhaps what?"

"I believe I will be placing you solely in charge over the financial status of Equestria."

Mouths fell open wide. Sherry herself could not think of anything to say. After a minute of silence Obsidian spoke up. "…What does the word 'financial' mean?"

Hope giggled. "I know that one! It means stuff about money, right?"

"Money?" Obsidian frowned. Then she brightened. "Oh! You mean bits, right?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. Although that is a bit of a small view of it. Sherry would be the authority on the budget, what amounts of bits need to be used in what, and so on so forth. If anyone wanted to use crown funds for something, they'd go to Sherry. She'd be second only to me in that regard."

"You… you trust me that much?" Sherry asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes." The Princess of the Sun said with a nod. "You have proven yourself over these last few years, Sherry. Therefore, I believe I should give you more responsibility. Are you alright with that?"

Sherry blinked. "I… I… yes! I didn't want to seem like I wasn't doing anything important…"

Celestia chuckled. "I see. Well, I will also be placing you over the Equestrian Airborne Fleet. Since it was your decision to increase the number of airships we fielded, I do not see who would be better suited for the job."

"I will… I won't let you down, Princess Celestia."

"I know you won't, my little one. I have full confidence in you."

Sherry beamed, before turning to Obsidian. "Come on, Obi. Looks like I get to teach you how to do math."

The Stone Pony and Capstone followed Sherry as she left for her own room. Celestia turned to Hope, but the gold Alicorn simply grinned at her. "I'm gonna go buy a kitten!"

She shot out a nearby window before anypony could say another word. Flash took a moment to smack a hoof against his forehead. "…Dammit. Now I have to go after her. Do you want me to stop her from getting the kitten?"

Celestia giggled. "No, let her have her pet. Sunset, I'd like to speak with you for a moment. Your friends may stay here for the time being."

Sunset glanced over at Song, who shrugged. "…okay…?" The two mares left the throne room, making their way to Celestia's solar. As they entered, Sunset noticed another pony was already there. Specifically: "Dad?"

"Hey Sunny," Solstice said, smiling nervously. "How's it going?"

"Fine… Celestia, what's going on?" Sunset turned to her mentor, confusion on her features. "Why is my dad here?"

Celestia was silent for a moment. "…Your father confessed to quite a few crimes, Sunset."

The gold mare's heart sank. "He… he did…?"

"Yes. You never told me your father was a thief, Sunset."

"I didn't think it mattered," Sunset said coldly. "All my father has done has been for someone else. The bits he stole went into helping me get a proper education, and supporting me."

"Stealing is still a crime," the Alicorn pointed out.

"Then throw me in the dungeon too. I stole Twilight's crown, after all."

Solstice sighed. "Sunny, this isn't why she called you in here."

"Then why?"

The stallion gave her a small smile. "I told Sunrise my past."

"What does that have to do with anything—!" Sunset paused, a thought grabbing hold of her. She looked between her father and Celestia, finally noticing the two of them were standing beside one another. The Alicorn put a wing over Solstice's back, pulling him close. After a minute of processing, Sunset's mind seemed to understand what she was seeing. Her eyes tracked over to Celestia. "…You're… Sunrise?"

"It is the name I chose for myself when I was… forced to go on a day off. I could not simply walk around the city as myself, so I cast a shape changing spell."

"And… the dates my dad was going on…"

"Was with me, yes."

"That's why you were sneaking out of the castle…"

"Indeed." Celestia looked over at Solstice and gave him a warm smile. "The past few nights have been spent together with him."

Part of Sunset wanted to retort that she didn't need to know that, but she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that her father was dating Princess Celestia. Not only that, but sleeping with her. Unfortunately, it proved to be too much, and she simply keeled over from the shock. "Uh oh," Solstice winced as his daughter collapsed to the floor.

"Well, that wasn't the worst reaction that we could have gotten," The Princess murmured. "Although I did expect her to at least try denying it first…"

"I may be a thief love, but I'm not a liar," Solstice admonished. "And you put your wing over me. I'm sure Sunny's read enough to know what that means."

"Fair. So I suppose we should wait for her to awaken…"

Sunset sat up then, shocking them both. "Oh! She's still alive over there."

"When did this happen!?" Sunset demanded, looking between her father and Celestia. Then, she held up a hoof. "Wait, no. I kinda already know. Cause you told me about your first date. Damn. Okay. I think I can handle this."

"You sure, Sunny?" Solstice asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I mean… it's still a shock, but… You're happy?"

"Very."

"And you're not… freaking out?"

Solstice grinned. "I've been freaking out since I found her in my bed with me."

"Too much information dad. Too much."

"You were the one who asked if we were sleeping together the first time!" Her dad countered.

"…Whatever."

Celestia giggled softly. "Perhaps in the future you'll be calling me 'mom' too, Sunset."

The mare frowned. "Obviously I'm okay with that, but I wasn't expecting it to happen like this…"

"However, I would ask that you keep this to yourself for some time. Not that I do not want to show off my relationship to your father, it is just…"

"Your ponies have gotten used to seeing their Princess alone and think she is above love," Sunset finished. Celestia stared at her for a minute, before sighing.

"Bluntly put, but you are right. Solstice has agreed, but we wished for you to know."

Sunset smiled. "Thank you, Princess. I mean… it's odd thinking that you're my dad's girlfriend, but at the same time I'm… just happy for him."

Solstice gave his daughter a warm smile. "Sunny…"

Celestia cleared her throat. "Well, we should return to the throne room before Ace comes looking for me," She pointed out. "I am supposed to be holding court."

"Then I'll see you later?"

The Princess of the Sun leaned over and kissed him gently. "Of course. But how are you…?"

"I have my ways," Solstice said, before dashing to one of the nearby windows and vaulting out of it. He was out into the garden and vanished out of sight by the time they moved to the window.

"…Well then. Despite his age, he is quite nimble."

Sunset chuckled. "He's still younger than you."

"Hey!"

–x–

Tyr opened his eyes, finding himself lying on a familiar open plain. Except this time, he felt closer to the tree that always loomed in the distance. He didn't feel like sitting up—his relaxed state was still comfortable. As he regarded the sky above, which seemed to be trapped in some sort of full moon state, he felt a tug at his consciousness.

[Your Princess requests entrance] Fenrir thought, catching his attention. He glanced over to the side, noticing the huge wolf lying beside him.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to let her in," He said.

[Simply give her permission]

"…Okay… Luna, you can come in."

"Strange," Luna's voice said, as her pony body materialized beside him. "Normally I can enter dreams with little issue. I have never required permission before."

"I am a Dreamer," Tyr told her, reaching over to run his hands through her mane. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he could feel the sensation of it despite being within his own mind. "Maybe that has something to do with it? And wait, I'm dreaming?"

"We fell asleep in the park with the others," Luna pointed out, smiling at him. "It is a daydream, but a dream nonetheless. Although… Why are you always in this place, Beloved? I have looked into your dreams several times before, but you are always in this field."

Tyr searched his mind for a bit. "Dreamers don't dream normally. If I'm actually having a dream, I go into that catatonic state like before. Dreamers create Mindscapes in order to keep their minds active while they sleep. From what I gather, it reflects a part of my soul, and the appearance matches how I feel."

Luna looked around. "I believe I can agree with that. It is calm and serene, much like you."

"You should have seen it after the Diamond Dog incident," Fenrir said with a snort. She was in her True form, lazing around. "Show her, Alpha."

"Do you want to see?" Tyr asked, looking at Luna. She nodded. "…Very well."

He closed his eyes, and the world around them changed. It went from a serene landscape to a ruined battlefield, blood stains and broken weapons covering the landscape. The massive tree was much further away, with leaves as red as blood. He heard Luna gasp beside him. "Beloved…this…!"

"I personally like this better," Fenrir said, smirking.

Luna moved closer to Tyr, foreleg wrapping around his arm. He could tell what she saw unsettled her. "Beloved…. Please. Change it back?"

Tyr didn't respond, instead simply relaxing his mental muscles. The landscape around him returned to its serene state. "Bah," Fenrir said, hopping up and dashing off. She vanished into the distance in a matter of moments.

"Is she upset?"

"Not particularly," Tyr said, letting his hands run down Luna's side. She turned to look at him. "What? You're soft."

"You can't help it, can you…?"

"All four of you have different feels," Tyr said thoughtfully. "Although all of you have one thing over Chrissy—she doesn't have fur."

"This is such a random conversation." She giggled, leaning down to kiss him. "But we should wake, my dearest. It seems we are being summoned."

Tyr could feel the gentle nudge on his consciousness as Chrys attempted to wake him and the sensations on his 'dream-self' as somepony attempted to shake him awake. He glanced over at his wife. "…Meet me here tonight?"

"I think I would like that. Should I attempt to meld your dreams with Rarity and Pinkie's?"

"Not yet. Let us have a few nights to ourselves."

Luna giggled, but Tyr was already relinquishing his hold on his mindscape. When he finally blinked himself awake, he found Chrys looking down at him. "…Enjoy yourself, Master?" She asked, a smirk touching at her lips.

"It was a pleasant nap," He replied, reaching up and pulling her to him for a kiss. "Thank you for watching over me."

Chrys blushed furiously, scooting away from him as he sat up. Before she could retreat too far, he reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Master…"

Tyr glanced over to the side, where a smiling Derpy sat waiting with her mailbag slung over one side. Despite being no more than a few feet away from him, the gray mail mare waved at him. "Hi Mr. Tyr!"

"Hello Derpy," The man replied with a smile of his own. He spotted Vanna chuckling out of the corner of his eye at the name. He shook his head softly, before looking back to Derpy. "Is there something you needed?"

"I had a letter for someone named 'Carver', and I was told to find you!"

She reached into her bag and pulled out a scroll marked with a bronze seal bearing crossed cinnamon sticks. Twilight trotted over to see, gasping quietly in shock when she saw the scroll. "Is that from Sherry?"

"Derpy said it was for Carver," Tyr said, motioning for the Shaper to come over to him. Carver did so, a bit confused at what was going on. "Here ya go. Wonder what Sherry wanted to tell you."

Carver stared at the scroll before her, a look of anticipation on her face. Everypony else had come over to see what was going on, gathering around Tyr and his smaller group. Eventually, Rainbow spoke up. "Aren't you going to open it?"

That got a blush out of the Shaper. "I… I don't know how."

Before Rainbow could complain or say something, Tyr grabbed the scroll and undid the seal. "Here you go, Carver."

"Thank you." She took the scroll in her mouth and unrolled it, eyes scanning the paper. After a second, a surprised look appeared in her eyes. "It's… It's from Obsidian."

"Who's Obsidian?" Applejack asked.

"My little sister. Lord Tyr sent her to Canterlot with Princess Sherry…" Carver smiled softly. "It says she misses me."

Rarity smiled warmly. "Aww. That's adorable. You and your sister are close?"

Carver nodded. "She became a Shaper because she looked up to me. Although she follows the path of Discovery instead, I'm still proud of her."

"She's with Sherry?" Twilight asked curiously, looking over at Tyr.

The man shrugged. "Seeing a Stone Pony in Canterlot will no doubt spread the word about them faster than just seeing them here in Ponyville."

"I suppose that's true."

Suddenly, Derpy jumped up. "Oh! I had another letter!"

"Who was it for, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Pinkie Pie!"

The pony in question blinked, looking up from the cake she had her face buried in. "What is it? I got a letter?"

"Mmhm!" Derpy extracted the letter and brought it over to her. When she hoofed the letter over to her, she grinned. "It tastes like rocks."

Pinkie stared at her for just a second before ripping open the letter. No one else got the chance to ask what was in the letter before she gasped loudly, squealed happily, and dashed away from the group. The letter was left in her wake, caught by Twilight's magic before it hit the ground. "I'd say that was crazy, but I know Pinkie," Rainbow muttered. She glanced over at Twilight. "What did that letter say anyway?"

Twilight scanned the letter. "Hm… 'Dear Pinkie Pie. It's been a while since we saw you, and since you told us so much about your growing family, we decided we'd pay you a visit. We'd like to spend the week down there as well, although Marble is nervous about meeting your friends. See you soon, Limestone, Marble, and Maud'."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I don't recognize any of those names."

"Those are all a Pinkie's sisters," Applejack said with a nod. "I met em one Hearth's Warming a year or so back."

"Hm."

"So why'd she run off like that?" Bright asked.

"…Oh." Twilight blinked. "There's a P.S. here. They're coming next week."

Vanna grinned as that realization hit Tyr. "Seems you get to meet your extended family, bro."

Rarity put a comforting hoof on Tyr's back. "Well, at least you don't have to meet _my_ parents just yet. I don't even know if they realize I'm in a herd yet…"

"Are Pinkie's sisters that worrisome?" Luna asked. "I expect them to be like her, but…"

Applejack shook her head. "That's just it. Pinkie's sisters ain't like her. They're… well, I reckon you'll understand when you meet them."

–x–

* * *

 **Incoming extended family! Not yet though, one more chapter before that. But As said, Tyr's family is there to pick him back up when he's at his lowest. Even his friends were there for him. He'll need their strength eventually.  
**

 **But that's spoiling. :D**

 **As usual, leave a Review if you like, a Comment if you will, or even a Critique if you so please. I'm glad you decided to Read, and I hope you Return for the next chapter of Lunar Legacy.**

 **The Library will be waiting, and thanks you for your patience.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Greetings once again, dear readers. Hopefully the wait for this chapter wasn't too strenuous. I'm currently fighting the desire to play two different RPGS in order to continue putting out chapters as fast as I am. Time management is a pain sometimes. This time around I only have two comments. But I know you all are still reading.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Or candied.**

 **WarHusky2000: Remember to drink plenty of water when you wake up. And Sherry has all new responsibilities and power! Now no one can challenge our Princess of Creativity!**

 **Well, a rather short A/N this time around. Means we get to the chapter faster.**

* * *

Chapter 40: Freak Accidents

"Why on earth did you bring me here?" Vanna demanded of Tyr, looking up at the crystal castle before them. The dragonkin was dressed a little bit more warmly, for according to the weather reports from Cloudsdale winter was coming in the next month or so. And it was already beginning to grow colder. After the initial discussion between Tyr, Serenity and the weather ponies of Ponyville, they had agreed to include themselves in the weather plan for the area. Not like they had much of a choice. The Stone Ponies had just been interested in meeting Pegasii for the first time.

Despite being clothed in a simply gray turtleneck sweater and Rarity's first attempt at jeans, the dragonkin had still wrapped himself in a bronze colored cloak. The Elemental ignored his friend's grumbling—Vanna was usually disgruntled whenever Tyr brought him out of his forge, although he was sure the dragonkin didn't truly mind. "Twilight wanted both of us for this experiment of hers, remember? Plus, you'd be complaining I _didn't_ bring you."

"Bah. Can't you just let me complain in peace without resorting to your logic?" Vanna smirked, prompting Tyr to give a chuckle of his own. Ever since the picnic a couple days past, the two men spent a lot of time hanging out together. One would say it was because they hadn't seen each other in five years. To them, it was making up for all the times they'd been separated simply because they hadn't bothered to go say hi. But as it were, whenever Tyr was out and about not doing work in Wolfhome, Vanna was typically with him. As if realizing the very thought, the tanned metalsmith gasped. "You're just trying to make me interact with the world!"

"Guilty as charged."

"Ah, you scoundrel."

Tyr grinned. "So do you really need all the cold weather stuff? It hasn't started snowing yet."

"Still cold," Vanna complained. "I'm a dragon, yes. But I'm still sensitive to cold. And I really do prefer keeping warm."

"Fair enough."

"Plus, I think you suck the heat out of the air around you."

"I do not." Tyr blinked. "…Wait, do I?"

The sound of wings caught their attention then, and they looked over to see Charlie flying over, a slightly distressed Evie in her arms. She set the filly down before landing near them. "Twilight called you two as well?" She said, glancing between her father and Tyr.

"I didn't realize she called you too," Tyr admitted, frowning. The female dragonkin was also wearing thick clothing, with more of a gold tone to her sweater and electing to wear gloves as well. "What does she need you for?"

Vanna raised an eyebrow. "And why do you have her daughter?"

"Dust," Charlie said, holding up her hand and letting the mysterious substance flow about her fingers. "I dunno what for, though. Oh, and Evie found me wandering town and told me."

Evie shivered. "We could have walked. I'm not exactly fond of heights…"

Charlie gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"Well, guess we might as well go in. Sooner we do so, sooner Twilight explains this," Vanna offered.

Tyr nodded. "Alright then." He moved to the door and pushed it open, leading the little group inside. He was about to call out to alert Twilight to their arrival, only for the purple Alicorn to teleport in front of them. "…Hi."

"I was expecting you!" Twilight said with a grin. "Come on, come on!"

She started trotting up the stairs, leaving them to watch her walk away in confusion. "Mom gets really excited sometimes," Evie said with a shrug.

"This ought to be good," Vanna murmured, leading the way upstairs. Tyr and Charlie followed, Evie heading off to do something else no doubt. The Alicorn led them to one of the many study rooms upstairs, only to find a peculiar sight inside. There was a human sized mirror situated against one wall, a number of books scattered around it. Starlight was seated at a table, notes spread out in front of her.

She looked up upon seeing them. "You called them, Twilight?"

The named mare nodded. "Yes, I did."

"What's all this about anyway?" Tyr asked, folding his arms. "And what's up with the mirror?"

"It's an artifact we pulled from the dragon's hoard," Twilight explained. "We detected a faint magical signature coming from it, but nothing we've done so far has come up with any reaction."

Starlight nodded. "We've even been searching through every book we have trying to figure out if 'magic mirrors' show up. So far, only the one that Sunset came out of has any mention."

Vanna took a seat on one of the couches, crossing his legs as he leaned back. "So why call us? Tyr's magic is mostly ice based, and unlike my dear daughter, I'm just a normal dragon."

"You're still a different type of dragon," Starlight pointed out. "Dragons like Spike have high magical resistance. We're not entirely sure about you, but you eat metal. Your magical make up is much different too."

The dragonkin shrugged. Tyr frowned then. "What about me then?" He asked.

Twilight giggled. "Well, that's easy. You're a Chaos Mage, Tyr. You're naturally tapped into the chaotic energies of the world. If it reacts to anything, it should react to you."

"Plus, we can't trust Discord to not do something silly," Starlight admitted.

"I guess that's fair," Tyr said with a chuckle. "So what do we need to do?"

Twilight turned to the mirror. It was a simple oval shape, surrounded by a gold frame. She walked over to it. "Well, for starters, can you try sensing anything from it? Unfortunately, my skills in magic don't extend to Chaos magic."

Fenrir appeared on Tyr's shoulder, a frown on her face as she regarded the mirror. "…I can tell you now Twilight Sparkle, but that mirror is not Chaotic. At least not in any way that I can sense."

"Are you sure?"

The wolf nodded. "Unfortunately, my specialty is physical combat, not magical. Perhaps with another Chaos Spirit, one versed more in magic, they could detect something."

"Darn. I was hoping that would be the case…" She trailed off as Tyr walked over to the mirror, the man kneeling in front of it. "Something wrong?"

"Checking the material," Tyr replied, reaching into his cloak. He pulled out a small vial of blue liquid. "Occasionally, metals that have been exposed to magic will cause chemical reactions given you have the right materials."

Vanna nodded. "True. I've worked with some magically forged metals."

Tyr took out a swab and dipped it in the liquid. He gently applied it to the frame, wincing slightly. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Sorry," Tyr said with a grin. "Last time I did this, it exploded."

Upon seeing the shocked looks on the faces of the ponies, Fenrir decided to add; "To be perfectly honest, it wouldn't be lethal."

"Would have hurt like hell," Tyr muttered, replacing his vial. He reached out and touched the frame. "Hm… it's not even burning."

Starlight frowned. "Was that an acid?"

"Of a kind. Only works on metals."

Vanna got up, walking over and examining the metal. "Hm. Nothing worked into it from what I can see. No eldritch symbols or anything like that. Half decent work, if I do say so myself."

Twilight had a hard look on her face. "Hm. Nothing odd to you?"

"Not anything I can tell ya."

"I sense something," Charlie said after a moment. When everyone looked to her, she blushed a bit. "It's like… it feels empty to me. Like an uncharged battery."

Starlight thought for a minute. "That's interesting. It just feels weak to me."

"Dust interacts with inorganic objects differently than magic," Charlie said, moving over to the mirror. "I can't really explain why—maybe because Dust is more machine than a living thing, after all."

"Really? So how do you even do anything with it…?"

"It's part of me. That's the best I can come up with."

Tyr straightened up, and took a step back from the mirror. "You want to try something, Charlie?"

The young dragonkin nodded, moving closer to the mirror. She tentatively reached out a hand to it. "To be perfectly honest, I've only done something like this once before… I don't know what will happen when I touch— _skila!_ "

The moment Charlie's skin touched the metal frame of the mirror, a sort of golden lightning shot from her into the metal. The surface of the mirror light up like a spotlight, and then a bright beam of light exploded out of it and into Vanna. The force of the blast sent him flying across the room and into the couch he had been sitting on. Unfortunately, the couch was unable to stop him, and flipped over when he hit it. "…ow."

"Dad!" Charlie rushed from the mirror to her father's side, worry on her features. Tyr and the two ponies moved as well, only for the dragonkin to hold up a hand.

"I'm okay!" Vanna said, coughing a little. "Hurt like taking a ballista shot to the chest, but I'm fine."

Starlight frowned. "Are you sure you're fine? Your voice sounds a little… weird."

"Probably aftereffects of that blast," Twilight said, looking back over at the now inert mirror. "…And now it's dull again. Charlie, do you know what happened?"

"I just know it reacted to the Dust, and pretty much refused it," The dragonkin said, helping Vanna up. "It was charged for a second, enough for that blast. Then… that."

Tyr frowned. "Well, it didn't hurt Vanna, at least."

"It did hurt!" The metalsmith complained.

"Yeah, yeah. Go back to Wolfhome then—Grace might be there, she can heal you if you're hurt."

Vanna made to reply, only to wince. "…Yeah, that's probably for the best. That really hurt, and I think it singed my coat. Rarity's going to flip."

Twilight winced. "Yeah, if Rarity made that I know exactly how she'll react…"

"Throw a fit and offer to make him a new one?" Starlight offered with a giggle. The others laughed, knowing that the unicorn was definitely spot on with her assessment.

"Well, if anything, I'm heading home. Charlie?" Vanna glanced over at the gold-blonde dragonkin.

She shook her head. "I'm hanging out with Sweetie Bell and Applebloom."

"What? My daughter made friends?"

"Oh, shut up and go change clothes, _mom_!"

Vanna kept laughing even as Charlie stormed out of the room. Her teasing parent followed, giving a salute to Twilight and Tyr upon exit. That left the Elemental and the two mares. "…Your friend is very weird," Starlight muttered.

"Very much so," Twilight said with a giggle. "But a good kind of weird."

"Sorry we couldn't do much with the mirror," Tyr said with a shrug.

"Oh, no it's fine. I'm glad Vanna wasn't hurt too badly."

"He's a dragon, after all," Starlight said thoughtfully. "Scales might have softened the blow."

"I'm sure he's fine," Tyr said, hoping to assuage their fears. He glanced around, looking at the somewhat messy room. "So if there's nothing else…"

"Mom!" Evie peeked into the room then, catching their attention. "There's a Stone Pony at the front door."

"A Stone Pony?" Twilight glanced over at Tyr, who shrugged. "Whoever it is, let them come up."

Evie nodded, disappearing around the corner. After a minute, she returned with a Stone Pony Tyr immediately recognized. "Etch?"

"I was told to find you, sir," the Shaper said with a small bow. She glanced over at Twilight, inclining her head respectfully. "Princess."

"I don't think we've ever met," Twilight offered as a way of reply.

"This is Etch, one of the senior Protection Shapers," Tyr said, walking over to the Shaper. "Were you looking for me?"

Etch nodded. "Serenity thought it best I come find you at once. A pair of ponies arrived at the castle some time ago, towing a large cart behind them claiming to carry some sort of digging machine. They're offering to sell it."

"So why search for me?" Tyr thought for a moment. "I gave Mint authority to make purchases for Wolfhome in my absence. A digging machine seems somewhat interesting."

"Mint?" Twilight frowned. "Who is that?"

"Silver Mint," Etch clarified. "She is the Stone Pony Lord Tyr picked as his financial advisor."

Starlight blinked. "You have a _financial_ advisor?"

Tyr shrugged. "What? We pull a lot of gems and ore out of that mountain."

"…Okay, I can understand that."

"So Etch, why come looking for me?"

The Shaper frowned slightly. "Well… Miss Applejack was present at the castle today, and she urged us to not trust these two ponies."

That got the attention of the others in the room. Twilight herself seemed particularly surprised. "Applejack doesn't trust them? That's… wait one second. Those ponies you're talking about. They don't happen to be two unicorns, do they?"

"They are indeed," Etch said. "Two stallions, with yellow fur and red manes."

"Oh great," Twilight mumbled, sitting down and rubbing a hoof against her forehead. "I know _just_ who those two ponies are."

"You do?" Tyr, Etch and even Starlight looked over at her in confusion.

The Princess of Friendship nodded. "There are only two ponies that not even Applejack can stand. Their names are Flim and Flam. And they just so happen to be con artists."

–x–

"Chrissy!" Pinkie called out, catching the attention of the Changeling as she entered Sugar Cube Corner with her daughter in tow. "Oh, and Cori too! What are you two doing here?"

Chrys glanced over at the pink pony, noting that there was a slight shift in the mood in the shop. Several ponies glanced their way, eyes widening as the Changeling entered. Others looked disgusted, before turning back to their food. Chrys spared them only a glance before walking over to the counter. "Hello, Pinkie Pie. I'm surprised to see you here."

"I still help out the Cakes every now and then!" The pony said with a wide grin. "I like teaching the ponies at Wolfhome how to cook, but I always like serving treats here in Ponyville!"

"I see. Well I—"

"Aunt Chrys!" A pair of voices caught their attention, and the other four Winter children came in, Jubilee and Aurora in the lead as they bounced over to the counter. Jubilee took the last bit of distance with a larger leap, which took her sailing over the counter and into Pinkie's waiting forelegs.

"Mama!"

"Oh, Bibi!" The older pink pony said happily. "I actually forgot you were all getting out of school right about now!"

Jubilee nodded happily. "Yeah! Aunt Chrysalis picked us up earlier!"

When Pinkie looked over at Chrys, the Changeling simply sniffed and looked away. "My Master said that he would be indisposed today, so that I needed to go get them. They've been… mostly good."

"Mostly?" Aurora pouted. "I've been super good!"

Pinkie grinned. "Then super good fillies and foals get super good treats!"

Before Chrys could say a word, Pinkie had pulled out a tray of baked goods and set them on her head. With the kids following her like the pied piper, she went over to one of the larger tables. Chrys let out a soft sigh and followed, painfully aware of the looks she was getting. Even though she was 'technically' welcome in Ponyville, she could still see and feel the general distrust in the air. Changelings would no doubt always be distrusted. Cori was lucky—hide her wings and she'd easily pass for a normal pony. Almost as if noticing her mother's train of thought, the Changeling filly turned to look at her mother. "…Mom?"

Chrys blinked. "W-What? What is it, my little one?"

"I love you," Cori told her with a smile. Chrys stared at her for a moment in surprise, before leaning down to nuzzle her daughter.

"You are such a wonderful filly," she said, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"That's so cute!" Pinkie giggled, grinning at them. Both Changelings blushed slightly, looking away. "Oh, don't be like that! You two are too shy."

"I was never one for public displays of affection before I had this little one," Chrys countered. Her admittance seemed to only broaden Pinkie's smile. "…What?"

"Nothing!"

Chrys scowled at her, but instead of saying anything she simply turned to look at the kids. They were laughing and enjoying themselves, with just the happiness of being together to make them happy. It brought a smile to her face just as the door bell rung to signal a customer entering. Chrys turned to see a slightly familiar mint green unicorn staring at her from the doorway. A look of confusion crossed her face, and then recognition. "You… You're…!"

"Do I know you?" The former queen of the Changelings asked, tilting her head.

"You MONSTER!" Lyra snarled, before dashing out of the shop. The mood in Sugarcube Corner dropped yet another level. Even the kids at the table had gone silent at that reaction.

Chrys sighed. "…I knew it. Without my Master at my side, nopony will trust me…"

Pinkie was silent for a moment, looking around at the dark atmosphere in the shop. She wanted to sing, get everypony to laugh but… Chrys wouldn't feel any better. So with a determined set to her cheery features, she poked the Changeling in the side. "Meet me in the kitchen, kay?"

Chrys didn't have much of a choice, pausing for only a moment to give her daughter a comforting nuzzle before following the pink mare to the shop's kitchen. Once the Changeling was inside, Pinkie closed the door. "Are you going to explain what is going on?" Chrys asked, frowning at the smaller mare.

"I want to know what's wrong," Pinkie said, sitting. "You look unhappy, and I want you to be happy!"

"Nopony wants me here," Chrys pointed out sadly. "I'm hardly tolerated around here—most ponies are only courteous enough to not say anything to me while Master is near me…"

"Ponies in Ponyville aren't that bad!" Pinkie protested.

"Then how do you explain all the looks I've been getting? Or that mare calling me a monster and running out?"

"Well… she…"

Chrys shook her head. "It would be easier if I simply left. Cori can pass for a normal pony easily enough without a disguise…"

Pinkie smacked one hoof on the counter, surprising Chrys with a very upset expression. "That's not fair, Chrissy!" She huffed. "You _know_ that Tyr wants you around!"

"Then I'll just stay in Wolfhome," The Changeling muttered. "I can't bother anypony there."

"I'd be bothered!" The pink party pony stated. "I like you Chrissy, and I like having you around."

Chrys blinked. "…What? You do?"

"Mmhm! You're a bit hard to get used to, but you're still my friend, and herd mate!" Pinkie grinned. "Why wouldn't I want to have you around?"

"I'm a freak. A Changeling. Need I remind you of the fact I tried to eat your love and kill you?"

"No, I remember." Pinkie's smile shrunk, but stayed at a more gentle level. "I also remember you putting your life on the line to help save Lunie."

Chrys blinked, glancing over at her in slight shock. "What…?"

"I also remember a very shy girl who wasn't sure if she was welcome to spend Christmas with us."

That got a blush from the Changeling. "That has nothing to do with—!"

Pinkie cut her off. "I also remember you putting yourself in danger to help Tyr save Lunie a _second_ time. And let's not get me started on when the siege happened."

"Okay, fine!" Chrys blushed. "What is your point?"

"That you're really a nice pony," Pinkie said with a gentle smile. She walked over to Chrys and gave her a little nuzzle. "Er, Changeling. But because we're in a herd, you can't just make decisions like that by yourself. Honey, Rare-bear, Lunie and I all care about you, and we want to be there for you."

"You… you do?"

"Mmhm! And if you ever need a reminder…" She trailed off, eyes fluttering seductively. Before Chrys could question what she meant, the pink pony leaned up to press her lips against hers. It wasn't a rushed or forceful kiss, but a gentle one that conveyed the purest form of love that a kiss could. It overwhelmed the Changeling so much that she sat down on the floor, hard. Pinkie broke the kiss off, giggling softly. "Did you like that?"

Chrys nodded breathlessly. "Very. I'd… I'd like to continue."

Pinkie smiled widely. "Of course!" With that exclamation, she pushed forward for Chrys's lips once more, one hoof hooking around behind the Changeling's head to hold her close. Her partner's mouth opened slightly, letting Pinkie's tongue twist around the much longer one of Chrys. They let their desires hold them for a short minute, until the kitchen door opened. Embarrassment on both their faces, they broke apart to find Rarity watching them. "Um… hi, Rare-bear…"

There was a little smile on the seamstress's face. "Hello, Pinkie-winkle. Enjoying time with Chrys?"

The Changeling blinked. "You're… not upset?"

"What? Why ever would I be?" Rarity actually looked confused. "We are all in one herd, correct? We all should love one another."

"That's what I was thinking!" Pinkie said happily. "Tyr wouldn't want us to act like we're just associates or something!"

The other two mares looked at her strangely, before both laughing. "Oh, Pinkie-winkle. You're always so silly."

"I can't help it!"

Chrys glanced over at Rarity, noting the saddlebags she was wearing. "Were you out doing something?" She asked.

Rarity blinked, before smiling widely. "Why yes, I was! I needed some silver cloth for a surprise for our darling Tyr."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you. Mainly because if you know, Tyr might find out."

"…That is true. I apologize."

"No, it's fine, but…" She frowned, biting her lip in an adorable way. "There was something I was meaning to bring up."

Pinkie frowned. "What is it?"

"There was a very large crowd outside, led by one miss Lyra Heartstrings," Rarity pointed out.

Chrys sighed. "I do believe they're here for me."

"Now why on earth would they be here for you?"

"I'm a Changeling, Rarity. Former Queen, if you do recall. And on top of that, I brainwashed that pony when I was attempting to take over Canterlot."

"Oh. That does explain why she got a mob together to try and run you out of town."

Pinkie frowned, looking worriedly between the two mares. "So what do we do?

Rarity smiled. "We go out and face them. If one of our own is in trouble, we help them, no?"

"Yes! Wait, right?"

"Yes Pinkie-winkle. Chrys? Come along now."

Chrys opened her mouth to protest, but the other two mares were already walking. She managed to catch up to them out in the front half of the store. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She hissed at them, hoping not to be loud. Unfortunately, all the kids were at the window, looking outside.

"Mother, what is going on outside?" Ancè asked, obviously worried. "There are a lot of ponies out there…"

"Is there something we should be worried about?" Aleron asked quietly. Chrys spared him a look, noting that he didn't look upset or angry, just… pensive.

Rarity immediately dispelled their concerns. "It is nothing concerning you, my dears. This is something we adults must deal with."

"If there's anything we can do to help…" Aurora began, but Rarity shook her head.

"It is quite alright, darling. We will be done in no time."

Pinkie led the way outside, momentarily catching the crowd outside off guard. Lyra stood at the front of at least two dozen other ponies. "Pinkie?" Lyra seemed particularly surprised.

"Hi Lyra!" The pink mare said with a grin. She looked around at the crowd, her expression giving way to one of wonder. "Oh wow, hi everypony! Are you all here for sweets?"

Lyra managed to recover relatively quickly, scowling at Chrys. "We want the Changeling out of our town."

"Well, that's your opinion," Pinkie said, normally joyful expression giving way to a more measured one. "I personally like having Chrissy around."

"You _like_ her? She tried to conquer Canterlot, remember!?"

"And she has since proven she is a changed… Changeling," Rarity added, moving beside Chrys. "And besides—she belongs to Tyr. She'd never do anything to anger him, or make him upset."

Lyra frowned. "And we're supposed to trust her?"

"Rarity's asking you to trust _Tyr_ ," Pinkie said softly, making quite a few of the ponies in the crowd wince. Pinkie was usually loud and excited, not quiet and serious. She turned to Lyra. "And you trust Tyr, don't you?"

"Well… yes, but…"

"So you can be sure Chrissy is not a bad pony. Rare-bear and I trust her too, so that should be the end of it." To punctate her statement, Pinkie reached over and put a foreleg around Chrys.

Many of the ponies in the crowd nodded shamefully at that, and even Lyra hung her head. With two of the Elements of Harmony vouching for the Former Changeling Queen, her trustworthiness was all but guaranteed. "….Right. Sorry. I…"

"I put you through a very horrible experience," Chrys said softly, catching Lyra's attention. She bowed her head slightly. "…I apologize for what I did to you."

"I… well… just…" Lyra blushed slightly. "Just don't do it again."

"Fair enough. I promise you."

Rarity cleared her throat. "Now, if that is all, we can be about our business, correct?" The crowd began to disperse then, Lyra sparing one last glance at Chrys before trotting off. It took a minute, but before long only the two mares and Changeling remained outside the shop. "Well then! That was a bit of business, as it were."

"…Thank you…" Chrys said, looking at the ground. "Even after all I did, you still stood up for me…"

"That's what it means to be family," Pinkie said with a smile. "Now, come on! We got four fillies and a colt to feed, and Rare-bear has work to do!"

"Not that I can't take time out for those I love," Rarity said with a little smile. She leaned over to give Chrys a comforting nuzzle. "I'll see you later?"

Chrys nodded, finally smiling a little bit. "Of course. Come Pinkie, the kids are no doubt worried about us."

–x–

Applejack looked extremely upset. Extremely so. And her frustrated glare was directed at two unicorns who had just finished a whole song and dance number about the obnoxiously large drill situated in the middle of Wolfhome's main courtyard. Around the drill were a number of Stone Ponies, including a quartet of Shapers, Serenity, and one other silver toned Stone Pony wearing what looked to be a vest of some kind. She spotted Tyr first. "Oh, we can finally attend to this at last. Lord Tyr has returned."

"Tyr?" Applejack glanced back, a bit of relief on her face. "And Twilight! Now we can deal with this problem a ours nice and proper."

"Sorry for calling you, My Lord," The pony beside Serenity said. "But we needed your wisdom in this matter."

"It's no problem, Silver Mint." Tyr glanced over at the two stallions, both yellow unicorns with red manes and tails. Both wore flat topped hats and striped vests. They were obviously either twins or something, but one had a moustache while the other didn't.

[Obvious salesmen] Fenrir thought dryly.

[We're not much for merchants, are we?] Tyr thought back with a grin. "So, what brings you two gentlecolts here to my castle?"

"Here to make a sale," The clean shaven one said smoothly. He gave a practiced grin.

His brother picked up almost immediately. "Looking for those entrepreneurial ponies that know a good deal when they see one."

"Because we only provide the best!"

"And always the very, very best!"

"And our special Dirt Deconstructor 7000 is the perfect tool for a mountainous community!"

The other brother nodded. "But of course! How else would they dig into the stone?"

"Certainly not with their bare hooves!"

Serenity frowned. "Er… but we do."

That got the two salesponies to pause. "…What?"

"I was telling y'all," Applejack said. "These here Stone Ponies don't need your kind a help, Flim! They ain't called Stone Ponies for nothing!"

Flim glanced over at his brother, who was likewise confused. "Er… we assumed there were miners here…"

Tyr grinned. "There are. Anyone wish to show our guests what Stone Ponies do?"

"I might as well," Shale said, coming forward. He moved to a clear space and pounded both hooves into the ground. Almost immediately a pillar of stone lifted him a few feet into the air. When it was up above Tyr's head, he stopped. "Does this suffice?"

"Yes it does. Thank you, Shale."

Flim and Flam stared at the pillar of stone in shock. "We… that… was that magic?"

"Of a kind." Tyr chuckled. Shale smiled and pushed his pillar back down. "So you were trying to sell us this drill?"

That seemed to galvanize the two stallions, and they instantly brightened up. "Why yes, of course! Surely a less hooves on approach is never a bad thing?" Flim said.

"Our Dirt Deconstructor 7000 is guaranteed to work reliably and quickly!" Flam added.

Tyr raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Instead, he walked over to the drill and narrowed his eyes slightly. Nopony could see, but a faint ring of violet formed in his silver eyes. Using his enhanced perception, he scanned the machine, finding it mostly sophisticated—except for one flaw. "…Reliably, hm?" He reached up and took hold of an errant screw. He yanked on it, pulling it out with barely any effort. The moment the screw came loose, the whole machine fell to pieces in front of them. "…That's a serious flaw there."

Twilight giggled as the two salesponies gaped. "Quite the flaw indeed."

"Seems your machine is not as reliable as ya thought," Applejack said victoriously.

Flim and Flam shared a look. Flim looked like he wanted to say something, but a low growl from Fenrir cut him off. "I tire of your voice," She snarled. "I have never liked merchants."

"These ain't merchants," Applejack said with a scowl. "These here are just common cons."

Tyr was quiet for a moment. "You know, I think I will buy this from you."

Four ponies looked to him in shock. "You'll _what?_ " Twilight asked, incredulous. Applejack looked horrified. Flim and Flam looked extremely pleased with themselves before Tyr continued.

"…At a severely reduced price." Tyr smirked. "I am buying scrap, after all."

The two brothers swallowed heavily. "Erm… how reduced?"

"I'm thinking ten percent of whatever you wanted for it working," Tyr said, looking over at the pile. "I've got a dragon I technically have to feed too."

"That's…" Flim murmured.

Flam nodded. "Very severe."

Tyr nodded. "Only fair for trying to cheat my Ponies. Although… you two obviously have travelled a lot."

"All over Equestria!"

Flim grinned. "Making sales wherever we go!"

"Then as additional repayment, I want you to tell any ponies you meet about Wolfhome," Tyr said, leaning forward a bit. Flim and Flam were tall for normal ponies, but Tyr still loomed over them. "Spread the word that we provide superior tools and even gems for a _reasonable_ price. If you can do that, I might just let you trade here."

"We can most certainly do that!" Flam assured him.

Flim nodded. "Of course, of course!"

Tyr nodded. "Good. Mint? Pay these two gentlecolts for the scrap. Shale? Make sure they leave _right after_."

The two named Stone Ponies nodded. "Follow us, please," Shale said, motioning to two other Shapers. With the small guard assembled, Flim and Flam were escorted into the keep. With the excitement over and done with, the crowd dispersed.

Applejack trotted over to Tyr, a small frown on her freckled face. "You sure y'all wanna trust them two? I wouldn't trust them as far as I could buck them."

"I assume that is very far," Fenrir said dryly. Applejack chuckled at that.

"I reckon I could kick em pretty far. But I just want ya to be careful with them two."

Tyr smiled. "I appreciate that, cowgirl. If they do mess up, I promise to let you kick them from here to Canterlot."

"I'll be looking forward to it. I gotta get home though—Shy is waiting on me. We got a lot ta do for next week."

"Oh, that's right," Twilight said thoughtfully. Then, she brightened up. "Oh! That means Flash will be coming home!"

Applejack nodded. "Rainbow's probably real excited for Ace ta be home too."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I'm out of the loop here…"

Neither mare was able to explain before Tyr's wrist lit up and Cindy's voice addressed him. "Er… Operator? Are you currently busy at the moment?"

Tyr frowned, lifting up his communicator so the hologram of his Controller could appear. "Not exactly, Cindy. Something up?"

"Is Twilight Sparkle with you?"

The Elemental glanced over at Twilight, who looked confused. "Me? Why in Equestria do you need me?"

"…Vanna says that an explanation is forthcoming."

Tyr blinked. "Vanna? He wants me and Twilight? Okay…"

"I'll see y'all around," Applejack said, tipping her hat. "Don't be a stranger, Tyr!"

"I won't," He told his country friend as she left. Once she was on her way, he turned to Twilight. "Well, let's go see what Vanna wants."

They started walking, the Alicorn moving to Tyr's side as they crossed through Wolfhome proper. There was an external path that led to the Jötunheim's hangar, meaning they didn't have to pass through the castle itself. As usual, Twilight was still in awe of the castle, especially now that the Stone Ponies were working designs and decorations into the walls. Some had even begun experimenting with different colored lighting, noting that using their magic on crystals and fusing them with gems allowed for different glows to be applied. The colors denoted different zones in the castle for one. And also, almost unable to be seen with extensive scrutiny were the hidden alarm gems tucked into corners and out of the way spots. The Stone Ponies (primarily the Shapers) knew where they were, and all it would take would be a little Stone Pony magic and the whole castle would be on alert. Tyr had to remember to thank Bright Soul next time he saw her—she really knew her stuff.

The hatch into the Jötunheim was open when they finally made it to the airship, which would have been worrying except for the fact that Cindy was waiting on them. "Operator! You've arrived."

"Well, you said Vanna wanted to see us," Tyr replied, sparing a glance at Twilight. "He tell you why?"

"No, Operator. Only that you needed to come as soon as you were able."

"Ah, fine. Come on in Twilight, and let's see what's up."

"Mm," Twilight said, nodding and following him in. It didn't take long to reach the common room, where the dragonkin was waiting. The real surprise was the thick coat that their friend was wrapped up in. "Er… are you sure you're okay, Vanna?"

Tyr frowned. "It's not that cold in here, is it?"

"That's… sorta beside the point," Vanna said softly. The dragonkin's eyes glanced over at them, surprisingly a small blush forming. "I mean, I'm wearing a sweater under this, but…"

"Your voice still sounds weird," Twilight said, going over a bit closer. "Like it's… higher or something."

Vanna sighed. "I guess it'll be simpler to show you."

Tyr and Twilight kept looking at him, confused. The dragonkin simply pulled off the coat, revealing the faded purple sweater underneath. It hugged the metalworker's curves—

Wait.

"What the hell…?" Tyr murmured, eyes widening as he noticed that his best friend had significantly more curves than normal. And mainly because the dragonkin had his arms crossed over his chest, he noticed the two new additions to Vanna's body. And that was all before his enhanced perception kicked in. Vanna's hips were wider, his legs and arms were more slender, and his facial structure was even more feminine than before.

"You're… you're a mare?" Twilight asked, incredulous.

"No, I'm a dragoness," Vanna said dryly. "Yes, I'm a girl now. I blame that mirror."

"The mirror did this…? That's…"

"I swear, if you say fascinating or interesting, I will smack you."

Twilight blushed a little, chuckling softly. "Right. But that explains the vocal shift—your vocal range is now closer to that of a female's. Body type, build and the like have all changed too…"

"Yeah, I'm already noticing the differences," Vanna frowned, glancing downwards. With a thoughtful gaze, she pushed up on her breasts. "Hm. I'm actually pretty big. Not as big as Cinder was, but not bad."

Twilight face-hoofed. "Of course that's what you fixate on."

"Hey, excuse me for worrying about my back!"

"Oh goodness…" Tyr muttered.

Vanna sat back, still not comfortable enough to uncross his—or hers now—arms. 'So Twilight, you have any ideas on how to change me back?"

The Alicorn princess shook her head. "To be honest… no. I've never dealt with magic that had an effect like this. I'll look to see if there's anything in my books, but I've nearly read all the books in my library. So… don't expect a miracle."

"…Wonderful. So I'm stuck as a girl for a while. This should be fun."

"So are you going to identify as a girl, or still as a man?"

Vanna snorted flame. "I guess you might as well use 'she' or whatever. I'm not a big thinker when it comes to 'gender lines' or whatever."

"Well, look at it this way," Tyr said with a smirk. "Your figure is a lot better suited for the clothes you wear now."

"I have to get half of them resized," Vanna shot back. She gestured to her waist. "I've got hips now, apparently."

"Get what resized, darling?" Rarity's voice called out. The three standing in the common room turned to see Rarity, Chrys and Pinkie entering, the seamstress with a bundle on her face. In their wake trailed Tyr's five kids, two of which galloped over to their father to hug him.

"Hi daddy!" Jubilee said happily, tucking herself into his chest. Aurora did the same, flying up to apparently her favorite spot to hang off his neck.

"Hello my dears," Tyr grinned, patting Aurora's head. "You didn't give Chrys too much trouble did you?"

"Of course not!" Aurora stuck out her tongue at him. "I'm always a good girl!"

"I highly doubt that."

Aurora turned to her brother, who had gone over to Cindy. "Al! Tell Daddy I was good!"

"…Eh," Aleron shrugged.

"Al!" She flew away from Tyr to weakly hit him on the head with her front hooves. "Stop being a meanie!"

"Stop hitting me!"

They ended up in a playful wrestle, rolling about on the floor. Jubilee giggled and joined them, turning it into a three pony tussle. "Children are such strange creatures," Chrys murmured with a shake of her head.

"So what brings you to the ship, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "I don't think you've ever just stopped by like this."

"I called her," Vanna said, before Twilight could say anything. "Suffice it to say there was a… magical mishap."

Rarity glanced over at the newly made dragoness, frowning slightly. Upon seeing her however, the seamstress's eyes narrowed. "…Vanna? Are you… what happened, darling?"

Vanna sighed. "I'm gonna get real tired of this real quick. But since you make my clothes, you should know you'll have to adjust some of my shirts and skirts."

"But, whatever for, darling?"

"I'm a girl now," She replied. One delicate hand came up to brush her black hair out of her face before gesturing to her body as a whole. "So obviously my dimensions are a bit… wider in some places."

Rarity's eyes quickly travelled across Vanna's new female body, a light blush growing on her cheeks as she noticed the changes. "Oh. Oh my. Um… I don't mind at all darling, but…?"

Twilight cleared her throat. "I'm going to be looking for a way to change her back, although it's a bit of a long shot."

Rarity nodded. "I see. But what are you going to do about Grace?"

"Hope she's okay with waiting until I get a male body back," Vanna said with a sigh. "Maybe… Well, I really just hope she doesn't leave me because of it…"

"I highly doubt that," Twilight said with a frown. "Grace isn't that kind of pony."

"Well, I most definitely don't think she's bi, so I dunno." Tyr smacked his friend in the back of the head. "Ow! The hell was that for!?"

"For being such an idiot," Tyr said. "You know full well Grace didn't fall in love with you because of whether you are a woman or man. All you need to do is explain to her what happened."

"…I'm doing a lot of explaining to her, aren't I?"

"Yes. Yes you are."

"I'm home," Charlie called out, walking inside. She paused at the number of individuals in the room before her eyes fell on her father—who technically was now her mother. A look of pure horror crossed her face, before becoming one of grim resignation. "…Dad?"

"Yes, sweetie?" Vanna grinned widely.

"…I'm not calling you mom ever again."

"Not at all?"

Charlie nodded shortly. " _Ever._ "

"Damn."

"I don't even want to know how this happened," Charlie mumbled, walking past and heading for her bedroom. "I'm just going to assume magic."

Twilight blinked. "That's right though."

"Obviously."

Rarity moved over to Tyr, nudging him gently. "Dear, I had something to show you."

Tyr blinked. "Hm? What is it, my gemstone?"

"Gemstone…?" She blinked at the nickname. "Where did that come from, dear?"

"Well, you all have nicknames for me, why can't I return the favor?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Pinkie bounced over excitedly. "What's mine? What's mine?"

Tyr patted her head while chuckling softly. "I dunno yet, Pinkie. I'll come up with one eventually. But Rarity, what did you want to show me?"

The seamstress smiled and lit up her horn. An argent bundle extracted itself from her saddlebags and floated up to Tyr's hands. "I put a lot of effort into it, my love. I hope you like it."

"Okay…?" Tyr unrolled the bundle, finding himself holding what could easily pass as a banner. It was like a flag, with a grey wolf emblazoned on a field of argent over the outline of a mountain. Near the upper corner was a crescent moon shaped like Luna's Cutie Mark, with a quintet of stars in the darkened part—one blue, one violet, two pink, and one pure white. A slash of white split the image horizontally. "Rarity… this is amazing. But… what is it?"

"Since you are a Lord, my love, I thought it prudent you had your own banner to fly above the walls."

"I see," Luna murmured, leaning over Tyr's shoulder. "Much like how Equestria itself has a national flag."

Rarity nodded. "I asked Serenity and some of the other Stone Ponies for their input, and we agreed on this design. They are honored to fly a flag with your wolf upon it."

Fenrir peeked out of Tyr's cloak, frowning slightly at the flag. "Hm. A coat of arms, I see. I approve."

Tyr smiled warmly over at Rarity before motioning her to come closer. When she did, he gently pulled her in for a kiss. "Thank you, Rarity. I really appreciate this."

The seamstress smiled back before dipping her head ever so slightly. "Of course, my love."

"Although… I have something else I need from you."

Rarity blinked. "Hm? Whatever could it be?"

The Elemental stood up and let the entire banner hang free. A grin split his face as a number of ideas came to the forefront of his mind. He'd need a little while to get all the pieces and materials in place, but Wolfhome was going to be a major part of Equestria. Eventually this banner would be flying alongside the Equestrian Flag, and be known all across the land. "I'll write down what I need. I don't want you to put off your own work, but this is going to be a big project. Pull some of the Stone Ponies who show an interest in needlework to help you."

"Alright… I will need you to help me, Exuberance," She said, glancing over at her daughter. Ancè didn't question it, simply nodding her assent.

"Vanna?" Tyr addressed his friend next.

The dragonkin looked up at him from the couch. Apparently after showing it to his (her) best friend and his family, she was a bit more comfortable in her new body. "Yo?"

"I need the armorers working on armor. Light and non-restrictive, but still protective. Remember that the Stone Ponies need to be able to touch the earth to use their powers."

"I'll have designs worked up and to you and Smelter in the morning," Vanna replied with a wave of her hand. "Once you approve we'll get started right away. Maybe even design some weapons just in case…"

The Elemental turned to his Controller. "Cindy? Remind me to speak with Silver Mint and Serenity tomorrow morning."

Cindy nodded. "Of course. Once you are finished with 'Lady' Vanna, I will send a message to them to meet you." She giggled at the sharp look from the dragonkin at the title.

"Twilight?" The Princess of Friendship blinked at being addressed, ears perking up. "I need your help with some legal documents."

"I can get Mayor Mare to help you," Twilight offered. "She's a lot better at legalese than I am."

"Thanks."

To the surprise of many of those in the room, Tyr turned to Aurora. "My little cub, you want to help your dad with this big project of his?"

"I'm not a baby, daddy," Aurora replied with an easy smile. Even though she was currently sitting on Aleron's back, she didn't look like a child that had just finished playing around. Instead, she looked almost seven years more mature. "What do you need?"

"I need you to drill the Shapers on military discipline. Non-vocal commands and signals like that. I know you've been training with Flash and Ace for the past few years, so I know you can do it."

"Aye aye, sir!"

"Al?" Tyr kneeled so his son could look up at him.

"Yes?"

"I need you and Cori to teach the Shapers what it feels like to be under magical attack and mental coercion. From what I've noticed, I believe they have a high magical resistance, probably because of being around magical crystals their whole lives. I want you to find out just how much."

"Will do. I'll ask Etch if she'll let me use her as a subject."

"Last but not least…" Tyr turned to Pinkie. She blinked several times, before tilting her head to the side.

"What do you want me to do, sweetie?" She asked gently.

Tyr smiled. "Teach the Stone Ponies how to have fun. They're usually all business, but I want them to know how to unwind and be… friendly. The Shapers I deal with most are getting better at it, but the rest are starting to become comically serious."

Pinkie smiled so wide Tyr thought her mouth had defied the limits of her face. "Oh. My. GOODNESS! This is going to be the biggest 'Teach us Ms. Pinkie' class EVER! Bibi, we need to plan!"

Jubilee snapped to attention, saluting her mother. "Ready and willing, Captain Mom Sir Ma'am!"

"To the planning room, Lieutenant Pie!"

The two pink ponies dashed away, vanishing into the halls of the ship. Cindy stared at them for a minute before pulling up a blueprint of the Jötunheim. "I don't remember there being any… what. When did that…? How did they make a whole room without me noticing…!?"

Twilight looked over at Tyr, who was rolling up the new Wolfhome flag. "Tyr… I'm a bit curious. What is all this for?"

"Remember what I said oh so long ago, Twi? 'If you desire peace, prepare for war'." Tyr smiled at her. "No worries, I'm not going to go start fighting someone. At least… not with weapons."

"That's not reassuring."

Tyr waved a hand. "It's all in the future. No doubt there will be a few upset nobles and the like, but do you really care?"

"…Well, maybe not. Just don't cause any trouble, alright? Especially not for Ponyville."

"If anything, we'll be mutually benefitting from my paranoia," Tyr told her with a little smile.

Twilight stared at him for a minute. After deciding she could figure out what he was planning just by looking at his face, she sighed and turned away. "Fine. I'll go talk to Mayor Mare—I'll send her by sometime in the afternoon."

"Thanks Twilight. See you around."

"Mm." The Alicorn left, a small frown on her face. Once she was out of the ship and the hatch closed behind her, Luna nudged her husband.

"Tyr. My beloved. You did not ask me for any help," She accused.

"Or me," Chrys added.

Tyr smiled. "Oh come now. You two have the most important parts of my plan—so I'm going to need our direct involvement. No doubt you will have quite a bit of fun with what I have planned."

The two mares glanced at one another, before turning back to him with conspiratorial smiles. "We're all ears, Beloved," Luna said.

–x–

* * *

 **Plans within plans. Tyr did spent a lot of time around Jehu and Isabel, both accomplished chessmasters. And now Vanna's a woman. Er, Dragoness. Is this going to change much? Well, now he dresses for the right gender, at least. Not going to change much between him and Tyr. They hope, at least.**

 **Not to mention Grace's reaction.**

 **Only time will tell, and you'll have to come back for the next chapter to find out! Thanks again for Reading, I'd like for you to leave a Review, and I most certainly hope you Return for the next chapter of Lunar Legacy. Next time, Tyr meets his in-laws.**

 **Until next time, dear Readers. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting patiently.**

 **(P.S., When Charlie touched the mirror, she cursed in Greek. I won't tell you what she said, so have fun looking it up!)**


	42. Chapter 42

**Greetings, dear readers. I hope your week has been quite well. Mine has been quite peaceful, with the occasional dalliance to enjoy Dominos pizza. Sometimes I feel like I get it just for the crust.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Or just fried. Everything gets fried in the South.**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Female Vanna was a joke thought that I had ever since he returned to the story. Then when they found the dragon hoard, I thought: 'why not?' He doesn't really seem to mind either, and he may/or may not stay that way. Depends on whether or not he actually wants to change back (or people start clamoring for him to change back).**

 **Irrgardless, let us continue! A shorter chapter today, but that only means the next will be longer!**

* * *

Chapter 41: Hard Knocks

"You know, having boobs isn't so bad."

The sound of a face hitting a solid object replied to the statement, as Tyr introduced his face to his desk. "Damn. It. Vanna. Why the HELL is that what you're doing over there?"

The dragoness glanced over at him with an amused look. She was lying on the couch Tyr kept in his office, sketching something on a piece of parchment. Vanna was in another sweater, although a knee length skirt finished the outfit this time. The newly turned dragoness was nothing if not modest. "What? I've got a free cushion now. I'm allowed to enjoy it, right? Not like I'm sitting here jiggling them or something."

"…Thank god for that."

"I mean, hey, if you got it flaunt it," Vanna replied with a shrug.

"You could do that somewhere else. I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

"I've got paperwork to sign and look over. You could stop showing off your body and help out."

The dragoness sat up, frowning and crossing her arms. "You know I hate paperwork. Just cause my sex has changed it doesn't mean I have different likes and dislikes."

Tyr shrugged. "I guess that means I don't have to worry about you falling in love with me."

"You're totally not my type," Vanna said, turning his head and sniffing imperiously. "You're obviously too cold for me."

"What a deal breaker," Tyr muttered, prompting his friend to laugh. The noise woke Valor, who was sleeping on his perch in the corner. Startled awake, he staggered forward, almost falling off. Tyr caught him in his magic. "Sorry Valor."

The little bird chirped irritably, before taking matters into his own wings and flying over to him. He pecked at Tyr's hand until the man retrieved his bag of seeds. "Hah! He knows what he wants," Vanna giggled.

Tyr stared at him for a moment. "…Dude. Stop that."

"Huh? Stop what?"

"You're being adorable and I won't have it!"

"I can't help it! I giggle now—get used to it!"

"Laugh like a man!"

"I physically can't! My laughs are giggles now, and I won't have you oppressing my gender!"

"What in the world are you two arguing about in here?" Carver's voice called as she opened the door.

Tyr grinned as Vanna fell back on the couch laughing. "We're just being silly, Carver. What did you need?"

The Shaper thought for a moment. "Ah yes, Miss Rainbow Dash is here. She says that Miss Pinkie Pie just ran past her to the train station."

The Elemental and dragon looked at each other. Vanna seemed to be doing some sort of mental math. "…Yo. It's been a week."

"That means Pinkie is going to be coming here," Tyr said. "…Crap. Carver! Run to the Jötunheim and wake Luna. If she complains, tell her Pinkie's family is coming."

"Will do, sir!" She galloped off. Tyr got up from his desk, Valor fluttering up to perch on his shoulder.

"Come on, Vanna," He said, heading for the door.

The dragonkin grumbled as they left the room. "I don't know why I got up. Not like I'm your secretary. That's Carver's job."

Tyr smirked. "You like being included."

"Just don't expect me to feel safe around any mirrors."

They exited into the yard, where Rainbow was flying a foot or so above what looked to be Etch and a couple other Shapers. When the rainbow maned mare spotted him, she flew over. "Tyr! Carver took forever to find you!"

"She's not as fast as you," Vanna pointed out. Rainbow glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. Immediately the dragonkin realized that the majority of her friends hadn't actually seen what happened yet.

"Er… Vanna? It might have been five years since we were human and all, but… do you have boobs now?"

The newly turned dragoness shrugged. "I do."

"Dude!" She shot down to where she could look. "Hm. They're not that bad a size, ya know."

"I know right? And they're soft and perky!"

Tyr facepalmed. "Really? I get that Rainbow is bi, but why are you talking about this?"

Rainbow frowned. "Hey, I can appreciate boobs, right? You can't tell me what I can and can't ogle!"

"This is hardly the conversation I imagined you to be having," Rarity said dryly, coming over from the direction of the keep. Tyr knelt down to hug her once she was close. "But I suppose you and Vanna share a strange bond."

"This is true," Vanna said with a nod.

Rarity glanced over to Rainbow. "Now Rainbow Dash, you must carry yourself with a bit more care and class."

"Buck that," the flying tomboy stated. "I'm free to say what I want, when I want. I only have to watch it around the kids."

"Oh you…"

There was a little 'pop' noise nearby, signaling Twilight's arrival. With her were Starlight, Applejack, and Fluttershy. "Seems Rainbow has said—or done—something already," Twilight said with a sigh.

"Hey!" Rainbow scowled. "I was only complimenting Vanna on his… well, her new body."

"Her?" Applejack frowned, glancing over at the dragonkin. A cursory glance at Vanna's body gave the farmer all she needed to know. "Well, I'll be! Seems the clothes DO make the mare, for once."

"More like the mirror," Vanna said shrugging. Twilight and Starlight blushed a bit, while Tyr simply chuckled. Applejack and Fluttershy, out of the loop, simply shared a look before shrugging. "So is everyone here to meet Pinkie's sisters?"

"I thought it would be a good idea to meet them," Twilight claimed. "We've all met Maud, but only Applejack has met Limestone and Marble."

Rarity nodded. "I've met Pinkie's parents, but not her sisters. I believe they were away for some reason during my visit."

"Well, I'm a little nervous," Fluttershy offered. "I'm really not good with meeting new ponies…"

"I reckon you'll get along with Marble at least," Applejack assured her. "Trust me—y'all two are alike as the apples on my trees."

"If you say so…"

"Lord Tyr!" One of the Shapers on the wall called out, catching the group's attention. They looked to see a red cloaked Shaper waving at them from the battlements. "A group of ponies approach!"

"Any of them pink?" Tyr called back.

"Yes… she's bouncing, from what we can see."

Applejack chuckled. "That'll be Pinkie."

Tyr nodded in agreement. "When they get close, open the gates."

"Will do!"

It took a minute, the group waiting patiently. By the time the gates were opening, Luna had joined them, yawning cutely as she leaned against Tyr. "Did I miss anything?" She asked softly.

Tyr reached around her to gently scratch behind one of her ears. "Nothing yet. They're just getting here." [Chrys? Are you not coming out to meet Pinkie's sisters?]

[Cori is not feeling well this morning, Master] Came the disappointed reply.

[Sorry papa] Cori added.

[Just work on feeling better, jitterbug] Tyr thought back soothingly. [I'll check on you later, alright?]

[Okay]

Tyr returned his attention to the gate, where he got his first look at Pinkie's sisters. The first thing he noticed was their muted coat colors and manes, much more earth toned than their happy sister. The closest to Pinkie was a dark grey color, her straight cut mane and tail a dark purple. She was wearing a dark blue smock. Her face was expressionless, but because of his Changeling side Tyr could see the excitement around her like an aura as her pale blue eyes examined the stone fortress around them.

The second sister seemed to have a permanent scowl on her face, ash white mane and tail cut roughly and short. She was a dark blue-gray color. Her Cutie Mark seemed to be a sliced lime beside a stone, making Tyr assume that she happened to be Limestone.

The third sister was staying close beside the second one, peering out from behind her long dark grey mane. She was a dark gray color as well, her violet eyes nervously scanning the group before them. Tyr spotted her Cutie Mark, which was a trio of marbles. No doubt that was Marble Pie. That left Miss Stoic as Maud Pie.

"We're here~!" Pinkie sang happily. She spotted all her friends then, her smile growing even wider. "Everypony is here!"

Applejack was the first to speak up. She walked over to the Pie sisters, smiling widely. "Well, it's been a while, hasn't it! Good ta see y'all again!"

"I guess," Limestone muttered, glancing away. Marble simply nodded, keeping her face hidden. Tyr glanced over at Fluttershy, who was staring at the shy mare with a look of confusion. No doubt she was wondering if she had ever been that bad.

Maud was still looking at the walls. "…I think I'm in love," she said emotionlessly. Vanna looked over at Tyr, who simply shrugged.

Twilight smiled. "So are you going to introduce us, Pinkie?"

"Oh, that's right!" Pinkie grinned. "Well, everyone but Honey knows Maud, right?"

Limestone blinked. "…Honey?"

"Yeah, Tyr!" Pinkie bounced over to the man in question, nuzzling his side before going over to Luna and nuzzling her too. "I told you girls that was in a herd, didn't I?"

Marble made a little noise that sounded like 'Mm-hm', her violet eyes drifting over to Tyr. They widened slightly, before she blushed and looked away. Pinkie grinned at that, motioning for Tyr to bend over. She moved so she could whisper in his ear. "Marble thinks you're cute," She told him.

The man straightened back up immediately, an embarrassed look on his face. Vanna, easily overhearing because of superior draconic sense of sound, was trying her hardest to not giggle madly. Luna was blushing, also stifling her mirth. Tyr cleared his throat, hoping to salvage his dignity. "Well then! It's nice to meet Pinkie's sisters. Welcome to Wolfhome, home of the Stone Ponies."

"Technically," Aurora called out, landing on her father's head. "The Stone Ponies live under the castle in Stonehome. A lot of them to like being above ground though."

"Stone Ponies?" Maud turned slightly, a little sparkle in her eye. "…Are they made out of stone?"

Aurora grinned. "Nope! Although they do have gems in their foreheads—oh, here comes Serenity and Carver."

Indeed, the two Stone Ponies were walking their way. Around the Seer's head was a number of small stones each carved with a specific rune. She looked tired, although she did offer a weak smile. "Hello Lord Tyr, everypony. Carver alerted me to the fact that Lady Pinkamena Pie's sisters were arriving today. I thought it would be hospitable to greet them myself."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…Serenity, are you alright? I've never seen you this exhausted."

The Seer was quiet for a moment, swaying slightly. "I… I have not slept in a couple of days."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy murmured, covering her mouth with a hoof. "Is something wrong?"

Carver took over for Serenity, reaching out to steady the Seer. "Landslide and a team of rookie Shapers were down in the tunnels last night. They ran into Diamond Dogs."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "…Why wasn't I told?"

"They told me," Vanna said, cutting in. When Tyr looked at him, the dragoness shrugged. "What? You told them to tell me or you. I actually meant to tell you, but considering recent events…"

"Fair. Carver, what happened?"

"They were dealt with," The Shaper replied evenly, eyes flicking past Tyr to the ponies behind him. Pinkie's sisters looked confused, while the others looked slightly disgusted. Twilight in particular was glaring daggers at the back of Tyr's head. "…There was one casualty."

"A recent addition," Serenity took over, a hoof going to her forehead. "The Dogs did not take kindly to what was done to them previously, Lord. Young Harrier was…"

Carver's eyes narrowed and her voice was low. "We found her beaten to an inch of her life. We were lucky to find her before the Dogs tore out her mind gem.

Tyr heard the gasps behind him, his own mood darkening at the news. He had met Harrier himself, the young Shaper running into him when he had visited the training grounds. She had been clumsy, but earnest. He had actually considered placing her under Carver for special training, but… That was one idea out the window for now. "Will she recover?"

"I cannot say. We are… woefully unable to treat her. As you can imagine, we've never truly dealt with injuries like this."

"Fine. I'll call Grace—maybe she can give some of our ponies basic medical training." Tyr nodded. He glanced over at Serenity. "So you've been using the stones to suppress any negative thoughts?"

The Seer nodded, but before she could continue talking, Twilight pushed up beside Tyr. "Suppress negative thoughts? How do those stones do that?"

Serenity took a shaky breath. "These Stones… are passed down from Seer to Seer. The larger ones in my chamber are much the same, simply on a larger scale. They allow me to… influence the mindset of the Stone Ponies. They do not force them to feel a certain way, only remind them that there is always good despite the bad. However, Stone Ponies are particularly sensitive to group emotions. When one of us is sad, it tends to spread."

"So you simply help them have happier thoughts?"

"Simply put, yes."

Serenity staggered a bit, and Carver held her close to keep her from falling. The Shaper looked up at Tyr pleadingly. "It takes a lot out of her, my lord. Please?"

"You don't have to ask." Tyr shook his head and fixed Serenity with his eyes. "Go get some rest. That's a direct order."

The Seer gave him a little smile. "Of course, Lord. Thank you."

"Make sure she goes to sleep, Carver."

Carver nodded, leading the tired Seer away and back into the keep. Tyr turned back to the crowd of ponies behind him, noting Twilight's frustrated look. She looked up at him, before shaking her head. "I… I'm not going to say anything."

"You deal with Diamond Dogs here?" Limestone suddenly demanded, eyes hard.

Tyr nodded. "Yes. They've got tunnels running under this mountain. So we're technically at war with them."

"They show up on the farm sometimes," Maud said flatly, although to Tyr it seemed she was thoughtful. "Dad, Limestone and I usually run them off, but it's only two or three at a time."

"Mmhm," Marble offered.

"Marble says she helps out sometimes too," Pinkie translated.

Vanna raised an eyebrow. "…She speaking another language or something?"

"Nope! I just know my baby sister really well!"

Marble blushed and looked away. There was a little smile on her face. "…Mmhm."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Baby sister?"

Pinkie beamed. "By a few minutes!"

"Wait." Vanna held up a hand. "By a few _minutes_? That means you're… twins?"

"Mmhm!" Pinkie said, a similar noise coming from Marble at the same time.

There was silence for a minute. "I don't see it," Rainbow said flatly.

Twilight cleared her throat loudly. "Anyways! It's nice to meet Pinkie's sisters. Right everypony?"

There was general agreement from the group. Limestone snorted derisively. "Yeah, whatever. We only came to see Pinkie and her new family, so I don't really care if you hang around or not."

She stalked off to the keep, Marble transferring to hide behind Maud. The stoic sister glanced back at her, before turning to look at Tyr. "We wanted to stay the week. Is that fine with you?"

Tyr gave her a little smile. "You're more than welcome to. If you find a pony named Etch, she can give you a tour if you like."

"I think I would. Thank you."

"Mmhm," Marble added, still not looking at him.

"I'll take you to her!" Pinkie said brightly, bouncing over to Marble's side and pulling her into a hug. With the biggest grin on her face and a stream of words already escaping her lips as she happily escorted her two sisters to the castle.

Vanna frowned. "…Are we sure they're related?"

"They are," Applejack chuckled. "I admit, I had a hard time believing Pinkie's sisters could be so…"

"Different?" Rainbow supplied.

"Yeah, that. But they're a family, and they're close."

"Just be careful," Fluttershy said.

Tyr nodded, turning back to Luna. "Shall we, my dear?"

Luna smiled slightly. "I suppose we may as well. Always nice to meet more family, correct?"

–x–

There was an uncanny tension in the throne room of Canterlot castle, as a trio of affluent ponies dressed in elegant attire stared in shock at the singular princess seated before them. Their spokespony, a dark green stallion with a slicked back blue mane, coughed several times. "Princess… you are refusing our petition to build a new theatre?"

Hope nodded. "Yes, I am."

"But why? We were under the impression that the addition of this theatre would no doubt bring in very decent revenue on top of making quite a number of performers and nobles happy!"

"However, the proposed plans for this theatre are a bit… large," Hope said thoughtfully. The orange kitten at her feet meowed cutely, prompting her to levitate over a plate of milk for her.

The blue mare beside the stallion spoke up. "But of course! We require that much space for the stage and the seating."

The golden Alicorn narrowed her eyes. "And what of the buildings around the area for this project? What of them?"

"They would be bought and torn down," The stallion offered.

"And that is precisely my point," Hope said with a little frown. She glanced down at her kitten, who was attempting to not fall into the plate. "Do you know what the buildings in this area are?"

"Er… no, Princess."

"One of them happens to be a free clinic," The Princess of Hope said softly. "Another is an appropriated building for ponies that do not have homes of their own. And then there's the home for abandoned animals…"

The three ponies before her all murmured in surprise. "How… how do you know that?"

"It's where I got Palla," Hope said with a little smile, looking down at the kitten in front of her. Palla was busying herself with a little toy mouse that Hope had gotten her. The Princess looked up at the ponies before her. "I do like to spend time wandering the city and meeting new ponies. This theatre is superfluous and only benefits one particular class. That is unfair and cruel, and I will not have it."

"There is no reason to degrade ourselves for the common pony," the stallion snapped.

"Then all the better I refuse you," Hope replied.

"You know nothing—!"

Hope narrowed her eyes, her childish innocence being traded for a fierce superiority. "I know enough. I admit to not having the worldly experience of Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, but I have something they do not—a personal connection to their ponies. Celestia is a mother to Equestria, but I am a daughter. I speak to the ponies of this city and know their feelings. The poor ponies will not be shoved aside so that you can have more luxuries."

"Princess Celestia will not allow you to make this decision!" The mare snarled.

There was a soft chuckle from the side. "You'd be surprised then."

They all turned to see the aforementioned Princess approaching, an amused look on her face. "P-Princess Celestia…!"

The stallion of the group stepped forward. "Inform your… _charge_ that although she is a Princess, she does not have the same authority."

"In fact, she does," Celestia said with a frown. "You brought this matter to her, expecting her to simply agree with you. However once she did not, you claim she has no authority. Very specific, I notice."

The three nobles shared a look, before simply turning away and leaving the throne room. Once they were gone, Hope pouted. "Why can't I just get ponies who are happy to see me?" She demanded, looking towards her adoptive aunt.

Celestia gave her a warm smile as she walked over to her. "I know, little one. But not everypony will be kind and easy to deal with."

"I just want ponies to stop treating me like a child." Hope picked up Palla and nuzzled her gently. "I mean, I know I'm a child still, if only in age."

"You have matured splendidly regardless of your tender years," Celestia pointed out, noting with satisfaction that Hope was enjoying her new little kitten. "The fact that you dealt with those nobles that way shows that."

Hope was silent for a minute. "…I don't want to be useless," She said quietly.

The other Princess's response was immediate, but warm. "Then don't."

The younger Alicorn smiled at that. "…Okay."

Celestia looked over the golden Alicorn, momentarily narrowing her eyes in thought. Hope was, by her own admission, still a child. Yet in the six years Celestia had known her, she had grown in such marked ways. She could only speak in clipped and short sentences, despite having the mental skill to process what she wanted. Despite her own frustrations at that setback, Hope had never given up. It didn't help that she had been diagnosed with dyslexia a year or two ago. The golden Alicorn pressed on regardless, especially with Sherry supporting her. Chrysalis had also laid the foundations of an inquisitive and thoughtful mind. In the end, it meant that Celestia could truly never know what was going on in the other Alicorn's mind. Especially now that a pair of gold eyes had met hers, a smile in those glittering orbs. "…What?"

"I wanna know about your coltfriend," Hope said softly.

"…Of course you do." Celestia sighed, sparing a glance around the throne room. The guards were at the door, so if they spoke quietly, they wouldn't be heard. The nearest guard was on the distant wall. She turned back to Hope. "So what did you want to know?"

"Why aren't you telling anypony?"

"Because I'm quite sure there would be public outcry and scandal at the fact I have taken a lover."

"Just a lover, or a true coltfriend?" Hope smirked in a way that was very 'Chrys'-like, Celestia determined.

"A true coltfriend. I care greatly for him."

Hope tilted her head to the side adorably. "But you do love him?"

"I do."

"Well, I guess that's okay." Hope set down her kitten, making sure to keep the orange cat close to her. "I'm glad you're happy, Auntie."

Celestia gave her a little nuzzle. "I appreciate that, my dear."

Hope giggled. She opened her mouth to say something, only for something to catch her eye. The golden Alicorn turned to the window just in time for a glint of light to reflect off her eyes. "…Huh?"

The crossbow bolt smashed through the window, sending glass scattering into the throne room. Hope cried out in shock, golden barrier lighting up to stop the attack. Celestia blinked in surprise, only for a dozen ponies in all white jumped in through the shattered window. The sound of blades being drawn made the hairs on the back of Celestia's neck stand on end.

An assassination attempt.

"Protect the Princesses!" One of the guards shouted, and the few guards in the throne room rushed forward.

Hope cried out again as another bolt hammered into her barrier. Celestia wasn't worried—the only pony she knew that could put up a stronger barrier than Hope was Shining Armor, and he was limited by stamina and focus. Hope just put up barriers without thinking. Celestia turned to the attackers, surprised at their appearance. They had masks covering their faces, with only their eyes visible. There was a mix of unicorns and pegasii, each armed with light armor and short swords. Outside, perched on the castle roof, was a quartet of crossbow fighters, their deadly weapons aimed at the interior. Celestia had her attack spell charged even before her mind had fully processed what she had seen.

Before the spell could be released from her horn, a small sphere rolled into her field of vision. Runes glowed on its surface, and then it detonated in a bright blue corona. Celestia heard Hope squeak in surprise before feeling her strength suddenly wane. "A magic cancelling device…?"

The sounds of clashing blades reached her then, signaling the guards clash with the white robed attackers. Hope was crying in pain, whatever magic used in the cancelling device causing a backlash with her defensive spell. Even Celestia was having trouble staying on her hooves. The backlash of her spell being nullified before casting had given her an instant migraine. "There!" A rough voice said, and Celestia looked up to see a trio of enemies approaching them, one dressed in bright gold instead of white. And to her surprise, had only a visor obscuring his face.

"Well, well, well," The unicorn stallion said. "We weren't sure if that would work. Lo and behold, it did."

"You…" Celestia managed to stay somewhat dignified as she faced her attackers. "What do you seek to gain from killing me?"

"Killing you?" The gold cloaked stallion chuckled. "Oh, no way, Princess. Kill you? That would be a waste. But you will be coming with us—"

"Step away from my aunt!" The pony before Celestia glanced to the side, only to quickly jump aside as a massive clay colored axe smashed into the ground where he had just been. The sound of the impact paused the small skirmish, all eyes travelling to the furious Princess of Creativity. Before her stood a large stone plated knight wielding a massive battle-axe. Her burning violet eyes narrowed. "What is going on here?"

"Princess Sherry!" Another voice called out, signaling Capstone and Obsidian as they charged in behind her.

"Stun her!" The gold cloaked stallion snarled. Another magic canceller was thrown, landing at the feet of the chocolate Alicorn. She stared at it, before covering her eyes as the flash went off. Capstone cried out in shock as his magic was cut off.

"Got her!" One of the white cloaked ponies said.

However, the Rubrik didn't move. Well, it did move. Only to turn its upper body towards the three ponies across from Princess Celestia and Hope. Sherry's blazing eyes looked amused. "Rubrik. _Crush_."

The massive stone knight stomped forward, sweeping half of the attackers aside with one stroke. The stallion in gold dashed aside, cloak flaring up for just a second. His Cutie Mark was revealed to be a pair of crossed daggers. He drew the weapons free, dashing towards Sherry. "Sherry!" Obsidian cried out.

Sherry frowned simply, clicking her tongue. Another stone construct formed in front of her, a snarling wolf. It intercepted the attacking pony before he could reach her. She glanced back, seeing Capstone disabled. Obsidian simply seemed confused. "What was that device?" The guard groaned.

"It didn't affect her?" One enemy stated, staring in disbelief.

The stallion in gold snarled. His horn lit up, and he suddenly blurred before vanishing completely. "What the—!?

A small breeze made Celestia blink, and then the stallion was in front of her, blades angled at Hope's neck. He had a sadistic grin on his face. "I was to take you alive, Celestia, but I was never given any orders regarding this one—!"

"STEP ASIDE!"

Before the stallion could finish, a block of stone the size of his head smashed into him, sending him flying across the floor. All eyes went to Obsidian, the young Shaper standing in an aggressive stance with her onyx giving off a dark charge. Her glowing eyes were narrowed. "Do not threaten the Princesses."

There was an exasperated sigh from across the room. "Goodness Vorpal. Must you always be so fancy?"

"Ah!" Celestia cried out, feeling something stick her in the neck before vanishing just as quickly. When she turned there was another gold cloaked pony, this time a mare, standing a short distance away. She noticed a syringe was vanishing into the cloak she wore. "What… what have you done to me?"

"Nothing so direct," The mare said with a small smile. "I thank you for your cooperation, Princess. Come Vorpal—it is time we took our leave."

The stallion named Vorpal scowled, but backed off regardless. "Fine then, Needle. We'll be seeing you all soon."

He directed that last comment at the three Princesses, before a sudden burst of smoke obscured them. Recovered from the cancelling device, Celestia rose and cast a spell to scatter it. But when the smoke cleared, their attackers were gone. All of them. Even the ones that had been fighting the guards had escaped. "…They've vanished."

Sherry dismissed the Rubrik, moving over to Hope. The poor golden Alicorn was still frozen in shock, a hoof rising to her neck. "Hope? Hope…? Esperanza De Luz!"

Hearing her full name snapped Hope out of whatever trance she had been in. She gazed over at Sherry, confusion on her face. Then, she began to cry. "…Sherry…? Why did… why did he try to…?"

The chocolate Alicorn simply pulled the other mare into a hug. "It's okay Hope. It's okay. You're going to be okay."

"I don't wanna die…!"

Celestia watched the sobbing Alicorn in silence. Hope hadn't been the target, but had been placed into danger all the same. She had never had to fight with more than words, an in the span of a day she had almost died. Palla—bless the little kitten—was licking at her hoof, attempting to cheer up her new owner. The Princess of the Sun reached up to where she had been stuck, noting that even if she had been poisoned, her Alicorn biology would swiftly neutralize it. But the puncture hadn't been to inject, it had been to draw out.

"What is going on?" She asked quietly, knowing that nopony could truly answer.

–x–

Cori sniffled and rubbed at her nose. Looking up at her pensive father, she frowned. "Papa? Is something the matter?"

Tyr glanced down at his sick daughter, a small smile touching at his mouth. He reached out to smooth an errant strand of her mane out of her face. "I'm doing a lot better than you, my dear."

That got a little pout from the Changeling filly. "I'm not feeling that bad! My nose is just all runny!"

Chrys, also in the room, let out a little chuckle at that. "My little one, you have been sniffling and sneezing all day."

"Plus you have a fever," Tyr said thoughtfully, holding a hand to Cori's forehead. She sighed in relief—her father's hands were cool. "I'd give you some medicine, but I don't know if you being a Changeling would affect it."

"Changeling's normally don't catch colds," Chrys pointed out. "But Cori is not a normal Changeling."

Tyr smiled and patted his daughter's head. "Yeah, she's very special."

"So what's wrong?" Cori pressed, gently reaching out to touch her father's arm. "Something is bothering you."

"Well… I dunno," Tyr said with a sigh. "Sometimes I get these little tugs at my mind—like a warning, or something like that."

"Is it anything like when your Mark would signal that Luna was in danger?" Chrys asked, a little worried.

"Sort of. But nothing that severe." He smiled. "But it's no matter. Whatever it is, it's gone now."

"Alright…"

There was a small beep noise. "Operator? Carver is at the entrance, asking for you. Shall I tell her you are indisposed?"

"No, let her in. I'll meet her in the common room." Tyr glanced down at Cori. "Are you going to be okay, jitterbug?"

"I'll be fine," Cori sniffled. "Mommy is here with me, and I know you're thinking about me. Plus, Aurora said she'd come by with snacks and spend time with me."

Tyr chuckled. "You two have fun then. Your dad has to go do boring stuff."

Cori and Chrys giggled at that, and Tyr gave his daughter one last little forehead peck before leaving the room. Now that Cindy had a lot of free time, she was busy doing upgrades and maintenance to the ship. Inferus wandered the halls with armfuls of materials, and some sections of the ship were warping and changing. Supposedly with more metals and materials to use, the Jötunheim could be upgraded and retrofitted.

He rounded the corner into the common room, finding Carver waiting on him. "Ah, Lord Tyr. How is your daughter doing?"

Tyr blinked once, before chuckling. "She's going to be alright. Did you need me?"

"Not precisely. I just wanted to inform you that Miss Pinkie Pie's sisters have offered to assist around Wolfhome during their stay here."

That surprised the man. "They did? That's… surprising. Well, not precisely. They did work on a rock farm, after all."

Carver nodded. "Also, Miss Starlight Glimmer wished to speak with you."

"She did? Where is she?" If Tyr thought Twilight's student coming to see him was strange, he didn't remark on it. If anything it was just a message from the Princess of Friendship herself.

"In the throne room."

"I see. Well, best not keep her waiting."

Carver agreed with a nod, following Tyr as he turned to leave. It took them only a few minutes to walk to the throne room. There they found Starlight and Mitta, waiting before the throne. The pale violet unicorn perked up when she heard his footsteps. "Ah, Tyr!"

"Sorry for taking so long," Tyr replied, moving over to the wolf throne and taking a seat. Carver took her usual place just to his side. "What was it you needed?"

Starlight swallowed heavily, glancing from Tyr to Carver. "…Well… Twilight was telling me about what happened during the Diamond Dog attack. I had some questions about the Mind Gems."

Tyr felt Carver stiffen up beside him. He frowned slightly. "…I'd be very careful what you ask, but go ahead."

The mare blinked, before noticing Carver's hard look from her Lord's side. "Er… right. I was wondering if I could examine one of them. Twilight and I were wondering if the gems were magical in nature."

"So you wished to test them?"

"Essentially. We thought… well, it was a theory…"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "What kind of theory?"

"If the gems had latent magic, it _may_ be possible to continue with their use." She winced. "I mean, Twilight discovered that the Stone Ponies share a close genetic makeup to Earth Ponies. We… well; I think that if the gems are magical in nature, it may be possible to transfer their power to an Earth Pony."

"You want to test this theory?" Carver asked evenly. Tyr reached out and placed a hand on her head, letting his own calm thoughts flow to her using his Changeling powers.

Starlight nodded. "She did. Without the Mind Gems, you die. Is that correct?"

"Their removal triggers that," Tyr pointed out. "It's instantaneous."

"That's why I asked for the ones already removed," Starlight clarified. "I wouldn't kill a pony simply for knowledge."

"Good. If it's alright with Serenity, I'll allow it. Just do not break or shatter the gems."

"Please," Carver added softly.

Starlight nodded. "Thank you, Tyr. And thank you Carver. I'll treat the gems with respect."

"Thank you."

"That being said…" She turned to Tyr. "Mitta wanted to be my test subject, if this process was possible."

Tyr raised an eyebrow, glancing over to the dark grey mare. She was hiding her face behind her short mane, although there wasn't much she could really do to avoid his face. After a moment, she nodded slightly. "Starlight says that even if I don't get the same abilities as a Stone Pony, it won't hurt me. And… I trust her."

"Very well then," Tyr said with a nod. "If you're alright with it. I don't really have any authority over you."

"Please… be very careful," Carver implored. She looked down at her hooves. "The gems of the fallen… we believe they carry a piece of that pony's soul. It would be heartbreaking if something happened to them."

Starlight nodded. "I will treat them with all the respect they deserve," She informed the Shaper solemnly.

"That is all I can ask."

Tyr was listening to the exchange with his full attention, but something caught his attention from across the hall. It was Pinkie, motioning for him to come over. "Hm. Excuse me ladies, but I believe I am being summoned."

"I will come get you if anything urgent comes up," Carver informed him.

"Good." He got up out of the throne, leaving Carver and Starlight to discuss this whole experiment the unicorn wanted to try. Pinkie wasn't there when Tyr finally got to where she was, only to call him from further down the hall. After a short sigh and roll of his eyes he followed. She led him all the way through the keep, finally stopping outside his study. With a little twinkle in her eyes, she darted inside. Perplexed, Tyr followed. "Is there something going on, Pinkie?" He asked, seeing her hop onto his stone desk.

"Maybe," She said, smiling softly.

The man folded his arms. "Was there something you wanted?"

She beckoned him closer. Once he was arm's length to her, she grinned. "Just you."

Before he could really reply to that, the pink pony had wrapped her forelegs around his neck and pressed her lips to his. In response, Tyr wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body to his. They kissed fervently, Pinkie pulling away breathless after a few seconds that felt like an eternity. "You're a bit eager," Tyr remarked, smiling at her. He licked his lips—Pinkie always tasted like she had just finished eating something sweet.

"I spent all this time with my sisters, but I really missed you," She replied, one hoof moving to stroke his cheek. "Limestone went to go see the mines, and Maud is wandering down in Stonehome. Marble said she wanted to look through the castle, so I came to find you."

Tyr smiled and kissed her again. "I would have spent the day with you if you wanted."

The pink mare shook her head. "You were taking care of Cori, right? That's more important. I can wait!"

"You're very kind, Pinkie."

She poked him in the forehead. "No silly, I'm _Laughter_. Fluttershy is kindness!"

"Oh. Right. How could I forget?" Tyr rolled his eyes, Pinkie giggling at his expense. He smirked. "How about we go back to the ship? Rather not have someone come looking for me here."

"Ooh, ooh! Can we get Lunie too?" Pinkie smiled. "I like that she tastes like blueberries!"

"…Huh. She does. I totally forgot. But I bet she's bored, so I think that's a good idea."

Pinkie grinned. Then her smile shrunk, turning from a joyful one to having a gentler feel. "I love you, Honey."

Tyr leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. "…Love you too Sunshine. I love all of you."

* * *

 **Touching moments abound. Cori's a little under the weather, and Pinkie's family has arrived. They'll get some more exposure in the coming chapters, I just had to break it up a bit. I know some people like long chapters, but if I did that I'd be posting a lot less frequently. But that's beside the point.**

 **As usual, glad you Read, hope you Return, and don't be afraid to leave a Review. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting patiently for your return.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Greetings, dear Readers. It's obviously late in the day for this post, but I've been out of the house all day. Just got home like an hour ago, edited (There my be some errors, but I hope I got them all) and am now posting. Hope the Chapter fufils your desires, and there is more build up for some serious events. I only ask for your patience.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Odd that you bring up potatoes.**

 **Captain Alaska: I realize after writing Hope that she's been exposed mainly to figures that do a lot of heavy thinking. Luna, Celestia, Sherry, Chrysalis... they're all 'long-term' and deep thinkers. She herself isn't an idiot, she's only able to communicate her thoughts on a middle to high school level. All you have to do is give her a bit more time to think about what she wants to say. Expect more of this 'mature' Hope to pop up more. Letting her grow as a character is... fufilling. Also, Vanna and Tyr are going to have plenty more banter. Heck, Vanna might even stay a girl just to mess with him.**

 **Chaddmychal: Tyr doesn't have a reason to use it yet. He'll get to eventually.**

 **Enough outta me. On to a short but heated chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 42: Heat Wave

Holding council was something Tyr was still getting used to. The council room Wolfhome boasted was not ornate by any means, more so functional as the Stone Ponies preferred. The table was long and rectangular, with one larger seat at the head for Tyr. Along the sides were his advisors: Silver Mint for Finance and Trade, Titan Forge of the Miners and Smiths, Moss Hoof for the Growers, Stone Tower for the Builders, and lastly Boulder of the Shapers. Serenity stood to one side of him, and Carver was on the other. It was a small council, but all the positions Tyr thought needed filling were filled. Serenity was his diplomatic advisor as well, pulling double duty on that front. However, Tyr had never spoken with all of them at one time. Tyr let out a small breath. "So? Who wants to report first?"

"I suppose I'll go first, my Lord," Silver Mint said, adjusting the magical monocle she had been given by Twilight in order to see small text. She lifted up a small, relatively thin slab of stone. "From what I have in my records, we have pulled in quite a large sum of bits."

"How large are we talking?" Tyr asked, poking Valor in the side of the head to get his attention. The bird turned to him, attempting to look upset with him. However, Tyr had a bag of feed in his hand, immediately putting him back in the Ice Phoenix's good graces.

Mint suppressed a little smile at the cute sight of a bird eating from its owner's hand. "At last count, we have over two hundred and forty thousand bits in our vault."

Tyr whistled softly. They'd only been pulling gems and ore out of the mountain for a couple of months, and they'd made that much. "That's even with expenses?"

"Indeed. We are making a comfortable profit. The traders that pass through also expressed an idea of building something called an 'inn' here."

"From what I've been told," Stone Tower spoke up, the gruff black Stone Pony speaking in his gravelly—Tyr, Chrys, and Fenrir had shared a very amused chuckle at the pun—voice. "That means they want a place to stay the night or something like that. A place to serve food and drink for weary travelers."

Tyr nodded. "A fair suggestion. Since we're welcoming travelers here, that'd be a very useful addition to the castle. However… Moss Hoof?"

The former moss farmer nodded. "That may be something we can consider in the future, when we're not pulling in most of our food from Ponyville. I was talking to Miss Applejack the other day, and she says we have land suitable to grow potatoes."

"What's a 'potato'?" Titan Forge asked. Tyr couldn't help but grin. Despite all the skills his Ponies had in their respective fields, anything involving the surface still threw them for a loop.

"Miss Applejack says they're a very hardy vegetable that grows underground, kinda like us. And the Miss Pinkie Pie says they can be cooked and baked and all sorts of things."

"That is true," Tyr said with a nod. He rubbed Valor's head with a finger, getting a happy chirp from his pet. "And they're very easy to take care of. A country in my old world had them as a staple crop."

Moss Hoof nodded. "I understand. We'll see about getting some seeds."

Tyr looked over to Boulder, who cleared his throat. "We're training our newest Shapers to make sure they're up to standards, sir. Since the declaration of war with the Diamond Dogs, many of our younger ponies have expressed desires to join the ranks of the Protectors. We've also fortified our outermost tunnels, with traps that only a Stone Pony would be able to traverse safely. Your daughter has also been of help."

"Oh?" Tyr smiled. He had been a little worried that having Aurora oversee the Shaper's training sessions. Having someone her age instructing ponies years older was bound to incite come discomfort. But from what Boulder was saying, they didn't seem to mind.

The older Shaper nodded. "Indeed, sir. She has trained with the Canterlot Knights and knows how the Equestrian military trains and disciplines their ponies. Despite not training with weapons and armor like them, we're learning from the little Princess."

"On that note," Titan Forge spoke up. "S…er. Lady Vanna and I have been working on the armor design. We should have our most senior Shapers outfitted within the next week or so—suits for the rest should come quicker once we get the design down."

Carver frowned. "I see. And how is the armor designed?"

"The armor is a special composite Miss Charlie developed—a mix between mythril and iron. From the plate we have made, it is malleable and easy to make, while providing a very great amount of protection while still remaining light."

Tyr nodded. "That's good to hear. Tower, have all the castle defenses been finished?"

The pony nodded. "Surprisingly enough, we've been helped by your mate—Miss Pinkie Pie to be precise."

"Pinkie?" Fenrir snorted. "How in the world did she help with _defense_?"

"She taught us how to build more… non celebratory versions of her party cannon. Since we can make roughly spherical stones to fit…"

Tyr grinned. "Cannons built into the walls? That sounds like a delicious idea. I'll have to thank Pinkie for that."

"I think the last thing is that we received a message from the Crystal Empire," Serenity took that as her cue to speak. When Tyr glanced over at her with a curious look, she giggled. "I do believe Princess Cadance had her baby."

"Oh! That's nice to hear." He smiled. "Have they decided on a name yet?"

"From the contents of the letter, no. However, there apparently is going to be some sort of ceremony called a 'Crystalling' that will occur in a month or so. You and your family were invited."

"I'll have to respond to that and tell her I'll attend." Tyr smiled as Valor chirped at him. "Besides, my little friend here no doubt would like to see his birthplace again."

"Perhaps some of the Shapers could go as well?" Serenity offered. "Seeing another country—one that is technically our ally would no doubt be a very good experience."

"The Crystal Empire is far north, correct?" Boulder asked. Upon getting a nod, he seemed thoughtful. "Hm… cold weather training…"

Tyr chuckled, letting Valor hop from the table up his arm and to his shoulder. "We'll think about it later. We've had a productive day, and I believe we've covered all pressing points. Unless someone else has pressing matters to discuss?"

"None from me," Moss Hoof said.

"Same here," Stone Tower rumbled.

Boulder shook his head. "Not at the moment, sir."

"I believe I have covered everything I needed to," Silver Mint agreed.

Titan Forge sniffed. "Just waiting to get back to work, boss."

"Then I call this meeting of the Wolfhome Council a success and adjourned," Tyr said with a clap of his hands. Valor trilled in agreement, pulling a smile from all present. The little Ice Phoenix had quickly become a loved sight around the castle town, like a mascot. So far, there had only been one scare with the adorable bird—a large chunk of stone had fallen on him during construction near the mountain, and many of the ponies present had believed him dead. Tyr had a good laugh at their expense when the patch of snow the bird had exploded into swirled back together into a rather amused Valor. After learning he was all but indestructible, they were more likely to let him roam about the castle, just making sure he didn't get into too much trouble.

Tyr's advisors all left, minus Serenity and Carver. The Elemental smiled slightly, turning to them. "Now, you two. I have something I need you to do."

"Oh?" Carver frowned. "What is it?"

"You, my dear Carver, need to write a letter back to your sister. Serenity, I'd like you to help her."

Carver blushed. "I can write a letter on my own!"

Tyr smirked. "Serenity's grammar is much better than yours, and she's got better mouth-writing."

That made the Shaper blush and stare down at her hooves. Serenity giggled. "Do not worry, Carver. I am still a novice myself—no doubt we can learn from each other?"

"…Very well, Seer," Carver surrendered. "I'm sure Obi would like to hear from me regardless…"

"And while you do that, I will be enjoying my day," Tyr said with a smile. "I haven't seen my friends in a bit, so I might pay them a visit."

Serenity nodded. "If we require you, we will send for you, my Lord."

Tyr nodded. He glanced over to Valor. "Hey, wanna go flying?"

He was rewarded with a happy chirp and the blue bird flying off his shoulder and out into the hall. The Elemental chased after, letting himself flow into a freezing breeze as he and the ice phoenix raced each other down the hall. Before long (after terrorizing who knows how many ponies with cold air) they exited the fortress town. Tyr flowed back into solidity just outside of the castle wall, Valor landing on his shoulder and Fenrir leaping into wolf form beside him. She stretched for a moment. [It has been a while since we were to 'stretch our legs' as it were] She thought.

"We've had no reason to hunt or anything," Tyr pointed out, listening to Valor trill happily at the open air. He smiled. "We've been rather busy."

[Feh. I simply want a proper challenge]

"I know, Fen. One day."

Fenrir snorted at that, but simply continued padding along beside him. It wasn't until they reached Ponyville's outskirts that she caught her Alpha's attention. […Alpha. There is a single cloud in the sky]

Tyr glanced up, noticing there was indeed one cloud in the sky above them. Oddly enough, it was low hanging. "…It's awfully low, isn't it?"

[Indeed]

The Elemental narrowed his eyes, letting his Chaos magic flow into them. He noticed something peculiar about the cloud as he examined it closely. It was moving slightly, almost waving about. "…It's moving."

[…So it is]

"Why would a cloud, a cloud in a world where ponies control the weather no less, be moving on its own…" He trailed off, a flash of color catching his now hypersensitive eyes. Particularly rainbow colored. "…Is that Rainbow Dash napping up there?"

Fenrir sniffed the air, before scrunching up her nose. [Shift your perception, Alpha. I doubt she is 'napping' up there]

Tyr had come to understand that his enhanced perception ability, granted by Fenrir, could be shifted to each of his six senses individually in order to make them even more extremely focused. At his Chaos Spirit's suggestion, he shifted his magic into his sense of hearing. Immediately, he could hear more than he wanted to. Namely, the somewhat erotic moans of his rainbow haired friend. "…Okay. Didn't want to hear that."

[Too bad your Changeling is not here to enjoy this] Fenrir snorted. Tyr rolled his eyes and started walking again.

"Let them enjoy themselves," Tyr chuckled, noting there was a waving white tail over the edge of the cloud. "Perhaps there's more to do in town?"

He was wrong, terrifyingly so. Ponyville was like a ghost town, not a single pony wandering the streets as he was so used to. Even Fenrir seemed a bit unnerved. She shifted back into her miniature form to perch atop Tyr's other shoulder. "Did something happen overnight that we have not been part of?"

"Considering Ace and Rainbow were outside of town… enjoying themselves… I doubt the town's been overrun by anything. Plus I can still sense living things in town."

Valor trilled once before taking off to the sky. Tyr continued to wander the streets, noting that he felt eyes on him all through the town. However it wasn't until he was passing by the spa that he heard someone call out to him. "Oh, if it isn't Mister Tyr!"

Tyr turned slightly to see two particular ponies standing at the door of the spa. One was a light blue with a glossy pink mane, and the other was pink with a glossy blue mane. Both wore white headbands and chokers, complementing the twin look. They were twins, as far as he remembered. Both were watching him from the door, a sort of hungry look in their eyes. "Er… Hello, ladies. Something I can help you with?"

"You've never come by the spa, Mister Tyr," Aloe said in her somewhat heavy accent. Her sister nodded in agreement. "Have you never needed our services?"

"Not particularly," Tyr replied, noting that they were approaching him slowly. "…Something the matter?"

Lotus giggled. "Well, perhaps there is, Mister Tyr. My sister and I have heard… many stories about your… manliness."

[Something suggests we run. Quickly] Fenrir suggested.

Tyr took a step back. "Well, I hope you were hearing good things," He tried, staying as amicable as he could. Neither mare backed off, instead advancing forward a step for each he took back.

"Perhaps you could… show us?"

"I would, but… I'm a married man, ladies. Not only married, in a herd. I can't."

"You could always claim us as well," Aloe commented. "In our home country, there are herds that number in the double digits."

"I'm sure Chrys would love that," Tyr murmured dryly, despite continuing to back away from the two ponies. As attractive as the two spa ponies were, he was still pretty loyal to his already large family. He wasn't about to just expand it because he could. "But I won't. Please don't…" He couldn't finish his sentence, as the two ponies leapt at him. Aloe managed to snag one leg, while her sister caught him around the waist. Despite the fact that being hugged by two cute mares was nice, he had to pull himself free. They weren't that eager to give up, chasing after him again.

"Confound these ponies!" Fenrir growled, clinging to Tyr's shoulder as he dodged the spa sisters. A flick of his wrist sent them flying back into the spa. "What is going on?"

Tyr pulled the door of the spa closed and froze the handle. Better safe than sorry. "Whatever it is, it's weird."

"Well, let us find your friends, as it were. Maybe they can shed some light on all of this."

"We can go to the castle first," Tyr said, looking in the direction of the crystal castle. "Maybe Twilight can tell us what's going on?"

Yet again, Tyr found himself disappointed. Outside of the castle he found all his kids, along with the kids of his friends. They were hanging around the outside of the castle, all gathered around something on the ground. As he approached, he found it was a sleeping Aurora and Aleron. His adorable filly was lying over her brother's back, smiling as she slept. "Now that's cute."

"Uncle!" Goldie cried, getting up from her spot beside Cori. The Changeling hopped up as well, a little blush on her dark cheeks.

[Come here] Tyr said with a little gesture. The Changeling filly trotted over to him, smiling warmly as her father hugged her. "How are all of you?"

"We're doing alright," Bramley said.

"Why are all of you outside?" The Elemental asked, moving over to where his kids slept. "And what tired them out?"

"Mom and Dad are busy in their room," Evie pointed out, fixing her glasses. "Miss Starlight and Miss Mitta are doing some kind of experiment, so we're just spending time out here."

"And only Aurora is asleep," Aleron said softly, one eye cracking open. He smiled a little. "Aurora and Vibrant were racing."

"I won," The snow white colt said proudly.

Jubilee rolled her eyes at him. "Only by like, two inches! Roro almost had you and you know it, Vivi!"

"I've told you not to call me that, Jubilee!"

Ancè rolled her eyes. "You know she's going to call you that anyway, Vibrant."

"Bah."

Tyr went over to his twins and gently lifted Aurora off Aleron's back. She protested sleepily for a second, but once he had her securely in his arms she settled down. She snuggled into his chest cutely, tugging on his shirt slightly as she clung to him. "That's adorable," Evie said with a little giggle.

"That's my little cub for you," Tyr said, reaching up with his free hand to stroke his daughter's mane. A little smile graces her face, making him smile as well. "…It's moment's like this I miss."

"Hey, you could spend the day with us, Uncle!" Goldie suggested. She gave him a big smile. "You could tell us stories and stuff!"

"You went on a lot of adventures, right?" Vibrant looked interested.

Tyr settled down amongst the little group, all the foals and fillies crowding around. The still sleeping Aurora settled into his lap, while his other kids took the closest places to him. "I guess since I've got the day free, I can entertain you all for a little bit."

There were quite a few stories he could tell, Tyr realized. And he had a very rapt audience. Evie asked questions about particular things Tyr spoke about, while Vibrant was more interested in the battles or hunts that the Elemental had gone on. Goldie looked interested when Tyr talked about a world full of giant flowers, giggling when he pointed out there were giant bugs to go along with them. Aleron was really curious about the rest of the Striate family, especially the enigma that was Jehu Striate himself. Even Tyr had to pause at that—he knew Jehu somewhat well, but still didn't know that much of him personally. The man had been friendly, but still kept a lot of secrets.

It wasn't until Tyr glanced up at the sky that he noticed how late it had gotten. Aurora was still asleep in his lap, although she was now joined by a dozing Jubilee. "Hm… It seems to be getting late," He said thoughtfully, scratching behind Aurora's ear. She mumbled incoherently, rear leg twitching slightly.

"Aw, crap," Vibrant mumbled. I've got homework to do."

"I told you that you should have worked on it at school," Evie pointed out with a giggle.

Tyr frowned slightly. "Was Cheerilee there?"

"We had a substitute," Ancè informed him. "Miss Cheerilee was… indisposed, is what I have been told."

"Hm. I see. Hope she's not sick or anything."

Vibrant sighed and lifted up to the air. "I guess I gotta jet. See you guys later!"

He shot off. Bramley nodded to himself as he lifted his body off the ground. "I reckon Goldie and I better get going too."

"I'll walk you home," Tyr said, shaking Jubilee awake. She rubbed at her eyes.

"Are we going home, daddy?" She asked cutely. Tyr chuckled and patted her head.

"Technically yes. I'm having Al teleport you all home, and then I'm going to make sure Goldie and Bramley get home safe."

"I'll help," Aurora mumbled, waking up. She blinked a couple of times, before looking up at her dad. She stared at him for a moment, before scrunching up her nose in confusion. "…Dad? I don't remember falling asleep on you…"

Tyr chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I came a little while ago. You've been asleep since then."

"Mm…" She laid her head back against his chest. "…I love you, daddy."

"Love you too, Ro."

She smiled at that, before gently disentangling herself and going over to her brother. She seemed revitalized somehow. "Alright! Al, I'll provide the power, you do the finesse."

"As always," Aleron said dryly, but a smirk crossed his features as he lit up his horn. "Cori, Ancè, Jubilee, come over to us."

The three fillies did. They all turned to Tyr, and gave him bright smiles. "See you at home, daddy!" Jubilee said brightly.

He managed to wave back just before a mixed flash of gray and violet whisked them away. A slight pang of regret shot through him, but he pushed it aside—he'd see them when he got home. "Come along you two. Applejack and Fluttershy are probably wondering where you are."

A short whistle caught Valor's attention, and the Ice Phoenix flew to his owner and landed on his shoulder. The man began walking, the colt and filly following behind him. They were talking quietly behind him, but he decided against listening in. Instead he simply took in the sound of a town at rest. A weird scent touched at his senses, but he couldn't place it really. After a few minutes of walking, the Apple family farm came into view. You really could get anywhere in Ponyville with a few minutes of walking, Tyr thought to himself. He was a little surprised to not see anyone outside in the field. "Parent's out and about?"

"I dunno," Bramley said thoughtfully. "Thought Uncle Mac would be here somewhere…"

"Maybe he's still out in town," Goldie suggested.

Tyr shrugged. "Well, even if they're not home, they should be soon. Will you two be alright—?"

"Tyr!" A shocked voice called out , catching their attention. He turned to see a quite surprised Fluttershy staring at him. She blinked several times. "Why… why are you…?"

"Oh, hello Fluttershy," He smiled. "I was just walking your kids home."

"We were at the castle with Evie and the others," Goldie explained. "Uncle Tyr offered to make sure we got home okay!"

Tyr nodded. "Since my kids can teleport and Vibrant can just fly home…"

"I… I see," The yellow Pegasus said slowly. Then, a little smile touched at her lips. "Um… kids? Why don't you head on inside. I want to talk to Mr. Tyr for a moment."

"Thanks again for telling us all those stories!" Goldie told Tyr as she followed her brother into the house.

Tyr waved after the happy brown pegasus, before turning to his shy friend. She was blushing a little bit, tail swishing back and forth nervously. "So… you wanted to talk to me, Fluttershy?"

She jumped a little bit at his voice, before settling a bit. "Um… y-yes. Can you… walk with me?"

The Elemental smiled. "Of course. Lead the way."

Fluttershy nodded slightly and turned, beginning to walk off into the orchard. As promised, Tyr followed, hands shoved into his pockets. He wasn't upset about the way things had turned out, since he had wanted to see Fluttershy anyway. However she was acting a little… odd, to say the least. But then again, he hadn't spent any real time with her in a very long time.

They arrived at Fluttershy's cottage, nestled in a little copse of trees that had grown together around it. Tyr momentarily wondered if Discord had a claw in that, but knowing Applejack she probably would have bucked him right in the chest if he did anything to her trees. Fluttershy walked into the comfy looking building, holding the door open for Tyr to follow. Before he could do so, he felt a sharp pain in his arm. "Ow, Fen! What the—?"

[Do _not_ enter that cottage] Fenrir's thoughts growled at him. Her eyes had turned a piercing shade of violet as she stared up at him, fangs buried in his arm. It was only painful—Fen would never go out of her way to cause him permanent injury. She only bit him when she _really_ needed his attention.

Fluttershy was staring at him, half confused half frustrated at his delay. Tyr frowned slightly. [Fen… what is it?]

[I know what that scent is now] The wolf spirit snarled hurriedly. [The shy one is in heat! The whole Etro damned town is full of pheromones!]

Well, that explained why he was pretty much molested today. Seeing his friend in a little bit of a new light, he backed up a step. "Actually Fluttershy… I need to be getting home."

The yellow pegasus blinked, confused. "Huh? But…?"

"Another time, my dear," Tyr said amiably, bowing slightly. With that, he called Valor back to him and teleported away.

"Er…" She blinked several times. "…okay."

A short distance outside of Ponyville, the man reappeared, a sigh escaping his mouth. "What the hell?" He muttered.

Fenrir hopped out of his cloak, standing before him on the ground. Her look was grim, and her usual dry humor was absent. "You owe me, Alpha. Any contact with a creature in heat—especially one that you are friends with—will no doubt end with a lot of struggle on your part."

Tyr gave her a soft smile. "Well, lucky I have you looking out for me."

"Oh, I'm so jealous," an amused voice said from behind him. Tyr turned to glance up, seeing a familiar dragonkin flying down to him. Vanna was smiling at him, but then a frown crossed her features. A thought seemed to occur to her, and she hurriedly pushed her skirt to cover herself just as she landed. A blush touched at her cheeks. "…You didn't look, did you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," his friend said.

Vanna fixed him with an even glare. "I'd slap you, but I'm the one wearing a skirt and flying around with no tights. Damnable female anatomy. How do they do it?"

"Carefully, I assume."

"So what are you doing out here anyway?" Vanna frowned, folding her arms. "I expected you to be at home with your ladies, enjoying yourself."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Well, considering I was working all morning before any of them got up, and didn't see anyone after I was done…"

Vanna leaned in close, sniffing at him lightly. "…You sure? You smell like you've had a tousle with some mares."

"The spa sisters attacked me," Tyr explained. "Seems the whole town is in heat."

"Yeah, I could smell it all day."

Tyr took a shaky step back. "You're not…?"

Vanna stared at him for a long moment, before recoiling in horror. "Oh man, what? Ew! No way! You're literally blood to me, Tyr. Plus, Dragons of my species physically can't bring themselves to lust after those that they've marked as family."

"…Marked?"

"Remember we got in that fight in high school?" Tyr replied with a nod. "Right. You got my blood on you—technically in a wound, no doubt—and through that you've got a little dragon blood in you. So technically any dragon that smells you will know you're family to me."

"…huh. A lot of random stuff I'm supposed to smell lately."

"Well, that one's not that strong. The pheromones in the town should have been more noticeable to you." A thought caught her then, and she glanced at him curiously. "You didn't smell it at all? I smelled it before I even got in town proper. Figured your wolf nose would had noticed before then."

"Unfortunately my nose is only a little better than the average human without a little magical shifting," Tyr replied with a shrug. "Now that I'm actively trying, I can smell it."

"Then you should get home," Vanna told him with a grin.

"…Where were you, anyway?"

"I was with Gracie. We had a… long talk."

Tyr frowned. "How did that go?"

Vanna sighed and walked over to a patch of grass. After smoothing out her skirt, she sat. "We're a bit… well, we're not breaking up, if that means anything."

"And how's she taking the whole… sex change thing?"

"Not particularly well."

"…Right."

"A little better than I expected, seeing as she isn't in heat this week."

"So… no sex."

Vanna actually blushed again. "Er… I'm actually still technically a virgin, considering I'm a girl now."

"…oh. Oh."

"Not to say I don't want to—okay, we're not talking about this. It's one thing guy to guy but another when we're different genders…"

Tyr nodded, glad for that admission. He moved over to sit by his friend. "I totally agree with you. But what are you and Grace going to do?"

"Probably panic."

"Uh… why?"

Vanna lowered her head into her hands. "Remember I said her heat week wasn't this week? It was the week we came back from the Badlands. Apparently Canterlot mares go into heat earlier than Ponyville."

"…Interesting fact. And what does that have to do with…?"

"…Tyr. Grace is pregnant."

There was a heavy silence. Tyr stared at his friend in shock, unable to really voice his thoughts. Grace, someone he considered like a sister to him, was now pregnant with his best friend's child. The only thing he would have been more terrified of is if Sherry came up to him and told him she had a boyfriend. Vanna herself seemed quite unsure of how to act in this situation either. It was a reminder of how he used to be—soft spoken and apt to stumble over decisions if they were stressful enough. "…What do you plan on doing?"

"Well, she wants to keep the baby," Vanna said sighing. "Regardless of if I'm 'dad' or 'mom #2'. By the ever burning flame, that sounds awkward."

"And you? How do you feel about this?"

Vanna leaned back. "…I'm terrified."

"Terrified?"

"I freaked out when Cinder was pregnant. And then I lost her when Charlie was born. I…I don't want to lose Grace too."

Tyr frowned, looking over at the dragon beside him. "Why do you think that?"

Vanna sighed. "I'm… I mean, I lost Cinder, man. Right after I got Charlie. Happiest moment of my life tinted by being simultaneously the worst." She clenched her fists. "…I refuse to let Grace go. Hell, I don't care if I outlive her. I just want to be happy with her."

There was a little chuckle from behind them, and a pair of red-brown hooves wrapped around his neck. "You're such a goof," Grace murmured, nuzzling him.

"G-Gracie?" Vanna started in shock. "What are you…?"

"I wanted to tell you not to worry," She said, smiling softly. "I'm a lot tougher than you think. I've survived five years without you, not counting before I met you."

"Well, you're right, but…"

"No buts. You've been a good father to Charlie, now you'll just have to be a good mom to our kid."

"If Twilight can't change him back," Tyr pointed out.

Grace was quiet for a moment. "Then I'll just have to get used to loving a female."

"Speaking of females…" Vanna gave Tyr a suggestive grin. "You might want to make sure your herd is 'taken care of'."

"You haven't been with them?" Grace stared at Tyr in shock. "Oh dear. If Rarity and Pinkie Pie's heats caused Princess Luna to go as well…"

A soft 'pop' noise caught their attention, signaling Tyr teleporting away. Instead of his silver magical remnant, it was a dark cerulean color. "Heh. He's in for a fun night."

"Speaking of fun," Grace said, nuzzling her boy—er, girlfriend, "You wanna come up with names or no?"

"Am I allowed to give a son a girly/asexual name or a daughter a boyish name?"

"…I'll think about it."

"Aha! Progress."

–x–

"I _hate_ late night meetings," Vorpal muttered, adjusting his cloak. Beside him, an amused smile on her half hidden face, Needle simply chuckled.

"You hate a lot of things, dear."

The masked stallion grimaced at her. "Why are we doing work for this JR guy anyway? We nearly lost half the group that we took with us."

Needle gave him an appraising look. "Now honey, we knew there were sacrifices to be made. They all knew that as well. Although we do need to get something nice for Stitch for healing you. What other pony do we know that can repair cracked skulls?"

Vorpal grimaced. "I'm still in a little pain. When did you say he was meeting us?"

"Now," the magically altered voice declared. The two white robed ponies turned together to see a two more cloaked ponies approaching them. One was in all greys, while the other was wearing bright gold with a matching gold mask. "I apologize for making you wait."

"We weren't waiting long," Needle said amiably. She glanced between the two stallions. "I don't think we've met your… associate, JR."

"You may call him E," JR said simply. "Have you accomplished what I asked?"

Needle grinned. "Straight to business. I like that. We did, but you didn't tell us about the stone slinging ponies guarding the Princess."

E frowned. "Stone slinging ponies? They had unicorns throwing things at you?"

"Not a unicorn," Vorpal said irritably. "Some small pony with a stone in her forehead. Literally hit me with a rock the size of my head."

"Not a… that's impossible—Earth Ponies can't use magic."

"She was no Earth Pony I ever saw," the stallion muttered.

JR frowned. "Hm. Perhaps something has changed since last we spoke. Regardless—"

"Another thing!" Vorpal cut him off. He scowled. "Those magic cancellers you gave us… That Princess Sherry wasn't even bothered by them!"

That got JR and E to pause. A short look was shared between the two stallions, before JR turned back to their associates. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Needle frowned. "We put one right at her hooves. She covered her eyes from the flash, and then went about her business like nothing had happened."

"That's impossible!" E claimed. "We were assured those cancellers would work on any magic user—unicorn or Alicorn!"

"Well, not her, it seems. We're not sure why."

JR frowned. "Hm. This is an issue. But we can still work with this. Have you gotten the item I needed?"

Needle pulled a vial out of her cloak, revealing that it was full of blood. "One vial of Alicorn blood, specifically from Princess Celestia. As you asked."

The vial was passed over to JR, who could barely keep his smile under control. "Ah… good. This is perfect. Exactly what we needed."

"What exactly are you going to do with it?" Vorpal asked.

JR stared at him. "That is information you do not need to know."

That was the wrong thing to say, as the other stallion snarled. "My fighters almost bought it getting that vial for you. The least you could do is tell us why we're picking fights with Princesses!"

"…Fine. We're using the blood for an experiment."

Needle was silent for a bit. "…What kind of experiment?"

JR smiled. It was not a nice smile, but one of full of a dark intensity. "If Princess Sherry claims she 'created' an Alicorn… why can't we?"

–x–

Tyr let out a contented sigh as he slid into the bathtub. Water was always welcome, and felt almost like drinking an entire cup of coffee, or at least ingesting the caffeine. He felt the water shift as a second body joined him. "How are you feeling?" He asked as Chrys gingerly lowered herself in the water.

The Changeling shuddered. She and Tyr both had a shared memory of his room—currently occupied by three very satisfied mares covered in sweat and full of love. "Well… I could be better. I do believe everything past my hips is numb."

"Sorry for leaving you here alone, Chrissy," The Elemental said, reaching out to caress her face. "I didn't even realize what was going on.

"It's fine," Chrys murmured, moving around so she could lay against him. "You were not aware… I would have tried to contact you, but… pleasure is a powerful distraction."

"If I had known what was going on, I would have come back sooner. They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Chrys sniffed indignantly. "I have dealt with mares in heat before, Master. And you know your mares—they would not harm me." She paused. "…intentionally."

Tyr smiled and scratched behind her ears. "If all you are is sore, then you're fine. I'm well aware you enjoyed yourself."

"Of course I did!" Chrys pouted. "Lust and love go hand in hand sometimes. And especially in our herd. I'm so full, and being with you now… I'm overflowing."

"I can see that," Tyr replied with a chuckle. He ran a hand through her wet mane. "You're warm. And slightly glowing."

To his surprise, his Changeling sat up straight, looking at him in surprise. "You can… you can see it?"

Tyr frowned at her, a little confused. "What? I'm not supposed to?"

"You're not a Changeling originally, so I thought you'd not be able to see auras like that. I thought you'd only be able to sense emotions on a low level."

"Well, seems like I can. But not that strongly. It's really just a little glow about you that I can see."

"Hm. Interesting. But that is a conversation for another day—I want to enjoy this while I can."

"Oh?"

Chrys snuggled a little closer to him. "I hardly get you to myself, Master. I know you have your duties, and Luna and the others to care for, but… these moments I truly treasure."

Tyr leaned down to kiss her. "Chrissy. You know that if you want to spend time with me, all you have to do is ask."

"I don't want to steal you away…"

"You're not stealing me, Chrissy." He reached over to lift up her chin so she was looking at him. "I'm as much yours as I am theirs. Don't hesitate to remind them."

Chrys smiled softly, leaning back against him. "You're too good to me, Master."

"Someone has to be," Tyr responded softly, resting his chin atop her head. "You've changed a lot from the stories I've been told about you. You deserve happiness too."

"And I am blessed to find it here."

"This is why I cannot leave you two alone," Luna's slightly amused voice called from outside the door. "You have these adorable moments without me."

Chrys sat up sharply as Luna entered the bathroom, that little smile on her face. "Hey Mani," Tyr greeted her, nonplussed.

"Don't get up on my account," The Princess of Dreams said with a little giggle, moving to where she could sit beside the bathtub. Chrys winced slightly as moving that quickly hurt, and she settled back down against Tyr.

"How are you feeling?"

"Besides the obvious soreness, I am fine."

"Rarity and Pinkie up yet?"

"They do not have an Alicorn's stamina and resilience," Luna said proudly. Then she looked thoughtful. "…Considering that Pinkie and Rarity were in heat, should we be worried about them getting pregnant again?"

Tyr blinked. He hadn't even thought about that prospect. If a mare being in heat was the best time for them to get pregnant, he could be looking at least two more foals. "…That's something to worry about.

"Oh dear," Chrys murmured, thoughtful. "I can control whether or not I get pregnant, but they cannot…"

Fenrir suddenly appeared in the tub as well, long hair tied up into a bun atop her head. "There are potions and the like you could use, Alpha," she said thoughtfully.

"And we could always ask Zecora for her help," Luna added.

Tyr frowned. "As long as Pinkie and Rarity agree. I'm not going to do this without their consent."

"Of course."

"I suppose that is fair," Fenrir murmured. "Besides, packs do normally have many pups born to them…"

Before their conversation could continue, Cindy's voice came out form the ceiling. "Operator? Miss Carver is here for you. It seems you are needed."

"Seems we have to cut this short," Chrys said, obviously disappointed.

Tyr frowned. "Well, the weight of leadership. Chrys, get yourself dried off. You're coming with me."

"I am?" Chrys blinked.

Even Luna and Fenrir seemed surprised. "She is?"

"Of course, "Tyr said with a chuckle. A malicious grin crossed his face. "Any good leader needs a Spymaster, right?"

The smile that grew on Chrys's face lit up the room. "Whatever you desire, my Master!" She said happily.

–x–

* * *

 **Originally, the scene with Fluttershy was going to end with Tyr sleeping with her, and the subsequent fallout from that. However...**

 **Tyr has a Wolf in his head. And his jacket. No way she'd just sit there and let it happen.**

 **So we have this (for good reason) escape from a bad situation. But then Vanna drops a bomb on his (her) best friend! Grace is pregnant! I suppose this is a lesson in keeping track of heat times.**

 **And there will be no Vanna x Tyr. I'm keeping that outta here big time. Just... thinking about it was just weird to me.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed what you Read, you plan to Return for the next chapter, and I'd like you to leave a Review if you have a question or comment. The Library accepts all, and will be ready with the next chapter next week. Until then, my dear readers.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Greetings again, dear readers! I had a bit of a busy day today, so that's why I'm posting a little late in the afternoon today. But, I actually had quite a bit more to edit this time around, as the chapter hit 10,000 words before I realized it. It is a... 'heavier' chapter after all.**

 **Captain Alaska: I couldn't have that be the conflict, because it's a bit too... cliched and there would be no reason for Fenrir to warn him. But I did come up with a different reason there would be a falling out in the herd...**

 **Kevin Lapse: I would like to hear your thoughts. :D**

 **cadenceheart117: (chapter 10) Remember, Cindy is only emulating emotion. She's more so selecting the proper emotion to express instead of feeling it herself. And Luna's only able to care about strange happenings after a full day's rest.**

 **That's enough outta me. On to the Chapter:**

* * *

Chapter 43: Shatterheart

For once, Vanna actually came looking for Tyr. "Hey, knock knock!" The dragonkin peeked into the room, knocking on the now wooden door. "You in here bro?"

"I'm here," The Elemental said, glancing up from the small assortment of parts on his desk. "You need something?"

Vanna frowned, walking over to the desk. Tyr had a multi-lens magnifying glass on a stand pointed down at whatever he was working on. "What are you up to, Frosty? That looks complicated?"

"Don't call me Frosty," Tyr said shortly, rolling his eyes. "And I'm attempting to make a communicator. C'mere."

The dragonkin obliged, moving to where she was leaning over the desk. "Kay."

Tyr picked up the communicator, which looked like a simple earpiece. He leaned up to set it in Vanna's ear. "Alright, controls are simple. Reach up here and touch it. Should feel a small button."

"Uh huh… Yeah, I feel it."

"Press that and say something."

"Okay… Hello?" Vanna jumped slightly as her voice echoed from Tyr's wrist. "Holy crap. That's pretty impressive."

Tyr grinned. "Thanks. You keep that one—I'm going to make another one for at least Charlie, since I'm not sure how to make these usable by ponies."

Vanna smirked. "This'll be useful. How far is the effective range?"

"I think it should work up until you're on the other side of Ponyville. That's about when I think it'll get choppy."

"Well, that's pretty good. Communication wins wars."

Tyr nodded. He leaned back in his chair and stretched. "So, what brings you by?"

"Ah, right." The Dragonkin smacked one hand into the other. "I'm done with the armor, and Rarity's done with her part. Want to see?"

"Who got the first set?"

"I thought it would be good for Carver," Vanna told him with a grin.

Tyr nodded. "Ah, I was wondering where she'd gotten off to."

"Yeah, we borrowed her. Come on already!"

Tyr allowed himself to be pulled out of his study and escorted down to the lower levels of the keep. Many Stone Ponies greeted them as they passed, generally happy to see their Lord and his best friend wandering the halls. However, they ran into Serenity before they could get to the forge. She and Petrus were walking together, a little filly between them. They paused upon seeing them. "Oh, greetings, my Lord," Serenity said respectfully.

"Serenity, Petrus," Tyr responded in kind. "I wasn't expecting to run into you here."

Vanna moved from beside Tyr to kneel down in front of them. "Who's the little one?"

"This is our daughter, Accord," Petrus replied.

Both Tyr and Vanna paused, looked at each other, and then at the ponies in front of them. "…You're married?" Tyr asked, looking at Serenity.

The pale white mare giggled softly. "Oh, Lord Tyr. Did you think being a Seer meant I could not be a mother and wife as well?"

"I think it's more so that it's you two," Vanna said, pointing. Then, she glanced at Moonstone. She was a little gray pony, with golden eyes that looked much older than she appeared. Her mane was black like her mother, although there was a single gray streak to one side. In the center of her forehead was a small opal. The dragonkin smiled. "And that you have such an adorable little filly as a daughter!"

Serenity smiled. "I thank you, Lady Vanna." The Seer frowned then, nudging her daughter a little bit. "Accord, greet Lord Tyr like I showed you."

The little filly came up, not even coming up to Tyr's knee. She curtsied politely. In a voice that was more mature than they expected, she spoke. "Hello, Lord Tyr. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Well, it's always a pleasure to meet such a polite little filly," Tyr said, smiling and kneeling down to her level. Even though she spoke very properly, there was still that little squeak of an undeveloped voice. No doubt she was barely the same age as his own kids. "Your mother has taught you well."

"It is to be expected of the next Seer," Accord informed him, giving a tiny smile.

Tyr frowned, glancing up at Serenity. The mare sighed. "The Seer's Gift is hereditary, my Lord. No other Stone Ponies are born with Opals."

"She's got a point," Vanna said, straightening up and folding her arms. "I've only seen Serenity and now little Accord here with opals."

Serenity nodded. "Lady Vanna has the right of it. When my time comes, I will pass my Gift onto my daughter."

The dragoness smiled down at Accord. "Then grow up strong, little Accord. You have big horseshoes to fill."

Accord nodded. "I will make my mother, Lord Tyr, and you proud, Lady Vanna."

"Is there something you two were off doing?" Serenity said, changing the subject. Tyr saw the faint aura of pride about her, but only smiled and said nothing.

Vanna started, almost as if she had just remembered. "Oh, right! We were headed down to the forge."

Petrus nodded. "Apologies for distracting you."

"Never a problem," Tyr said as he and Vanna began walking again. Just before they rounded the corner, Tyr spied Serenity hugging her daughter. His smile only grew.

"What's got you so happy?" Vanna asked, looking at him curiously.

His Elemental friend shook his head. "I'm in tune with emotions, Vanna. When they're happy, I'm happy."

"Well, let it be said you're low maintenance."

"Whatever." Tyr fell silent for a moment, before turning to his friend again. "Hey, you said Rarity was waiting?"

"Mmhm. Yeah, she was helping me."

"She's… okay?"

Vanna giggled, something that Tyr was still getting used to. "No worries bro. You worked her well enough last night. It's _all_ out of her system."

"Don't say it like that. You make it sound like I abused her."

The metalsmith winced. "Ew. And I'm doing it to my own gender now. Forge, being a girl is hard."

"No one ever said it was easy," Tyr said amusedly. Vanna snorted flame at him, prompting the Ice Elemental to hurry along. It wasn't much further to the forge, as Tyr was already starting to feel the faint heat. "Is Charlie working?"

"Should be," Vanna mumbled. "She's supposed to be finishing polishing…"

Tyr raised an eyebrow, but they were already at the door to the forge. Unlike the rest of the castle which used wooden and stone doors, the forge had an iron door, forged by Vanna and Charlie themselves. There was a peculiar mark near one corner that looked like teeth marks. "…You tried to eat your own door?"

"Iron is good for you," Vanna offered by way of explanation.

"Bro, don't eat your own door."

"You gotta call me 'sis' now, Tyr."

"…right…"

They entered the forge, finding Charlie kneeling in front of Carver. The senior shaper was in full armor, a scale-like look to it. She didn't have a helmet, but in addition to the body armor, she wore full scale greaves that still left her hooves uncovered. In addition to the dragonkin adjusting the armor to sit properly, Rarity was off to one side, doing some sort of alteration to something silver in her lap. She looked up upon their entrance, smiling at Tyr. "Hello Darling."

"Hello, my dear," Tyr replied amiably. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"I was finishing up on the draft of my first product," Rarity informed him, unfolding the cloth in her lap. It was a Shaper cloak, silver instead of red or blue, and had a howling wolf emblazoned on the back. It had a hood as well. "How do you like it?"

Tyr looked it over, nodding to himself. "How does it fit over the armor?"

"Neatly," Charlie said, finishing her adjustments. "Bring it over here, Rarity."

The unicorn's horn lit up and the cloak floated over to Carver. She slipped it on, looking a little satisfied. "How is it?"

"It feels a little heavier than normal," Carver said with a little roll of her shoulders. "But not so much that I cannot fight if necessary. My cloak sits on me quite well."

"It looks good on you," Tyr added, smiling. The Stone Pony blushed a little, but smiled.

"Thank you, sir."

She left, no doubt to show Commander Boulder the new armor. Tyr looked over at Charlie, who looked proud of herself. "How effective is the armor?"

"It holds up under extreme stress and is very resilient when it comes to puncture damage," Charlie said informatively. She gestured to the far wall, where several sheets of the armor sat. One had a thin dent in it, with a sword next to it. Another sheet had a much larger dent, with a golden Dust hammer beside it. "…We did some extensive tests."

"Essentially, you're gonna need magic to do much damage," Vanna said proudly. "Or some weapon designed specifically to pierce armor. But this armor is made to bend, not break, so if anything we'll only have to buff out the dents."

"I've also been using our 'metal-thread' technique in the new cloaks," Rarity added with a little smile. "They're much tougher and harder to cut."

Charlie laughed nervously. "Considering how difficult this is to actually make, it did take us a while…"

"Well, we're not expecting to go to war, so take all the time you need," Tyr said. "Quality over quantity, at least for now."

"I like that notion," Vanna said with a nod. She glanced over at Charlie. "Speaking of quality… Char, is it done?"

The younger dragon nodded, moving over to a nearby table. She picked up something covered in a blanket. "Just finished before you came in."

Tyr glanced between them, an eyebrow beginning to raise. "What's going on, Vanna?"

"Oh… we picked up a tradition from our times in a different world," Vanna said with a little smile. "All the lords had a special weapon dedicated to them. You've got your frost sword, but what happens when you can't use it?"

"We figured a more… practical weapon would be useful in that case," Charlie continued, pulling away the cloth. Tyr had to hold back a gasp. The longsword laid on the table was a dark grey, with a wolf-head guard and a silvered pommel. The handle itself was tipped with a pale white gem, and gold trim about the hilt. Along the blade itself were golden lines that pulsed softly as the light hit it.

"That's a beautiful blade," Tyr murmured, moving closer. It was longer than he normally had his frost sword, almost a half of a foot longer. He gently lifted it up, noting that it was also much heavier. Which didn't surprise him at all. "Good balance too.

Vanna grinned. "Forged in Dragonfire and made of pure materials, this is probably one of the best blades I've made in a while."

"So… why?"

"Cause I wanted to make you something." The dragoness's smile shrunk a bit. "…A gift for my best friend."

Tyr smiled back. "…I really appreciate this, Vanna."

He felt a sharp poke in his side, which was Charlie elbowing him. In her hands was a sheath, no doubt made specifically for the sword. "I helped too, ya know."

"Of course. Thanks Charlie."

"She needs a name, you know," Vanna said, watching with a happy smile as Tyr sheathed the sword.

Tyr gave him a withering look. "Why is it a 'she'?"

"Hey, I made it, I get to decide if it's a she or he. Stop oppressing my gender!"

"Stop saying that!"

Rarity let out a heavy sigh. "You two are ridiculous."

"That's what you get with friends like us," Tyr said with a chuckle. "We've known each other too long."

Vanna nodded. "So! Name my baby!"

Tyr gave him a wry smile. "…Shouldn't you be discussing that with Grace?"

That got the dragoness to blush, her head dropping to let her hair cover her face. Charlie and Rarity stared at the two of them, confusion on their faces. The blonde frowned, thinking for a moment. Then her jaw dropped. "No!"

"No?" Rarity asked, confused.

"Yes," Vanna said, reaching up to rub at her arm.

Rarity looked over at Tyr. "…Yes?"

"Yes," The Elemental replied with a nod.

"How long?" Charlie demanded of her father—mother.

"Only a couple of weeks," Vanna said. "She just told me."

Charlie groaned and put her face in her hands. "I should have expected this…"

Rarity stomped a hoof on the stone floor. "Will somepony please explain what's going on!?"

Tyr smirked—he couldn't resist. "You're the only pony in here, Gemstone."

She scowled at him before hitting him lightly in the leg. "You know what I meant."

"I know, I know. But Vanna…?"

The dragoness sighed. "It's gonna be known before long anyway. Rarity… Grace is going to have a baby. _My_ baby."

Rarity gasped. "Grace is _pregnant_!? But how? Our heats are this week…"

"Hers isn't in sync with the mares in town," Vanna said, blushing a little more. "Hers was the week we came back."

"Came back from…? Oh. OH. Oh my." She blushed herself, and looked over at Tyr for a split second. He could have sworn there was… longing in her eyes. She cleared her throat and turned back to Vanna. "Is she keeping the baby?"

A nod. "She wouldn't think of trying to get rid of it."

"I see. And Charlie? How do you feel about this?"

"I'm just hoping the baby is either a dragon or a pony," the blonde dragoness murmured. "Hybrids might not be accepted very well."

Vanna smiled. "Hey, looks like you'll at least have a little brother or sister."

"Ooh, fun."

Rarity glanced between the two of them before sighing. "Well, at least this means that you and Grace are not breaking up."

"Yeah," Vanna smiled softly. "I really do love her."

Charlie cleared her throat. "…Anyways, before my dork of a father gushes all over his pony girlfriend… Tyr. You have a name for that sword of yours?"

The Elemental felt the eyes of everyone in the forge looking at him. With a little smirk, he nodded. "I think I know exactly what to name this sword."

"What will it be?" Charlie asked, frowning slightly.

"Fimbulvinter," Tyr explained. "The Great Winter."

–x–

Aleron watched Cori as she sniffled and wiped at her nose. "Still feeling sick?" He asked softly, levitating over a napkin.

"Mm," Cori replied, blowing her nose. "Thank you."

"No problem. You sure you shouldn't be in bed still?"

"I'm fine… Just a little sniffly."

Aurora hovered closer, looking at her half-sister. "Cori, you don't gotta force yourself to spend time with us…"

The Changeling huffed, a motion somewhat more adorable by her reddened cheeks. "I'm not forcing anything! I wanna spend time with you, because I love you!"

Both Aurora and Aleron paused at that, sparing a glance at one another. "Cori…" Aleron tried, but the black filly would not be dissuaded.

"You two… you're the first real friends I've ever had. And then I find out you're my brother and sister…" She smiled warmly. "I was so happy. And then I met Ancè and Jubilee, and now I've got even more siblings, and an even bigger family than just me and my mom… I'm… overfull…"

She swayed a little bit, Aleron quickly stepping forward to catch her." "I'm taking you back to bed," He told her, his tone kind but brokering no argument.

The Changeling filly clung to him weakly, nuzzling him. "…I love you, big brother. You're always nice to me…"

Aleron blushed slightly, beginning to lead his sister away. "You deserve it, Cori. And… I love you too."

She giggled a little, making Aurora smile as Aleron led her back to the keep. "Be sure to tuck her in, Al!"

The dark blue colt mumbled something under his breath, but kept supporting Cori as he moved towards the stone fortress. Aurora giggled and flew off towards the market area. She was bored, and wanted to find something to do. She was flying low to the ground, looking at a craftsman's table when she ran into a pony. "Oof!"

It was obviously a Stone Pony, because she was the only one to go sprawling to the ground. There was a little chuckle from above her. "Well, hello there, Little Princess."

"Shale!" She grinned, looking up at the old Shaper. He was in a golden cloak, smiling down at her. She frowned at the somewhat muted color. "I didn't know you were a commander."

"Course I am." He reached out with a hoof to help her up. "I'm not old for nothing."

Aurora giggled, enjoying the fact that the senior shaper could be so casual around her, only really treating her like her station when the situation demanded it. Other than that, he was like a much older uncle. "So what brings you down here? Normally you're up on the walls."

"I like seeing what's offered," He said with a little chuckle. "And you?"

"I was with my brother and little sister. But she's sick so she had to go back inside.

The Stone Pony frowned. "Hm. Well, hopefully she feels better. I know you are much happier when you can spend time with your siblings."

"Who isn't?" Aurora asked with a cheeky grin. Shale opened his mouth to reply, but there was a noise from behind them. They both turned to see a peculiar sight. A dozen burly looking stallions were marching into the marketplace, looking particularly upset. Aurora's eyes narrowed, momentarily taking on her father's wolfish qualities. "…This doesn't look good."

She made to go over, but Shale held out a hoof in front of her. "…Let me handle this, Little Princess." He gave her a small smile. "It is my job."

"…Fine."

Shale marched over, pausing momentarily to tap the ground three times. Aurora was confused at first, but then she noticed that several other Shapers in the area suddenly stopped what they were doing and started moving towards Shale. Before a single word was said, there was almost a dozen Shapers in the growing crowd around Shale and the leader of the newly arriving ponies. The lead stallion was dark green, with a short spiked snow white mane and tail. Shale didn't come up to his full height, but the older Shaper didn't back down. "…Can I help you?" He asked evenly, his lightly glowing eyes still unnatural to look at even in the noonday sun.

"I'm looking for somepony that's supposed to be here," The stallion said, scowling. "Out of my way."

"Looking for someone? Perhaps I can help."

"…Unless you know Limestone Pie, then you can't help me except by getting out of the way."

"I believe Miss Limestone is in the keep," Etch supplied helpfully, coming over to stand beside Shale.

The green stallion scowled. "So she is here. Look here little pony, you might as well get out of the way. She's coming with us."

Shale frowned. "That might be a problem. Miss Limestone and her sisters are guests of Wolfhome and under our protection. You obviously do not have good intentions regarding them."

"I'm just collecting something owed to me. Those girls are technically ours now, since their father failed to deliver."

Suddenly, a chill permeated the area. One of the stallions behind the newcomer shivered. "What the buck? Did it get cold all of a sudden?"

There was a squeak of surprise behind Shale, and he glanced back to see Aurora lifted into the air by her father. "Lord Tyr!"

Tyr grinned, accepting the embarrassed hug from his daughter. "Hey Shale. I came to collect my cub here."

"You didn't have to sneak up on me!" Aurora whined.

"You should be able to sense me coming," Tyr countered, petting her. "I've expected you to be better at that, sweetie."

"I can't do anything when you're literally wind!"

Tyr chuckled, setting her back down on her hooves. "So, who wants to explain to me what's going on?"

The green stallion gaped. "The hell…? They're keeping a hairless monkey here?"

"Hey!" Aurora snapped. "That's my dad you're talking about!"

Etch glanced over at Tyr. "And our Lord. He is actually still a bit… scruffy, as it were."

Tyr chuckled. "I don't exactly have anything to shave with yet. Vanna's working on it."

Shale cleared his throat. "These stallions have placed claim upon your guests, my lord. He claims the Pie sisters are his property."

"The name is Digger," The stallion snarled. "And yes, they are!"

Tyr's eyes narrowed, fixing Digger with a cold glare. "You do not _own_ my sisters-in-law. Assuming otherwise will get you killed."

There was a heavy silence as Digger stared at the Elemental. "Threatening to kill me? I'm sure the Princesses look down on that sort of thing."

"The only Princess I answer to is my wife," Tyr replied evenly. "And this is _my_ hold, so you answer to _me_. And if I tell you that you can't have them, what exactly are you going to do about it?"

Before the stallion before him could answer, there was a low growl from behind Tyr. Fenrir stalked from behind her Alpha in her wolf form, lips curled back in a snarl. A roar accompanied her, as a dragon landed in a clear spot behind them. Golden eyes fixed Digger in place, small trails of smoke trailing from the corner of the massive beast's mouth. The Elemental himself gave a feral grin, his normally silver eyes glowing with power. "Choose your words carefully," He warned.

Digger scowled. "You don't get it. I'm not the one who wants her. Our boss is the one that wants them. I'd rather just be done with that stuck up nag. I'd rather take the long haired one. More fun for me."

Suddenly, a stone bowl came flying over, impacting Digger in the side of the head. All eyes turned to see a very incensed Limestone, fury on her face. "Don't you _dare_ talk about Marble like she's some easy lay, you bastard!"

"I agree with her," Tyr said, folding his arms. "Even though I don't know her that well, Marble is still family. And if you badmouth my family, you won't live long enough to regret it."

Digger, rubbing the side of his head that had been hit, scowled at the gray mare. "You better get your sisters and come with me, Limey, or Crush is going to take it out on your folks."

Limestone snarled. "He wouldn't."

"You know him."

Tyr cleared his throat. "I think it's time you and your crew left here. Unless you have a thing for being crushed, burned, or frozen solid."

"Or _eaten_ ," the dragon behind Tyr rumbled, leaning close. "Although it would be unladylike to… gorge myself, I have wondered what pony tastes like."

A shiver ran through the bodies of every Pony in the area. Faced with that sort of resistance, Digger wisely turned and led his group away. Before they were gone however, he glanced back over his shoulder to glare at Limestone. "Enjoy the freedom, Limey. And hope your parents are able to pay off their debts."

Silence held firm until the ponies were gone. Vanna transformed back to normal, moving up beside her friend. "Well, that guy was certainly a prick."

"You're telling me," Tyr remarked. Limestone suddenly turned to look at him, meeting his gaze with a frown on her face. Her pale green eyes flicked from him to the wolf beside him. Then she walked over to him. Tyr met her irritated gaze with his own calm one. "…Yes?"

Limestone's eyes travelled over to Vanna, who was running her fingers through her hair. "Hey. Dragon."

"I really need to start tying this up at night…" She murmured. Then she noticed the mare's attention. "Hm? My name is Vanna, if you didn't know."

"Yeah, whatever. Were you really going to eat them?"

"What? No. I'm not a fan of eating stuff my girlfriend looks like."

"…Right then." The scowl on her face turned to Tyr. "…Can I talk to you?"

Tyr decided from her tone that she wasn't in the mood for teasing. "Sure, Limestone. Vanna, I'll meet up with you later."

"Right o, boss," The Dragonkin replied with a lazy salute.

"I told you that you don't have to call me that."

"Doesn't mean I won't."

Tyr rolled his eyes as Vanna took her leave, no doubt heading back to the castle. Shale gave Tyr a short nod before gently guiding Aurora away. The Elemental and Limestone moved to a more secluded area of the marketplace. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked, leaning up against a wall. He noticed Etch out of the corner of his eye, and gave her a short nod. She returned it, and walked away, no doubt to ensure they were given space.

Limestone stayed silent for a minute, before groaning softly. "I can't believe I'm about to do this."

"Hm?"

"I… I need…" She seemed to struggle with whatever she wanted to say. "…I need your help."

Tyr raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You seemed to struggle with that one."

"I'm not used to asking for help!" Limestone glared. "I'm the oldest. I'm responsible for my sisters, the rock farm… it's _my_ job to take care of them, and I'm supposed to do it on my own."

"It's never a bad thing to ask for help," Tyr pointed out softly. "Even I've had to ask for help from time to time."

"But I shouldn't _need_ to…"

"Regardless. What did you need from me?"

"I don't trust those goons to not go after my parents," Limestone explained. "So I'm going to—ugh—go to them."

Tyr blinked. "What?"

Limestone either didn't hear him, or just wanted to keep pressing on. "They really only want one of us. So I'm going to just give myself up."

"…Why?"

"That way, they won't hurt Marble or Maud. Well… Maud's tough but she's still my little sister. I'm not letting those bastards touch my sisters." She looked up at Tyr. "When I go… I want you to watch over them for me."

"…No sell," Tyr said softly.

Limestone's eyes shot open wide. "What? Why would… why would you say no!? Pinkie is in your herd, isn't she?"

"That's true, but—"

"So you'll only do it if you get something out of it?" The mare scowled. Then a blush went up into her cheeks. "…Fine then. I won't like it, but…"

"Before you start making assumptions," Tyr said, cutting her off. "I meant that I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself like that. If anything, I'm coming with you to help your parents."

Limestone stared at him in confusion. Tyr had to admit, when she wasn't scowling she actually looked pretty cute. "What? W-What?"

Tyr smirked. "Your sister is in my herd. That's my _pack_. You may not know what that means to a wolf, but that means any threat that comes up is immediately my concern. I'm helping you _little sis_ , and there's no if ands or buts about it."

"I'm not your little sister!"

"I'm thirty-seven."

"…Fine. You're older than me." Limestone scowled, something that was now beginning to amuse Tyr. "But I don't need your help."

"I didn't say you did. However, you will be accompanying me and a squad of Shapers to visit your parents. If we happen to oust a camp of rogues, all the better. I can send word to Celestia and she'll be no doubt happier for it."

Limestone stared at him, eyes searching his face. For a moment, Tyr could see the fear in her eyes, of whatever pain these bandits or whatever they were could do to her. She didn't want to go into it alone, but as the oldest she had a responsibility. "I… I just…"

"Making decisions for us again?" A flat voice asked. Tyr and Limestone looked up and spotted the other three Pie sisters standing a short distance away. Maud had been the one who had spoken, her impassive face strangely turned into a little frown. Marble and Pinkie followed, the latter bouncing along like nothing was going on.

Limestone's scowl reappeared, and she glared at Maud. "I'm the oldest, Maud. I'm the one who is charge."

"That doesn't give you the right to decide for us," Maud continued, that little frown deepening the tiniest bit. "We have minds of our own."

"Mmhm," Marble offered.

Pinkie frowned, looking between her sisters. "What's… what's going on?"

"Don't tell her," Limestone snarled, glaring even more intensely at Maud. But it was Marble who leaned over and whispered in Pinkie's ear. The pink mare listened intently, before gasping loudly.

"Mom and Dad are in trouble!?" Pinkie cried. "What happened!?"

"Dad got a loan from some shady characters," Maud explained flatly, before Limestone could growl at her to be quiet. "Unfortunately, he wasn't able to pay it back due to a cave in on the fields. We weren't able to get our best gems and crystals like we normally do. So they started demanding… more."

"They wanted Marble," Limestone hissed. "There was no way I was letting them take her!"

Pinkie blinked. "So… it wasn't just to come meet my family that you came to see me?"

"Unfortunately, not completely," Maud said softly, looking regretfully at her sister. "We did want to see you, but… we had to get away."

"But Mom and Dad…!"

"I'm going back for them," Limestone snarled. "I'm not letting them get hurt!"

"Honey…!" Pinkie looked over at Tyr, her eyes wide and beginning to water.

Tyr smiled and gently reached out to caress her cheek. "I'm going too, and I have Etch getting a squad of Shapers together."

There was a soft clearing of a throat, getting their attention once more. Once more they turned, finding Etch, Carver, and at least a dozen Shapers standing in formation. Etch had been the one to cough, and she smiled. "I assembled the squad you needed, my Lord. Carver insisted she come along as well."

Carver shot her fellow Shaper a look. "I did not 'insist', Etch. I simply stated that I thought it would be best I come along."

Etch giggled, and Carver rolled her eyes. Tyr frowned. "You two aren't sisters, are you?"

"Cousins, actually," Etch pointed out. "Why do you ask?"

"Just finding out weird things about my closest advisors lately," Tyr murmured. "Like Serenity having a kid…"

Limestone suddenly stomped her hoof. "What's all this about? Aren't we going to go help my parents!?"

"Waiting on transportation," Tyr said with a gesture to his ear. He pressed on the button in his communicator. "Vanna, you get all that?"

There was a short buzz noise, and then the wristlet crackled. Vanna's voice could be clearly heard. "Yeah, yeah, we're bringing it."

"…'We'?"

Charlie's voice cut in then. "Cause my bumbling dad doesn't know how to fly anything besides herself!"

Tyr chuckled softly. "Right, right. Land outside the main gate—we'll meet you shortly."

"Roger that."

Limestone's frown grew. "What are you…?"

Tyr smiled at her. "Come on, Limestone. You asked for my help, so you're getting it. Shapers? Ready up! We're going on a little trip."

"You heard Lord Tyr!" Carver said, turning to the Shapers behind her. They all snapped to attention. "To the gate!"

Maud looked over at Tyr as the Shapers began to march off. "We're coming as well," She said flatly—a statement, not a question. Marble and Pinkie nodded their agreement.

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Very well. But Pinkie and Marble stay out of the way."

"I thought that was obvious."

"Of course." Tyr held up his arm to look at his wrist. "Cindy? Let Luna and Rarity know I'll be gone for a bit."

"As you wish, Operator."

"Good." The Elemental turned back to the four Pie sisters. Two were looking at him expectantly, one had a fierce look on her face, and the last had no expression. He gave them all a feral grin. "Well, let's get going. It's never nice to keep family waiting."

–x–

"Cori?" Aleron knocked gently on the doorframe into his half-sister's room. The little Changeling was sitting in bed, a book propped up in her lap. She was mouthing the words as she read, no doubt to help clarify what she was reading. Cori looked up as he entered, noting the bowl of steaming soup grasped in his magical aura. He gave her a little smile. "Hungry?"

She sniffed the air. "…Soup?"

"It's good for you."

It landed on the little table beside her bed, Aleron walking over to stand beside her. She gave him a warm smile. "Thanks, Aleron. But…"

"But?"

"You don't have to do all of this," She told him. "Mom said she'd check on me later…"

Aleron held up a hoof. "It's a brother thing, Cori. I'm the only male besides dad in a family full of girls, so I'm naturally going to be somewhat protective."

"…Really?"

The colt thought for a bit. "Well, it's really only you and Ancè, honestly. Aurora can handle herself, and Jubilee is just as bad."

Cori giggled. "You really do like being the 'older' brother, huh?"

That got a blush to creep into her sibling's cheeks. "Hey, Aurora and I are twins, but I was still born a minute before her. That makes me the oldest."

"I know, I know." She took hold of the spoon beside the soup bowl and gently spooned a bit into her mouth. "…That's really good."

"Glad to hear it."

Cori glanced over at him out the corner of her eye. "…Is something up, Aleron?"

He smirked. "Wondering how long it'll take for you to notice."

"Notice…?" Her eyes flicked past him, noticing the brown pegasus gazing at her from around the doorframe. "Oh! Goldie!"

Al stepped deftly to the side as Goldie launched herself from the door to Cori's bed, wrapping the sick Changeling in a hug. "You didn't tell me you were sick!" She squeaked.

Cori blushed, obviously embarrassed. "S-Sorry… Wait, did Al tell you?"

"Ancè did," The Pegasus replied. "I saw her at the dress shop, and she told me. How long have you had a cold?"

"Only for a couple days. Al and Ro have been spending time with me."

Goldie glanced back over at Al, who nodded. "Aurora's been with her more," the colt pointed out.

"Well… I'm glad it's not that bad," The pegasus said, nuzzling Cori with a smile. "I was afraid you were in pain or something…"

"Just the sniffles," Cori assured her. She smiled and kissed her forehead lightly. "But I'm happy you came."

Goldie replied by pushing up to kiss her softly on the lips. "How could I not come?"

"Oh my," A soft voice murmured. The three children turned to see Fluttershy in the doorway, a hoof over her mouth. Goldie and Cori blushed furiously in embarrassment, while Aleron simply looked on in amusement. Fluttershy blushed slightly. "I didn't know you two…"

"You never told your mom?" Cori asked, looking at her girlfriend. Goldie blushed even more and shook her head.

"S… Sorry…" She mumbled, looking away.

Fluttershy smiled warmly. "It's alright, Golden Grove. If you and Cori are together, I just want you to be happy."

Goldie beamed, no doubt elated from having her mother's approval. "Thanks mom."

"Although… you do need to tell Applejack. It's not nice to keep things from your parents."

"Y-yeah…"

"Miss Fluttershy," Aleron spoke up. "Can I ask why you're here?"

"I was… um…" The yellow Pegasus faltered for a bit. "I was… here to speak to Luna. Is your mother around?"

"Seems as though you won't have to look far," Luna said, arriving at the door. Fluttershy jumped. "Oh, do not fright, dear Fluttershy. Did you need something?"

"Um… Can we speak alone?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, but moved aside from the door to allow the other mare to exit. The Princess of Dreams led her to the common room, gesturing with a hoof for her to take a seat on the central couch. While Fluttershy did that, she moved over to Cindy's bar and retrieved a tray with cups and a teapot. "Care for some tea?"

"Oh, I suppose I could have a cup…"

Luna waited until the mare had taken a sip of the tea before speaking. "So what seems to be on your mind, Kindness?"

Fluttershy winced. "I… I had something I wanted to tell you… and apologize for."

"Apologize?" The Alicorn mare blinked at that admission. "What do you need to apologize to me for?"

"I…" She blushed. "You know this week is our heat, correct?"

"I'm well aware. My Beloved was… busy the other night."

Fluttershy's blush only deepened. "O-Oh. Right."

"Regardless, please continue."

"Mm. Well… Tyr visited the farm the other day. He was making sure Goldie and Bramley got home safely."

"Sounds like something my beloved would do."

"He… I saw him and I…" She looked down at her lap, voice trailing off. Luna didn't say anything, opting to wait on the shy mare to speak her mind. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Fluttershy finished her thought. "I tried to get him to sleep with me."

Luna paused, her cup of tea halfway to her mouth. She frowned slightly. "You did?"

"Y-Yes. He teleported away before I could… do anything."

The cup finished its journey, and Luna took a short sip. "I see. So you did not actually do anything?"

"H-Huh?" She blinked. "I… He didn't stay, and Applejack came soon after so I didn't chase him…"

"Then there is nothing to apologize for."

Fluttershy seemed surprised. "But… but I…"

"Lust is excusable, dear Fluttershy," Luna explained, setting down her tea cup. "Acting on it is another thing. I am aware you are in heat this week, and I do believe that my husband is quite handsome."

"Um… yes?"

"But you did not sleep with him. As you said yourself, he teleported away before anything could be done. Therefore, you have done nothing wrong." Luna held up a hoof as Fluttershy prepared to protest. "Ah. As I said, lust is excusable. You may want after my husband if you so choose, but he is still mine. Unless…" She suddenly seemed thoughtful.

"Unless?"

"Chrys has suggested it before, but…"

Fluttershy frowned. "Um… What is it?"

Luna gave her an impassive look. "She wondered if you wanted to join our herd."

"W-What!?"

"She did suggest it. Along with including Applejack, but I do feel she wouldn't accept. You, on the other hoof…"

"Excuse me, Miss Luna?" Cindy's voice cut in, distracting Luna from the gaping Fluttershy, who was rapidly changing color from yellow to pink. The automaton had a window open in front of her. "Lady Serenity is at the main hatch for you."

Luna frowned. "Here? For me? Where is my Beloved?"

"He took Ranger-1, Lady Vanna and Charlie, Pinkie and her sisters, and a squad of Shapers out to a location south of Ponyville."

"Hm. Well, I'm sure he has a reason. Let her in."

"Of course."

The soft hissing noise of the door opening signaled that the deed was done, and a moment later Serenity entered. However, she looked… very concerned. Luna was immediately on guard. "Serenity? You look distressed. What troubles you?"

"Where is Lord Tyr?" The mare demanded. "I have urgent news that I _must_ tell him."

Cindy frowned, brushing her hair out of her face. "I can relay a message to him, if you like, but he is not here at the moment."

Serenity swallowed heavily. "Oh. Oh dear. He… did he take Miss Pinkie Pie and her sisters with him?"

"He did indeed."

The mare sank down onto her haunches, one hoof going up to rub at her forehead. "Then… I was too late."

Luna blinked. "Did you have a vision, Serenity?"

"I did. And in it I watched as Miss Pinkie Pie comes back here—changed."

"Changed? How so?"

"Her hair was knife straight, there was no happiness in her eyes, and no bounce in her step."

Fluttershy's head snapped over to her. "Huh? Wait. That sounds like… when Pinkie thought we didn't want to be her friends anymore. She… lost it."

Serenity nodded. "Something happens to her out there, and it is far from good ."

"What could possibly do that to her…?"

Luna was silent. From the sound of things, Pinkie's very sanity was at stake. And yet there was nothing they could do. "If there is nothing we can do, then we must put it in my Beloved's capable hands."

Serenity frowned, but nodded weakly. "I suppose that is all we truly can do…"

–x–

If anything would make Tyr chuckle today, it would be the looks of discomfort that the Shapers had while flying. Only Carver seemed calm, while the others clung to their seats or the walls. Vanna was sitting in the copilot's seat, grinning back at them while Charlie flew. Tyr was comfortable in the passenger hold with Pinkie sat by his side. He was quietly stroking her mane, keeping her relatively calm. Limestone, Maud and Marble sat across from him, watching the sky pass by in silence. He let out a soft breath. "…Charlie? Are we close?"

The young dragonkin glanced quickly over her shoulder. "We're close, but we're over some sharp hills. What are we looking for here?"

"A strip mine," Limestone said immediately. "Crusher and his group have set up in an old abandoned mine."

Tyr glanced over at the eldest Pie sister. "How many are in this gang of his?"

"I don't know. I've only ever seen a few at a time."

Cindy's voice spoke up from his wrist. "Operator, I sent a Recorder along with you. I have tallied fifty heat signatures in and around the mine."

"Wonderful," Vanna said with a little smile. "We're outnumbered."

Carver smiled as well. "But never out matched. "What is our plan, Lord Tyr?"

Tyr thought for a moment. "Charlie will set us down close but not too close to the mine. We'll split into two groups, one led by me and one by Etch. Etch's team will head to the far side and we'll engage from two directions."

"We allowed to go wild?" Vanna asked.

"If necessary. Otherwise, keep it calm."

"I guess that's fine."

"I found a spot," Charlie called out. "It a bit of a walk, but we're close."

Tyr nodded. "Fine enough, Charlie. You fly very well."

"I've been trained," She replied shortly, hands flying across the controls. "Everyone get ready."

"We will be ready," Etch said with a nod. "I can send a signal when we are prepared to execute the attack."

The Ranger settled down in a small clearing, and the group filed out. Etch quickly selected her team, and led the off on a long route to the other side of the mine. As they vanished off into the rocky surroundings (which the Shapers blended into very well, he noticed) he turned his attention to the mine. It was a recessed mine, dug downward in long spirals until they hit the final level. Several older buildings were dotting the landscape, no doubt left over from whatever mining operation that had been here. "Seems relatively open."

"There are some cutaways into the mountain," Maud said, walking over to him. "Although their stability is… questionable."

"No going into the tunnels, got it. Any other concerns or warnings?" He glanced around at the ponies surrounding him. Maud shook her head, as did Limestone and Marble. Pinkie placed a hoof against his leg.

"Be careful?" She asked, tilting her head with a small smile.

He gave her a pat on the head. "Of course, dear. Now, go stay on the ship with Marble. I don't want you two getting hurt."

"Okay! Come on Marble!" The pink mare grabbed her twin and dragged her back into the ship.

Carver turned to her lord. "Your orders?"

"Get in position along the edge, but stay hidden. Until we see them and Etch gives her signal we're on hold."

"As you wish. Shapers, move out!" With that order, Carver and the Shapers under her command began to fan outward. Tyr turned to the mine. His magic flowed into his eyes, and he let his enhanced sight track across the area. He could see several ponies moving about, some armed and some not armed. The few he could see were no doubt sentries.

"See anything interesting?" Vanna asked, crouching beside him.

Tyr shook his head. "Not really. Just sentries. I really wish I had my rifle right about now…"

"I hear that. Too bad I'm not a gunsmith."

"How long do we need to wait?" Limestone demanded softly.

"Long enough," Tyr murmured. He gestured to the mine. "We're outnumbered, and our only advantage is surprise. I'm not giving that up just yet."

Charlie snorted softly. "Couldn't you just freeze the whole place?"

"I could, but this is a rescue mission. Without knowing where Pinkie's parents are, I'd rather not drop winter itself on this all willy nilly."

"…Hostage rescue is no fun."

"You're telling me," Tyr grumbled. "Sucks being a predator, doesn't it?"

They fell silent after that exchange, contenting themselves with the company and watching the mine below. It was several minutes later when Carver suddenly shot up straight. "Oh, that's Etch. She's in place."

Limestone blinked. "How…?"

Tyr shook his head with a little chuckle. "She'll explain later. For now—Attack!"

It was a far cry from leading armies of humans, Tyr realized. Every human/humanoid army he'd been part of during his time with Jehu had preceded almost every charge with loud battle cries. The Shapers of his group were silent, only the heavy thuds of hooves being smashed into the earth as the rock wall they stood on was ripped into pieces and hurled into the milling ponies below. Tyr, Vanna and Charlie charged down as well, looking to close the distance due to their lack of ranged options. At the same time, a similar thing was happening on the other side of the mine, with Etch's attack group charging down the wall on flat stones like boards. They crashed into the back of the camp, throwing the few sentries patrolling into disarray. Then two noises that Tyr hadn't expected burst into the air: a screech and a roar.

"What in the name of the Stone is _that_!?" One of the Shapers near Tyr cried, pointing into the air. The Elemental looked, eyes widening at the birdlike creature lifting into the air from lower in the mine. He didn't have to think long on it—it was a griffon. Not just any griffon, but one decked out in iron armor and carrying a poleaxe. Beside it was a dragon, not a very large one but still large enough to dwarf any of the Stone Ponies and still be a head taller than Tyr.

"The dragon is _mine!_ " Vanna declared, wings bursting from her back as she took to the sky roaring her own challenge.

Charlie snorted, Dust flowing off her body to form itself into a spear. "Of course he has to challenge the other dragon."

Tyr grinned, but the griffin was crying out orders to the ponies below, who were rapidly forming into a defense. The initial assault had cut down at least a dozen of the bandits, but there were still more to return their aggression with what looked to be makeshift catapults. The Elemental grimaced. [Fen, we have to cut down that griffin]

[Get his attention then] The wolf spirit replied. [Let him know who really leads here]

It was something he hadn't done in a while, Tyr figured. And it was good a time as any. He tilted his head back and howled. Not a human equivalent of a wolf's howl, but a long, warbling howl that cut the air and sent shivers down the spine of everypony present. The griffin flinched at the noise, before turning his beady eyes on him. "MONKEY!" He screeched.

Tyr grinned savagely, hefting Fimbulvinter above his head. "BRING IT, FEATHER-HEAD!" He yelled back.

The griffin screeched once more, before diving down with his poleaxe pointed at Tyr. Metal met metal, as the Elemental swung his weapon up to block the blow. [We will have to thank the dragon later] Fenrir thought, as Tyr and the griffon traded blows. Even in full armor, the griffin wielded his weapon with finesse and speed, matching the swordsman blow for blow. It was something the Elemental had expected—the griffons he had met before had been skilled in combat with or without weapons.

[And why is that?] Tyr thought back, gritting his teeth as he caught a particularly lethal strike from catching his neck.

[The sensation of metal on metal makes my blood _rush_!]

A pained cry from behind him made him turn, just as Charlie sent a unicorn stallion flying into a stack of crates. "Don't kill too many, Charlie! We need to find Pinkie's parent's first!"

"Noted," The younger dragonkin muttered, gathering Dust in her free hand. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the ball of golden dust hurtling into a charging pegasus, smashing them out of the air. "I'll aim for non-fatal injuries then."

Tyr chuckled, but was forced back into paying attention to his own opponent. Finally fighting against something that could give him a challenge, he completely missed Limestone and Maud sneaking past him. "We have to find mom and dad," Limestone was saying, doing her best to keep herself and her sister out of the way of the fight.

"We should have waited," Maud pointed out flatly.

She was rewarded with a sharp look from her sister. "And I say we can find mom and dad, get back to that flying thing, and just wait for all this to finish!"

"Going somewhere?" An amused voice asked.

The two mares froze, eyes snapping up. They were greeted by a pair of green eyes framed in brown, set in the smug look on a very muscular stallion's face. Limestone snarled. "Crusher."

The Earth Pony grinned. "Well, isn't this a surprise! You came right to me, Limey!" He took a step forward, and the two mares pulled back. "Oh ho, no running this time."

Suddenly, they were both forced to their knees in front of him, magical glows surrounding them both. A pair of unicorns with their horns lit up walked out then, joining their leader. "Seems we're caught," Maud said dryly.

"Quite so," Crusher said with a little chuckle. He looked up to where the battle was still raging on. "Mr. Winter! If you would kindly order your ponies to stop fighting?"

Tyr and the griffon were locked in a deadlock, and at the sound of the stallion's voice they both glanced over. One short look gave Tyr all he needed to know. With a resigned shrug of his shoulders, he pulled away from the griffon. "Well, there goes my fun," He muttered.

"You fight like a demon," the griffon said, panting. "What is your name?"

"Tyr Winter. You fight just as well. What's yours?"

"They call me Kreech."

The two predators shared a short hand/claw shake. Tyr glanced around. "Everyone, stand down." The fighting stopped almost immediately, Carver and Etch passing on the order. "…We have any casualties?"

"Two injured," Etch said, looking around. "Minor wounds on the rest."

"I'm perfectly fine," Carver said, matter-of-factly.

"You're wearing armor!"

There was a ripping noise from behind them, and everyone turned to see Vanna pulling her claws out of the chest of the other dragon. When she noticed them all looking at her, she hid her hands behind her back and blushed. "…He insulted my mother."

Crusher sighed, and pressed a hoof to his forehead. "Ignoring the fact that Inferno is no doubt dead, and any number of my men have been crushed, I'm sure we can come to a sort of… agreement?"

"Depends on the agreement," Tyr pointed out. "You're holding their parents hostage, and we want them freed."

"Of course. I'm a civilized stallion, and not at all a brute. But I still have costs that must be paid. Igneous and Cloudy owe me quite a tidy sum."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. He was a decent distance away from the two trapped mares, and Vanna and Charlie were both behind him. Neither would be able to react fast enough. He had to keep the conversation going. "…So where are they?"

Crusher glanced backwards, indicating a small shack a distance away against the far wall of the mine. Using his enhanced perception, Tyr spotted a quartet of crusher's stallions, along with two more ponies who no doubt were Pinkie's parents. The stallion was an earthy brown color, while the mare was a light grey. They were both tied up. "They're unharmed, as you can see."

"Good. So what do you want?"

"My money, for one. And then reparations for the damages here. You've injured quite a few of my ponies, not to mention the ones who were… crushed."

"I'm not apologizing," Etch murmured. Carver nodded in agreement.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "…Fine. I can pay for their release."

Crusher frowned. "We're a bit beyond bits at this point, Mr. Winter. My stallions are dead. My base of operations is in shambles. I was promised Limestone Pie, and I intend to get what I am owed."

"I promised you nothing!" Limestone growled, only for Crusher to plant his hoof squarely on her jaw. "Oof!"

Tyr gritted his teeth. But he wasn't the one to speak next. "MOM!"

Heads whipped around again, spotting the hard-to-miss pink coat of one Pinkie Pie. She and Marble were on the ridgeline, looking down. "Pinkie!" Tyr hissed.

"Well, the whole set is here!" Crusher laughed. "Grab them! I actually wanted the pink one for myself, to be honest—"

There was only a whisper of movement, a sharp sound of _death_ in the air. When everyone's minds caught up, Tyr was in front of Crusher, his arm arched back. The blade hidden in his gauntlet slid out with a disturbing slowness, as if the world had slowed down just for this moment. "A step too far," The Elemental growled.

The blade slashed down, biting in to the base of Crusher's throat. He only had time to gag on his own blood as Tyr pulled the weapon away. A ribbon of blood followed. The two unicorns that had been standing nearby finally caught up. "Crusher!"

The mine surged into action, Tyr's ponies charging back into the fight. "Are you alright?" Tyr asked, holding out a hand to help Limestone up. She looked at it for a moment. She sighed and took it.

"…Thanks. I guess—"

"Tyr!" Maud suddenly cried out, slamming into him from the side. Tyr blinked in confusion, just as Kreech's poleaxe came down squarely on Maud's back. She grunted, but didn't cry out.

"MAUD!" Limestone gasped as Tyr shoved her aside. He shot his arm up, flinging a knife out of his cloak and into the griffon's chest, forcing him back.

Before the griffon could recover, the Elemental leapt at him, sword swinging around to cut through his throat. Kreech staggered back, claws snapping up to his neck in an effort to staunch the flow of blood. However, he was up against an opponent who was not one for half doing things. Even as Tyr's sword trailed in its arc, his other hand formed an axe made of ice that he slammed into the griffon's skull. Kreech was dead before he was even aware of the fact.

Suddenly, something behind him exploded. He turned to see the mountain above them shaking, and then Carver's voice cried out, "The mountain is breaking!"

Tyr's eyes shot over to the two unicorns, noting that one of them had their horn aglow. When he noticed him looking, the pony stood up straight. "Crusher had given us one last order. I have no regrets," He said simply, before Tyr cut him down in fury.

"We need to move!" Limestone said, pulling her sister onto her back. Maud's wound was relatively deep, but it didn't seem to bother the mare much. Other than a little pain in her eyes, she was still somewhat unperturbed as Limestone carried her to relatively safety.

"But mom and dad," Maud reminded her softly.

Limestone cursed, looking back. The guards around their parents had run, no doubt trying to escape the falling rocks. Marble was screaming in the background. "Tyr, do something!"

The Elemental gritted his teeth, letting his aura of ice surge forward. A wall of ice began to form in the path of the tumbling rocks, only to shatter when the stones impacted it. "I can't stop that much," Tyr said helplessly. He turned to the Stone Ponies. "Carver, Etch!"

"We don't have enough ponies for that!" Carver said, jumping aside as a large stone crashed into the ground nearby. She looked up at the still falling rocks, most three times the size of a normal pony. "And it's much easier to move stone than to stop it!"

"MOM! DAD!" Pinkie was screaming, she and Marble running to them. "RUN!"

Her parents heard her, but they were still bound. They struggled at their bonds uselessly, before stopping all together. They shared a short look, before small smiles touched at their muzzles. The mare turned to the group below, managing to mouth three words before the tide of stone hit them.

We love you.

"NO!" Pinkie's cry tore through the air as her parents vanished under the stones. The fury of nature settled after a minute, the rumbling finally ceasing. Pinkie kept running, tripping over herself in her haste. She finally made it to the pile of rocks and began throwing them aside. No one else moved. It was both terrifying and mystifying, watching the pink mare sob even as she flung aside rocks twice her size.

Vanna came up beside Tyr, her clothes splattered with blood and a horrified look on her face. "…They could survive that, right?" She asked shakily.

"No," Etch said with finality. When the Elemental and Dragonkin looked over at her, she glanced away. "…Not even a Stone Pony could. Trust me. I know."

"You don't know that!" Pinkie wailed, continuing to move rocks. As she wasn't making the progress she wanted, she began smashing her way through them. "You don't know!"

Surprisingly, it was Maud who spoke up next. "…They're dead, Pinkie." She said in her nonchalant tone.

"They're not! They're not—somepony HELP ME!"

"Damn it, Pinkie!" Limestone snarled. "Just stop!"

"They can't die, they can't die, they can't die…!"

"PINKIE!"

"I was supposed to throw their anniversary party!" The Element of Laughter screamed, making Limestone jerk up straight. "And then the next one, and then the next one, and then the next one… I had them all planned, and I knew what gift I would give them for each one…"

"Of course," Maud murmured. She winced slightly, before tapping Limestone's shoulder. "Lime… stone. I do believe I'm bleeding out still."

The eldest Pie sister blinked several times before gasping. "Oh, buck! Maud!"

"I can help her," Charlie said, pushing past her father and moving over to the injured pony. She helped lay Maud down on the ground before holding her hands over the wound. Golden Dust began to filter out of her hands, working themselves into the wound site. As Limestone watched, the Dust began to knit the torn flesh back together.

"By the Princesses…"

"She'll be fine in a few minutes."

"That's good," Tyr said with a sigh.

Charlie glanced over at Tyr. "Shouldn't you be worrying about the other one?"

Tyr blinked several times. Charlie scowled at him, before jerking her head towards Pinkie. "…Ah." He nodded and walked over to the bottom of the pile. "…Pinkie."

When she didn't stop, he tried again, more forcefully. "Pinkie!"

"I have to save them, I can't stop…" She mumbled, continuing to break rocks.

"Pinkie… stop. They're gone. I don't want you to—!"

"I FOUND THEM!"

Tyr started, blinking several times. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly Pinkie sat down on her haunches, falling deathly silent. A second later and her normally poofy mane fell completely straight with the expected sound of air rushing out of a balloon. Tyr hopped up onto the rock pile, peering into the hole Pinkie had made. Almost immediately, he jerked back. "…You found them."

He didn't want to say anything about the… broken _mess_ he had seen in there. It was painful to look at, even for him. He had a whole new respect for the Stone Ponies who were the first into the tunnels. Pinkie sat there, completely stock still except for the small movements of her breathing. Her hooves were bleeding slightly, no doubt from the wild rock smashing she had been doing. When she finally spoke, there was no emotion in her voice—no happiness, no anger, no panic, just… nothing. "…My… my parents are… dead."

Tyr didn't speak for a minute, staring at her. She wasn't looking at him, eyes focused on something very, very far away. "…Pinkie… I know how you feel right now…"

"No you don't." Her voice cut into what he had to say with no pause. "I just watched my parents die."

"…That is true. There was nothing you could do, though, Pinkie."

She turned to face him, the coldness in those big blue eyes making a shiver run down even the Elemental's spine. "I trusted you. You promised you'd save them—protect my _family_. I was wrong. I should have known. You couldn't even save your own sister—!"

Even in her emotionally broken state, Pinkie still caught herself before she finished that sentence. The shock of what she had said seemed to break her out of her stupor, her eyes snapping to Tyr's in horror. The Elemental was staring at her with an almost oppressive restrained fury. "Oh?" He said softly. It was almost Fluttershy in its softness, but the word echoed around the mine like a scream.

"T-Tyr… I didn't mean…!"

"A step too far," Fenrir growled, appearing from somewhere nearby. Unlike Tyr, her anger was even more obvious. Her fangs were bared, and she was ready to pounce. "A step too _damn_ far, loud one. If it were not for the fact that you are kin, I would rip your heart out and SHOW IT TO YOU!"

"Fen," Tyr called her name gently, reaching out one hand to caress the wolf spirit's head. "That's enough. Returning anger with anger gets us nowhere."

The wolf spirit snarled, whirling on her contractor. "She has insulted your very _soul_ , Tyr! I cannot let that stand—!"

" _Gleipnir._ "

Fenrir drew back sharply at the word, head snapping around to regard him. "…You'd go that far for her? After that?"

"Family, Fenrir. Kin." Those cold, silver eyes narrowed. " _Our_ kin."

"…Very well. But I will _not_ be happy about this." She moved back to Tyr's side, not remarking when he pulled her into a hug.

Tyr smiled softly. "You know I love you, Fenrir."

"Love is irrelevant," Fenrir replied, but there was a blush on her cheeks. Then she snuggled up against him. "…But not unwelcome. You know all I do is for you."

"And I thank you for it."

Pinkie swallowed heavily. "H-Honey? I didn't m-mean…"

"I know what you meant," Tyr said, interrupting her. "And I'm not upset. Hurt, but not upset."

"So then…!"

"It's not me you have to worry about." Tyr held up his wrist. "I do believe Cindy was listening in."

As if to further reinforce the fact that she had messed up, Cindy's voice came out of the wristlet. She did not sound happy. "I was indeed, Operator. And I do believe Miss Luna wishes to have a… conversation with Miss Pie when you all return."

Pinkie had never felt so terrified in her life.

–x–

* * *

 **Well. If Pinkie was emotionally erratic before, this has certainly not helped. And all it takes is one particularly thoughtless comment to piss off Fenrir. She does have a short fuse, after all.  
**

 **And before those comments come up, Tyr and Fenrir have a familial sort of love for each other. They have been through a lot together. I've decided the best way to deny a ship is to prevent it from sailing.**

 **Anyway.**

 **Will Pinkie recover from this catastrophic loss? Will her sisters endure the pain? Will Tyr's herd tear itself apart over one thoughtless phrase? These questions and more (I know you have them) will no doubt be answered in the next chapter. I thank you for taking the time to Read, and I'd like for you to leave a Review. If anything, please return for the next chapter next week. The Library accepts all comments and criticism, and will be waiting patiently. Until Next Time.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Greetings again, dear readers. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I spent mine with my parents and aunt, and stuffed my face with food and cake. It was very, very nice. However, being full of food will not cause me to shirk from my promised posting date!**

 **Kevin Lapse: I do my best to find any mistakes before I post, although occasionally some slip through. I do plan to continue Legacy for a while (I had a definite end for Light of the Moon, but I have _arcs_ for Legacy) and perhaps that group will return. I appreciate the support, and the positive comment!**

 **Captain Alaska: I enjoy writing the scenes with the Winter children. Having Al as the only boy usually lends itself to cute or adorable events. And I'm attempting to show Luna as growing secure in her relationship, and more open minded when it comes to things she'd have (in the past) taken a more aggressive take to. And yes. Pinkie is in BIG trouble.**

 **WarHusky2000: Tyr and Fenrir are kinda like brother and sister. Tyr likes to say he loves her to embarrass her. And I myself have never suffered through a loss like that, but always know that they always live on in the hearts of others.**

 **Chaddmychal: Vanna doesn't play around when it comes to blades.**

 **cadenceheart117: (ch35) I'll concede the point. But Song is unable to feel sadness or depression. She can still be happy and angry, but never sad. She obviously doesn't mind though. And take the kill for herself? Song likes to share!**

 **Well, that's enough out of me. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 44: How to Laugh through the Tears

Tyr looked up from the report he was reading to regard his advisor curiously. "…You're apologizing to me why again?"

Serenity pointed her gaze at the floor. "I have failed you, my Lord. It is my obligation to help and guide you, and yet I have done neither of those things. I had a vision of this occurrence with Miss Pinkie Pie, and yet I was too late to warn you."

"…That's not your fault," He said, frowning. "I had left before you even knew. How were you supposed to know?"

"Still—!"

Tyr let out a heavy sigh. Things had been… awkward around his home the past few days. Upon their return to the Jötunheim and Wolfhome, Luna had had a few… 'choice' words for Pinkie. Notably, several of them had even had Cindy gaping in shock. The conversation had ended with Pinkie in tears and Rarity extremely upset (read; _livid_ ) with Luna. The Princess of Dreams had refused to apologize, and now she and Rarity seemed to be at odds. Before Tyr could stop them, Luna was secluded in their room and Rarity had all but moved back into the Boutique. Pinkie was like a zombie, waking up and heading into town to work before coming home in the evening and going straight to her room. No one could get anything out of her, not even her own kids. Rarity was no better, only providing the most basic of greetings or reactions. Chrys was depressed, and the resident dragons had sequestered themselves in the forges.

And Tyr was in the middle of it all.

"Serenity." He said softly but firmly. He didn't need an apologetic Serenity on his conscious. "It is not your fault. If anything, I acted hastily. This whole thing has been… hard."

"Hard?"

"...Forget it. Are Pinkie's sisters fitting in?"

Serenity frowned. "Well, yes. Miss Limestone and Miss Maud have proven to be very capable when it comes to finding high quality gems. Miss Marble has also helped out, although she prefers to organize the gems we find than dig for them."

Tyr leaned back in his seat. The deaths of their parents had shaken all four Pie sisters, although Limestone and Maud seemed to be powering through it with work. Marble had been silent ever since they had returned, but that really wasn't that unusual as far as he could tell. "Well, that's a bit of good news. Well, I guess I need to get ready for the fall out. Carver?"

The Shaper entered the study. "Yes, Lord?"

"I need to go undisturbed for at least an hour."

"Of course, sir. I'll make sure of it."

Serenity looked at Tyr curiously, before nodding. "Very well, Lord Tyr. If you have need of me, please do not hesitate to call."

Tyr nodded. "Of course." Serenity left then.

Carver moved to close the door, but Tyr called her name once more. "Carver?"

"Hm?" The Shaper blinked. "What is it, sir?"

"Call down to the traders and look to get me a new door."

"Uh…? Very well. I'll have one readied for you."

"Applewood would be nice," Tyr called after her. Carver gave him a nod before closing the door behind her. The Lord of Wolfhome leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh. "Well, all we have to do now is wait," he murmured.

Fenrir appeared on his desk in her true form, a playful scowl on her features. "Must I sit by with my fangs hidden this time, Alpha? Or will I be allowed some leeway?"

Tyr grinned savagely. "You're allowed to be my anger, Fen. But no lasting physical harm."

"That, I can agree with."

Valor chirped from his perch near the wall, catching their attention. "Ah, almost time."

"Ah yes. A simple ward should do, unless she means you true harm."

Tyr placed his hand on his desk, letting his magic form a silver rune in the stone. "Alright then. Five… four… three… two…"

The room was suddenly full of violet light, the shock of magic blasting his door outwards and into the hall. The magic washed over Tyr and Fenrir, a barrier of silver light surging forward from the rune to create a shield. Neither the Chaos Mage or Spirit flinched as they faced down an absolutely _pissed_ Twilight Sparkle. The Alicorn's eyes were glowing with power, and there was an uncommon fury in her stance. "What. Did. You. Do. To. My. Friends." She ground out.

"I'm surprised you assume my Alpha is to blame for this," Fenrir growled, smiling at the angry Princess. "Isn't that jumping to conclusions?"

"It would be if it wasn't a valid conclusion," Twilight countered, dialing back her aura. Not by much, but a little. "I noticed your ship leaving the other day. Pinkie wasn't like this until you came back, and she won't speak to me about anything happening at home. Rarity won't even _say_ Luna's name."

Tyr winced. "That bad, huh?"

"Yes! And I can't get a word out of either of them about what you did!" She narrowed her eyes. "And you're not denying your involvement either."

The Elemental was silent for a moment. Pinkie's words had cut deep, and he was still hurting a bit. Even though he knew in his mind that she had said the words without thinking, they still made his heart ache. He sighed. He really wanted all this to pass by so they could get back to being a real family again. "Alright. I do technically have some responsibility in all this…"

Twilight frowned. "So I was right. I knew it. I knew this would happen."

Both Tyr and Fenrir blinked at that. "What?"

"I knew this would happen," Twilight continued, turning aside for a moment. "You're not a native to this world Tyr—you're perverting the world around you."

"Perverting?" Tyr scowled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Twilight looked proud of herself for a moment. "I asked Discord to explain 'Chaos Spirits' to me. There's an obvious difference between Fenrir and him, you see."

"Oh, beat still my heart," Fenrir muttered dryly.

"He explained that Chaos Spirits like Fenrir embody a concept. And your dear companion's concept just so happens to be _carnage_."

Fenrir threw up her hands. "Ach, you got me. Guilty as charged."

Tyr chuckled lightly. "You know, I like you more like this. Sarcasm suits you."

"Like a bloody pelt," the hunter replied with a grin.

Twilight scowled. "Exactly my point. You embody a pure concept, of _carnage_. Violence. You're a chaotic entity that's altering the world around you." She held up a hoof. "Before you came here, we've never had to kill an enemy. Defeat and subdue, yes, but never kill. But now, before even a whole year has gone by, you've slaughtered dragons, Diamond Dogs, and even ponies now."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "Where are you going with this?"

"You've changed my friends," Twilight snapped, stalking over to the desk. "Pinkie has always been happy. Now she's barely functioning and hasn't thrown a party for two days. Rarity has been short with everyone. Everything that has happened has revolved around you, Tyr! Say that I'm wrong!"

"…You're right."

Twilight seemed happy about being proven right. "Exactly! But—"

"But that's irrelevant," Tyr cut her off, a scowl on his face. "Changing the world or not, what have I done that's been for no reason? I saved you from the dragons. I was protecting the Stone Ponies from the Diamond Dogs. I was doing my best to save Pinkie and her sisters. I have _never_ killed just because I can."

"That doesn't mean you won't!"

Tyr stood, smashing his hands on the desk. Ice formed around where his hands hit. "So what do you _want_ , Twilight? Are you suggesting I be locked away, or restrained somehow?"

Fenrir growled at that. "I certainly hope _not_."

"I never said that," Twilight said with a little frown. "But you can't deny that you're a negative influence on those around you."

"Negative…" Tyr stared at her for a moment. Then, he scowled. "You realize everything I've done is to help, right?"

Twilight fell silent for a minute. When she spoke, it was quiet yet still firm. "I heard about the murders in Los Pegasus."

Tyr's eyes snapped to her. "…What?"

"It was a very peculiar case. A total of four ponies all impaled with ice. The Los Pegasus police force were quite confused, as there are very few ponies on record with knowledge of ice magic."

"So what do you want from me, Twilight? A confession?" Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Before you go accusing me of murder, go talk to Rarity. Ask her if the name 'Hard Rock' means anything to her."

"Why would…?"

"Go. And tell Pinkie that she and I need to have a talk when you see her."

Twilight frowned. "And if I don't want to tell her?"

"Then you're responsible for my family being splintered," Tyr said softly, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms.

Fenrir snorted. "And I will not let this situation stand, your help or not. I'd rather like our relationship to stay relatively cordial, but if you're going to try and sabotage us, I will remove you."

"Is that a threat?" Twilight asked.

"A promise," The wolf spirit snarled. "We have done nothing to you, or injured you or your friends in the slightest. We actively want to fix what has transpired with the pink one, and your constant misgivings and distrust are unbecoming of one we call 'friend'!"

Twilight paused, looking between them. Tyr was the picture of calmness, neither rage or irritation on his features. Fenrir was silently fuming, no doubt wishing her very gaze could kill. She swallowed heavily. "Tyr—"

Tyr let out a sigh. "I know, Twilight. I know. I know you're worried about your friends—I am too. But I give you my word that I will never, _ever_ do anything to purposely put you in danger."

"…Very well. I'll go see Rarity, and if I see Pinkie, I'll pass along your message."

"My message?"

Twilight gave him a warm smile. "That you love her and want to give her a big hug."

Tyr chuckled lightly. "Thanks Twilight."

The Princess of Friendship giggled. "Let it not be said that I won't work to be a better friend. We might just need to sit down and have a political discussion."

"Perhaps. Have a good day, Twilight."

"You as well, Tyr."

She left then, almost running into Carver and two other Shapers that were carrying a wooden door between them. "Oh, hello Princess," Carver said with a little nod.

"Er… hello Carver."

"Are you leaving?"

"Ah, yes. I have my own work to attend to. Um… forgive my curiosity, but where are you taking that door?"

The Stone Ponies shared a look. "To Lord Tyr's study. He asked me to get him a new door. I had wondered why, but…" Carver's gaze went to the broken door lying against the hallway wall. Twilight laughed nervously.

"I won't keep you then. Good bye!"

Inside the office, Tyr let out a little chuckle. Fenrir glanced over at him. "What seems to be so funny?"

"Twilight never had a suspicious bone in her body. Now she's watching our every move?" He grinned. "I do believe we've rubbed off on her."

–x–

"Now this is odd," Sunset murmured, noting the increased security in the castle. She had noticed the increased number of guards along the way here, but it wasn't until she reached the castle library that it really got serious. Celestia and Ace were there, discussing something with a group of guards. However when she got closer, she noticed a particular stallion was standing beside Celestia. "…Dad?"

Solstice started at her voice, glancing around for a second before seeing her. "Sunny! What are you doing here?"

"I came for the library," Sunset said, frowning. "And what are you doing here?"

"I was called," Solstice pointed out, looking up at Celestia.

Sunset blinked, before glancing over at the Alicorn. Celestia smiled slightly. "I thought that your father could help us with a particular problem."

"And that would be…"

Solstice grinned. "I do have a bit of… expertise when it comes to security."

"Security? What would we need with…?" She frowned, glancing from her father over to the library door. It took a moment, but then it clicked. "Someone broke in?"

Ace nodded. "Indeed. We're not sure what they took, if anything, but they broke into the Starswirl the Bearded Wing."

"That's the wing where all the books on time travel and manipulation are kept," Sunset said thoughtfully. "Someone stole from there?"

"We think. We're not completely sure. Not trying to offend you, but can you account for your whereabouts last night?"

Sunset blinked, before giving him a small smile. "I was with your sister all last night. She had me listening to her music."

Ace nodded slightly. "Easy enough to verify. Plus, I trust my sister explicitly, and if you lied about that, she'd probably kill you herself."

"Happy to hear you trust me."

"Oh, I trust you, but I trust Heart more."

Sunset laughed softly. "Fair enough."

Celestia frowned, nudging her captain of the guard with a hoof. "I do believe you informed me that you found silver feathers in the chamber, which indicated that a pegasus was involved."

"Wait, so I wasn't a suspect at all?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Unless we're dealing with a professional, then there might have been a group. And it was just a question!"

Celestia giggled. "Oh, calm down. Perhaps Sunset will be able to help?"

"Maybe."

Solstice walked past them all into the library. "Princess, Sunny, can you two come here for a second?"

The two mares shared a short look, before shrugging and following him inside. The guards gave them short nods as they entered, giving them space as they went into the Starswirl the Bearded Wing. They went down one of the bookshelves, before the stallion stopped. After a moment, Sunset spoke up. "Okay Dad, what the heck is this all about?"

"I know who did this," Solstice said, turning to them.

Both Celestia and Sunset paused, staring at him in shock. "How in Equestria do you know that?" Celestia asked, frowning.

"Because I worked with a thief who's modus operandi was to get in and out without leaving a trace. His name was Ghost."

"Why did you not inform Ace Guard? He would be able to move his search along for this stallion much quicker."

Sunset shook her head. "Ace would only ask how Solstice knew. And that raises a lot of questions we don't want asked."

Solstice nodded. "On top of that, I only know it was Ghost because I worked with him and I know he's a silver pegasus. He was very… good at what he did."

"So that means we have to do something with this info," Sunset groaned. Wonderful."

"Sorry, Sunny. That's the best I can do."

"It's fine, dad. I wasn't expecting you to be in contact with all your old… acquaintances."

The stallion grinned. "I prefer colleagues."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "I'm so very glad you've made close friends of former 'thieves'."

"You can make friends anywhere, Tia."

The Alicorn smiled warmly just a moment before leaning in to give him a kiss. Sunset rolled her eyes before turning and walking back to the entrance. "I'll let you two have your moment. I'm going to go see if Sherry and Hope are up to anything."

The two of them gave her little chuckles in reply, but she was well out of the library before they could say anything. Ace was busy talking to Flash about something, so she decided against bothering him. It was a little weird how she and the snow white pegasus had become quick friends, but he was kinda like the brother she never had. That and Heart was… a very good friend. "I better not start getting attracted to her, or she'll kill me. Or Ace will kill me. Why are my closest friends the ones most likely to kill me?"

She laughed to herself. Gotta stop having these weird thoughts. She moved down the hall, keeping mostly to herself until she reached the door with Sherry's Cutie Mark emblazoned on it. She pushed the door opened just in time for Hope's happy voice to greet her. "Checkmate!"

Hope was seated across from Obsidian over a chess board, the Alicorn grinning happily as she won. The Shaper seemed a bit more confused, choosing to stare intently at the board. "I do believe I'm confused still, Hope. How does the Queen work again?"

"It can go in any direction in a straight line," Sherry said, looking up from the book she was reading atop her bed.

Obsidian frowned. "But… doesn't the Tower do that?"

"It only goes in straight lines, left and right or up and down."

"…But so does the queen."

"Queens can go diagonally."

Obsidian tilted her head to the side, her confused look only growing. She looked down at the board and then back up at Sherry. "…Isn't it still a straight line?"

Sherry opened her mouth, but then closed it. After a second or two of thought she frowned. "Well. That is true."

"Can't argue logic with a Stone Born," Sunset said cheerily, entering the room. When the other three mares looked at her, she shrugged. "They see everything for what it is. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh, hello Sunset," Sherry said in greeting. "What brings you by?"

"I was bored and Celestia is busy."

Hope smiled. "What about Heart Song? Isn't she your friend?"

Sunset frowned. "She is, but she's busy too. So is Shining Light, and even Cienna is off who knows where. I'm flying solo today, it seems."

Obsidian frowned. "But you do not have wings… oh! That is one of those… what do they call them?"

"Collaquism!" Hope provided.

Sherry giggled and shook her head. "It's 'colloquialism', Hope. And yes Obsidian, it is one."

Sunset laughed and walked over to Sherry's bed, hopping onto it without invitation. "Seems Hope is at least learning bigger words."

The golden Alicorn huffed and tossed her head to the side. "I am a proper lady, Sunset Shimmer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry…"

Sherry giggled. "Oh, stop it you two. Sunset, you're really on your own today?"

"Yup."

"Well, I know you like acting like a big sister, so you're happy just hanging out with us," Sherry said thoughtfully. She laughed. "But then dad would be your dad too, and that would be awkward!"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah. But I wouldn't mind being like an adopted big sis."

Obsidian frowned, looking down at her lap. There was a folded piece of paper beside her. "Um… I'm fine," She said after a moment. "I already have a sister."

"It doesn't mean you have to give up Carver," Sherry pointed out.

"I don't? But I thought only orphans are adopted…"

"It's… sorta complicated."

Sunset laughed. "Let it just be said that I'm your friend, Obsidian. Not trying to take the place of your sister or anything."

Obsidian nodded. "Okay."

Sherry looked over at Sunset. "So is everything okay? I saw Aunt Celestia and Ace out in the hall with all the guards. They didn't seem too happy."

The unicorn shook a hoof at her. "Ah, it's just a little concern about what happened the other day."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as the mood in the room seemed to fall almost immediately. Obsidian was staring down at her lap, and Hope was silent. Finally, after a few moments, Sherry finally spoke again. "…Have they found anything out yet?"

"Er… nothing from what they could tell me. They're sure nothing like that could happen again, and it looks like they've upped the guard though."

Sherry glanced over to her nightstand, where the Rubrik sat. "…I guess that's good. I'm going to be ready next time…"

Sunset opened her mouth to say something, no doubt to the effect that she didn't need to be, but there was a knock at the door. "Princess Sherry? Are you busy?"

"That's Flash," the Princess of Creativity murmured. She then spoke up so that the guard lieutenant could hear. "I'm in here, Flash. You may come in."

The door to the room opened to admit Flash, who was followed by a very nervous looking Capstone. Flash actually seemed a little surprised to see all the ponies in the room. "You all having a party in here?"

Sherry giggled. "No Flash. Hope is teaching Obi how to play chess."

"I'm currently very bad at it," Obsidian pointed out, returning to her examination of the board. "The pieces are very confusing to me."

"You'll get it eventually. So what did you need, Flash?"

The blue maned knight nodded. "Ah, right. Ace told me to bring Capstone here. He's going to be assigned to you as your personal guard for the time being."

"Princess Celestia insisted," Capstone said nervously. "I know you are well able to protect yourself, Princess Sherry…"

Sherry smiled and shook her head. "More protection is never unwelcome. And I'm glad Captain Ace decided to assign a familiar face to my personal detail. On top of Obsidian, I think I am well protected."

"I don't get a guard?" Hope complained.

Flash rolled his eyes. "You want a guard you don't know following you around?"

"…No."

"Then just stay with Sherry. You like Obsidian and Capstone, right?"

"Mmhm!"

"So don't worry about it. If you really need to go somewhere, just let me know and I'll go with you."

The golden Alicorn smiled widely. "Okay! You're so nice, Flash!"

That got the knight to smile. "Right. Well, I've got more work to do, so don't terrorize Capstone too much, alright?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "He's going to be fine."

Flash chuckled but said no more, heading back out of the room. Capstone instead moved to one of the chairs along the wall, taking a seat. "So… what do we do now?"

Hope's magic lit up, and the chessboard rearranged itself properly. She smiled widely. "Wanna play chess with me?"

–x–

Tyr was in the middle of working on another of his little projects when he heard a soft knock at his door. With a little sigh, he looked up. "Yes? Come in." The door opened, and he was pleasantly surprised to see Ancè enter the office. She seemed a little worried, and that immediately put Tyr on alert. "Ancè? Is something wrong, sweetie?"

The young unicorn blushed ever so slightly, coming around to stand in front of his desk. "Um… forgive me for my forwardness father, but… may I ask a question?"

Tyr frowned. "You don't have to ask, Ancè. You're not in trouble."

"It's just that… I was…" She looked down at her hooves. "…Are you mad at Mother?"

That gave the Elemental pause. "Me? Mad at… Do you mean Rarity?"

"Yes."

"I'm not…" Tyr trailed off. A small frown touched at his lips. "Well. I won't lie to you Ancè, I am a little upset with your mother."

That seemed to make the little filly sad. "Did she… did she do something you didn't like?"

"Well, yes. She and Luna got into a fight, and haven't made up yet."

"Oh…" She seemed to sink a little further. "Does that mean… does that mean you won't be my father anymore?"

"What?" Tyr paled at that. He quickly got up, walked around the desk, and pulled the filly into his arms. He couldn't let her start thinking that way. "God no, Ancè. You're my daughter, and I love you. I could never abandon you like that."

She sniffled, lifting up her hooves to hug him as best she could. "You… you mean it?"

"Yes! You, Jubilee and your mothers are precious to me. I could never just leave you."

She snuggled against him, a small smile on her face. "…I love you, father."

"I love you too, Ancè. Now, since you've brought it to my attention, I suppose your father must go fix this problem."

"What are you going to do?"

Tyr gave her a warm smile and another hug. "Talk. Your father is very convincing when he needs to be."

Ancè smiled back. "Okay. I'm happy you're not too upset with mother."

"I could never be upset with Rarity or Pinkie for long. Especially not with a cute daughter like you to remind me of why they're so special to me." He gently stroked her mane. "How's Jubilee?"

"Bibi?" Ancè frowned. "She's… worried. She wanted to ask you about this herself, but…"

Tyr nodded. "I understand. Go tell her that I love her and that I'm going to clear things up with your moms."

"As you wish, father. I will see you later."

One hug later, and the filly was on her way. After seeing her round the corner, Tyr went in the other direction, following the path that led to the Jötunheim. It was the place he'd no doubt find Luna, and she was the one to start with to fix this whole mess. And there was only one way to get his stubborn wife to agree to what he was about to 'suggest' to her.

Before long he reached the hangar and by pressing a button on his wristlet opened the hatch. He entered the main room to find only Cindy in her usual spot behind the bar. "Oh, greetings Operator. Did you need something?"

"I was looking for Luna, is she here?"

"Indeed. She is currently in your room. Are you going to speak to her?"

Tyr frowned slightly. "Actually, call her out here."

Cindy gave him a knowing smile as she pressed a button on her console. "Miss Luna? Tyr is her in the common room and would like to speak to you."

The message sent, Tyr moved over to the couch and settled himself down. He didn't want Luna to come in and think that he was busy. A minute or so later, and the Princess of Dreams emerged from the side door. "Ah, Beloved. I was not expecting you to come calling for me." She gave him a small smile, but he could tell she was confused. Normally, he'd have gone to see her in their room, no doubt sneaking up on her or surprising her. This time was obviously different.

"Please sit," Tyr offered, gesturing to the seat beside him. "We need to talk."

Luna winced slightly. "That statement never bodes well." She moved to join him on the couch, sitting a small distance away.

"Records indicate that normally the woman in the relationship says that phrase," Cindy pointed out, coming over with a tray with cups of tea. She smiled. "Although I'm sure my Operator is not intending anything negative with his remark."

The automaton gave him a small wink before moving back over to her post. Luna frowned slightly, before taking the offered drink. Her eyes trailed up to gaze at Tyr. "So? What did you need to talk about?"

Tyr paused for a moment. "Specifically? Rarity."

"…Oh." Luna stiffened up at the mention of the seamstress's name, but kept her tone even. "What did you want to talk to me about then?"

"I want you to apologize to her."

"Apologize!?" Luna started, but quickly recovered. "…Why should I apologize? She defended Pinkie Pie after she said such a heartless thing."

"You were no gentler," Tyr said pointedly, making his wife wince. "I'm no better, because I have no forgiven Pinkie myself. But that changes today."

"How so?"

"I know for a fact that Rarity is at the Boutique, and no doubt Pinkie will be going there after she leaves Sugar Cube Corner. We are going to settle all of this today."

Luna pouted. "…I don't want to."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Well, unfortunately you don't have a choice. Just because you're mad at Rarity doesn't mean you can't make up with them."

The Alicorn blushed, looking more like a filly than a full grown mare. She looked away shyly. "…What if they don't want to forgive me for what I said?" She asked quietly, glancing at him.

He gave her a smile. "They'll forgive you. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"Alright…" She sighed. "So you haven't spoken to Pinkie or Rarity?"

"Not yet. We'll do this together." Tyr smiled. "If anything, Chrissy will be happier. You know all of this has been hurting her, right?"

Luna stared at him in shock. "It has?"

Tyr looked back at her in confusion. "…You know that Chrissy eats emotions, and she's very sensitive to those around her. Us all being like this has left her depressed."

"Oh dear." She raised a hoof to her forehead. "I did not realize… I will have to apologize to her as well."

"We'll get to it, love. First—to the Boutique."

Luna sighed and got up, Tyr getting up as well. "Very well. I suppose I could not put it off forever."

Tyr gave her a small smile, and glanced over at Cindy. The Controller held up a hand. "I understand, Operator. I will inform any visitors that you are dealing with a 'family emergency'."

Tyr chuckled. "I appreciate it. Vanna and Charlie are allowed to know the details, if you want."

The Controller held a hand over her heart, or at least where it would have been if she was a living being. "I will use my discretion, Operator."

The Elemental nodded at that, and together he and Luna teleported into Ponyville. Specifically, in front of Rarity's Boutique. There were a few surprised gasps at their appearance, but once the local ponies recognized them most went about their business. Just before they could move to the door, it opened, allowing a very depressed looking Twilight Sparkle to emerge. She paused in shock at seeing them. "O-Oh! Tyr and… Princess Luna. I wasn't expecting to see you here…"

"We came to speak to Rarity, and hopefully Pinkie," Tyr explained. "Are they here?

Twilight glanced behind herself, a small frown playing at her features. "…Rarity is. I'm not sure where Pinkie is; might not have come by yet."

Luna frowned slightly. "You seem… distressed, Twilight Sparkle. Is something the matter?"

The Princess of Friendship opened her mouth to speak, before shutting it almost immediately. She then glanced at Tyr. "…She told me. About what happened to Los Pegasus."

"Los Pegasus?" Luna blinked. She then looked over at Tyr. "You told her?"

"Only one specific thing," Tyr replied. "Not its entirety."

"I see…"

Twilight shook her head. "I still don't agree with your methods, but… thank you for not letting that happen to Rarity. I… I can't imagine…"

Tyr moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. One of us has to remain somewhat pure."

Twilight stared at him for a long minute, before shaking her head. "If the world is as bad as that, how can I?"

"Just never let it break you," Luna said sagely, surprising the man and mare. She nodded. "I have seen many terrible things in my many years—but if you cower or break in the face of it, you give it power. Continue to endure and persevere—you are never alone."

"I…" The violet Alicorn bit her lip, before a small smile emerged on her face. "…Thank you, Princess Luna. Sometimes I really do have to remind myself of that."

She nodded once more before walking off. Tyr and Luna watched her go, before glancing back to the still open doorway. The Princess of the Night sighed. "I suppose we must go in?"

Tyr nodded simply. Together they entered the Boutique, noticing that there was the obvious absence of that 'lived in' feel that the shop normally had. To be fair, it had recently been rebuilt and repaired, and the two pink ponies that would terrorize the neatness of the place were causing havoc elsewhere. At least one of them was. Tyr glanced around, looking for some sign of his seamstress. "Hm… She has to be here, Twilight was just speaking to her…"

Luna's attention was focused outside. "Um… Beloved? We should go further in. I think I spy Rainbow Dash flying around, and she does not look happy…"

Tyr winced. If Rainbow had seen Pinkie, she'd no doubt be on the warpath. "Right… let's get inside. And close the door."

They did just that, Luna closing the door securely behind them. The Boutique was relatively quiet, not even the sound of a sewing machine could be heard. "Rarity must not be working…"

"Suppose you're right," Tyr said, reaching out to pick up a picture frame. It was when Ancè and Jubilee were younger, the two of them dressed up in very extravagant outfits. Behind them was Rarity, a bright smile on her face. Tyr couldn't help but smile as well. "Always designing, huh Rarity…?"

"It is my special talent," Rarity's soft voice pointed out. Tyr and Luna looked towards the source of it, finding the mare in question standing at the top of the steps. Her mane was tied back away from her face, in a simple ponytail instead of having it in its usual curls. Her eyes were a little weird, since she didn't have her false eyelashes on. She seemed alright, but there was moroseness in her demeanor that Tyr could feel. Rarity sniffed suddenly. "…Is there something you needed, Tyr?"

It was one of the few times Rarity had ever used Tyr's name whenever she referred to him. And there was such a… disinterested sound in her voice. The Elemental frowned, choosing his words carefully. "Rarity… how are you feeling?"

She frowned. "How am I feeling? I feel… terrible. Absolutely horrid. My dear Pinkie-winkle just lost her parents, Luna and I got into a terrible argument, and I have not slept or designed anything for two days. I thought this heat week would be wonderful, spending it all with my herd, but it's already fallen apart. And I don't know how to fix it."

Tyr let out a soft sigh. "The same way we fixed these things before. We talk them out."

Rarity glanced over at Luna, who nodded. The seamstress sighed and came down the steps. "…Very well. I suppose avoiding it is harmful to us all."

"Exactly." Tyr nodded. "So… Luna?"

The Princess of Dreams sighed. "Rarity…I apologize for my words the other day. I was unnecessarily harsh, and I had no reason to say such hurtful things and act the way I did."

"You had a good reason, it's just we should have been much calmer about this," Rarity pointed out. "I myself should have been able to see things from your perspective, and understand your position."

Tyr smiled. "On top of that, neither of you asked me how I felt about this whole thing."

Both Luna and Rarity looked embarrassed, looking away. "That is… unfortunately true." Luna frowned and shook her head.

"I apologize, darling," Rarity murmured, looking down at the floor. "I should have…"

"Ah, none of that," Tyr cut her off. He gave her a warm smile. "I just want us all to be close again, and try our best to not let something like this divide us."

"I agree," Luna said firmly. "We all agreed to this herd, so it is up to us to work to keep it together. We cannot be at odds with one another."

Rarity nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree. Although… we still need to help Pinkie."

Tyr winced, remembering his Element of Laughter that he hadn't heard laugh in days. "I believe I can handle that—ah, there she is." The two mares blinked as Tyr suddenly jogged over to one of the windows. He opened it and leaned out. "Derpy! You have a muffin I can borrow?"

The gray pegasus floated over then, a bright smile on her face. "Oh, hiya Tyr! You wanted one of my muffins?"

"I do indeed. Do you want anything for it?"

"Uh uh!" She smiled warmly. "I always make one extra just in case somepony wants one!" She held out a muffin to him, which the Elemental took with a smile.

"Thanks Derpy. I'll be sure to ask you again another day."

"Okay! Hope you enjoy!"

She waved one last time before flying away. Tyr turned back to the two confused mares behind him. He grinned. "And now… part two."

The front door to the Boutique opened, and in walked Pinkie, her hair still knife straight and her mouth in a firm line. There were bags in her eyes like she hadn't been sleeping well, an her coat was duller than usual as well. She stopped short upon seeing the other three in the room. Her eyes went wide when they met Tyr's. "T…Tyr…? Lunie? R-Rare-bear?"

Before anypony else could say anything, Tyr crossed the short distance between him and the pink mare. He knelt in front of her. When she opened her mouth to speak, he held up his appropriated muffin in front of her face. "Muffin." He said simply.

She blinked twice. Inquisitive eyes moved from the treat in front of her to the pair of silver ones regarding her warmly. "M-Muffin?"

"Muffin," Tyr asserted with a nod.

Pinkie stared at it for a long minute. Then a change began to ripple through her. Her coat lightened back up to is bright pink shade, and her neutral, fearful expression changed to one of pure joy. Tears began to stream from her eyes as she tentatively leaned forward to take a bite out of the offered muffin. She smiled warmly. "It's… it's very good."

"I got it from Derpy," Tyr pointed out, reaching out to brush Pinkie's bangs out of her face. "…Your mane isn't going back to normal."

Pinkie leaned into his touch, raising a hoof to touch his hand. "It's not going to go back to normal for a…a while. I… I still hurt too much. But… I…"

"I kinda like it," he cut her off, surprising her. "Sure, it's not as bouncy as it was, but it's not a bad look for you. Plus, you have an aspiring hairstylist for a daughter who'll _love_ to play with your hair now."

That got a smile out of the pink mare. She giggled softly. "Y-Yeah. I'm sure Ancè will love it."

"I already look forward to seeing what she can do," Luna said, coming over. Pinkie drew back a bit, but Luna gave her a short yet loving nuzzle. "I apologize, Pinkie. I was over harsh with my words, and you did not deserve that."

"No, I deserved it," the party pony said. She blushed and glanced over at Tyr. "Do you forgive me?"

Tyr nodded. "Of course."

Rarity cleared her throat suddenly, walking forward to join the little group. She smiled at Tyr. "Darling? Could you give us a minute? I believe us ladies have a lot to discuss."

The man rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Just one last thing." He leaned in to give Pinkie a quick kiss and a hug, and then repeated the same with Rarity. "I love you both. Don't forget that, alright?"

They both nodded. Luna pouted for a moment, before Tyr took her in his arms and kissed her lovingly. She pulled away with a blush. "O-oh. Thank you, beloved."

"I'll give you all your 'alone time'," Tyr said with a chuckle, walking to the door.

"We love you, Tyr!" The three mares called after him, getting one last smile from him as he left. He walked a bit away from the boutique, deciding to wait until his girls were finished. But he didn't have to wait very long by himself because a hoof tapped against his leg.

"Hm?" He frowned, glancing down to spot a familiar yellow pegasus standing beside him. "Oh, Fluttershy… what's up?"

She blushed. "Um… h-hi, Tyr…"

He mentally repressed the urge to move away—it was still heat week, after all. Most of the ponies in Ponyville seemed to have worked off the worst of it in the first couple of days. He was still a lot more wary, and until now had spent his time in Wolfhome. However, Fluttershy was his friend. And they were in the middle of town. "Hey. What's up? Did you need something?"

"Are you… are you busy?"

"Right now? Not really. Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Fluttershy scraped the ground with a hoof. "Um… yes, there was. Are you sure you're not busy? I can always come back another time…"

"It's fine, Fluttershy. Just go ahead and ask me what you wanted to ask."

She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say. "Tyr… is it possible if… if I.. if I joined your herd?"

Tyr blinked several times, checking himself to make sure he heard right. "You want to… you want to be a part of _my_ herd?"

"Um… yes?"

"You don't sound sure about that, Fluttershy."

She winced. "Princess Luna said that Chrysalis had suggested it…"

Tyr let out a sigh. "Fluttershy… you're thinking with your hormones. There are two main reasons why I'm not accepting this offer of yours."

"You're… you're not?"

"No, I'm not." He shook his head. "Firstly, have you thought about how Applejack would feel about this?"

"…I… um…"

"Secondly… this is the week of your heat. You're not thinking completely straight when it comes to this sort of thing."

"…oh…" She seemed to deflate a little bit. "Y-You're right."

He gave her a smile then, reaching out to place his hand on her head. "That's not to say I'm rejecting you. Just… go the rest of this week and then come back to me when you're thinking straight. If you still the same, then I'll run it by the girls and then we'll figure out what to do from there. But I'm not going to try and steal you from Applejack. She's my friend, and I'd never do something like that to a friend."

Fluttershy nodded. "I… I understand. I'm sorry for asking…"

"You did nothing wrong, Fluttershy. I'll be honest—I had a crush on you when we first met."

"You did?"

"I did. If not for Luna, I might have actually asked you out."

She blushed heavily. "O-oh. I'm really… um… flattered…"

Tyr grinned. "I'll admit, I wouldn't mind having you in the herd. I think I could grow to love another, but I'm not going to steal someone away from someone else."

Fluttershy nodded. "I understand. You're… really kind, Tyr."

"I do my best."

"Um… if I don't come back after this week is over…"

"I won't hold it against you, and I won't be upset," Tyr assured her. "Go enjoy your time with Applejack."

Fluttershy nodded. She seemed happier somehow. "I will. Thank you Tyr!"

She trotted off, a smile on her face as she went. Fenrir emerged from Tyr's jacket to perch on his shoulder. "Was that wise? If she comes back and still wants to join…"

"Then I might have to hurt Applejack or Fluttershy, depending on what I decide."

Fenrir frowned, scratching at her head. "So you're willing to injure your relationship with them over this?"

"I'd rather Fluttershy think about this whole thing before making a decision," Tyr pointed out, folding his arms. "If she makes a clearheaded decision, then it's just a matter of making sure all those involved understand it. But if she makes a rash decision…"

"Then it only hurts us all."

"Exactly."

Fenrir was silent for a minute more. "…Alpha. A question."

"You know you don't have to lead into it like that," Tyr replied with a laugh. "Haven't we been together long enough?"

The wolf rolled her eyes. "I suppose that is true. But since this is a sensitive matter…"

"Ask away, Fen."

"Were you being truthful in saying you could learn to love another?" She said slowly. "Or was that just to make the shy one feel better?"

Tyr was silent for a bit. He looked down at his hand, where the twisted metal wedding band sat on his ring finger. It was a reminder of his commitment to Luna, and the bond they had formed, nurtured, and protected. It was a reminder of the two beautiful children they had given birth to, and the promise to protect them. "…Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I know for certain that I'd damn well try."

Fenrir chuckled softly, sitting on his shoulder and leaning against him. "You're a worthy individual, Alpha. I'd follow no other."

"Well, consider myself honored." Tyr grinned, and squeezed his hand into a fist. "Although I think I need to bother Vanna again. Hopefully she remembers how to make jewelry."

* * *

 **A start to the repairs, but the wound still remains. Time will tell if Pinkie and her sisters will ever completely heal. But with the care and attention of her loved ones, perhaps they'll be able to move on.  
**

 **A soft letdown for Fluttershy, but her mind has at least been somewhat put at ease. No additions to the herd today, especially when they're dealing with some serious fallout. And most definitely none of them want to explain any of this to Applejack.**

 **As usual, thanks for Reading, leave a Review if you like, and Return next week for the next chapter of Lunar Legacy. Patience is advised, but not demanded. Don't hesitate to leave a comment, for the Library accepts all.**

 **Until Next Time.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Hello again, Dear Readers. A late post this time around, but a post nonetheless. I just had a few edits that too longer than normal, so I took my time. The life of a writer.**

 **WarHusky2000: All ya gotta do is look for the silver lining. Life is what you make of it!**

 **cadenceheart117: Yeah, Pinkie really didn't think that one through.**

 **Chaddmychal: Cadance is dealing with a new baby! No doubt she'll hear about it before long though.**

 **Well, no more dilly-dallying! Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 45: Strange Occurrences

"Alright, how does it fit?"

"It's a little snug, but not too tight. Actually, it's comfortable."

"No pinching anywhere?"

"Fits like a charm."

"Well, duh Frosty! It's mine, after all."

"I told you not to call me that. Keep it up and I'm going to start calling you Smoky. …Hm. It feels warm. Like you just pulled it out of the forge."

"You know, you're just cold! Like ice!"

"I can't help that!"

"Bah. Get out of it so I can do some adjustments."

"You know, I wasn't even in it that long…"

The door to Tyr's office burst open then, allowing a blushing Rainbow Dash to barge in. "What the buck are you two doing in here!?"

The scene in the office was very unlike what the cyan pegasus had imagined. Tyr was shirtless, but only because he had removed his shirt to try on the mail vest Vanna was currently holding in her hands. She was a bit more warmly dressed, although there was a blush growing on her cheeks. "Er… hi there, Rainbow."

A second or two later, Carver and Etch came galloping over, panting. "We… apologize, Lord Tyr," Carver said, slightly out of breath. "She was… too fast for us."

Tyr chuckled. "I've come to expect that. So what's up, Rainbow?"

Rainbow blushed slightly, before coughing and looking away. "I uh… I came here to talk about Pinkie."

"Ah… right." Tyr went over to his desk and pulled on his discarded shirt. "How is she doing?"

"She's…" Rainbow frowned. "…Different. What did you do?"

Vanna frowned, folding the mail shirt over her arm. "Do you know what happened out in the quarry?"

"What, you do?"

"I told her," Tyr said, frowning. "…If Pinkie hasn't told you…"

Rainbow frowned. "…What happened?"

"Miss Pie's parents passed away the other day," Carver said softly, catching the pegasus's attention. "Lord Tyr, myself, and several other Shapers were present."

Rainbow's eyes snapped open wide, and she turned to Tyr. "Is… is that… true?"

Tyr nodded. "They were crushed in a landslide. We… tried everything we could to save them."

"Oh… Oh buck. That's heavy dude…"

"Precisely. And afterwards, Pinkie said something that was… overly harsh."

"It was pretty bad," Vanna said with a shrug.

Rainbow frowned. "Let me guess—something about your sister?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Spot on. How'd you guess?"

"Lucky, I guess. And you're still… y'know, together?"

"Yeah." Tyr nodded. "I've forgiven her. She, Luna and Rarity are spending today together, so that they can… mend their relationship."

"And Pinkie's mane?" She frowned. "Her mane is never like that unless she's lost it. So how is that working out?"

"She's… recovering. That's the best way I can put it."

Rainbow frowned even deeper, staying silent for a long time. "…I hate not being able to do anything for her. Pinkie's my friend, y'know? Like… one of my closest friends. Seeing her like this…"

"She's fine," Tyr assured her. He gave her a small smile. "Luna and Rarity are taking care of her, and we're making sure to keep her looking on the bright side of things. If anything, she'd probably appreciate a hug next time you see her."

"I think Pinkie would appreciate a hug regardless," Vanna said with a little chuckle.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm gonna go see if I can find her. Sorry for acting like it was all your fault, Tyr."

The man waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. I half expected to have to restrain you to listen to what I had to say."

"I'm not that bad!"

"You kinda are."

Rainbow pouted, before harrumphing and turning away. "Whatever. Besides, Applejack and Fluttershy are coming here, so I'm gonna take off."

"Don't want to see them?"

"…Well, for one, Fluttershy showed up at my place the other night," Rainbow specified, blushing. "…Ace and I were… busy."

Vanna doubled over with laughter. "Oh by the everlasting flame, she must have been red for hours!"

Rainbow's blush only grew. "I guess. After she woke up after passing out…"

"Poor thing."

"…Whatever! I'm outta here!"

She dashed out of the office, leaving her trademark rainbow trail behind her as she blitzed down the hall. Tyr and Vanna peeked out to see Applejack and Fluttershy standing in the hall, both with wide eyes. "Er… was that Rainbow?" The orange pony asked, blinking.

"I believe that it was," Vanna said. She giggled. "I just remembered I haven't terrorized my daughter today. Ta-ta!"

She was gone, leaving Tyr and his two Shapers. The Elemental sighed. "AJ, Fluttershy, come on in. Seems my schedule just opened up."

The two mares shared a look, before nodding to each other and walking into the office. Tyr paused to look at Carver and Etch, noting that the latter actually had a suit of her own armor now. "Hold any visitors for me, will you?"

"Of course, sir," the two Shapers replied.

Tyr closed the door as he came back into the office. His two friends were seated in front of the desk, so he went back to his usual seat and sat down. "So? What did you two need?"

Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. A smile touched at her lips. "Y'all seem right at home there, partner."

"Huh?" He blinked, glancing down at the desk. "What do you mean?"

"Being in a leadership role," the farmer said. "You seem pretty good at it."

Tyr shrugged. "Just making the best of it."

Applejack nodded. "Well, we needed to talk to ya, sugarcube. About some… serious stuff."

Fluttershy turned a very vivid shade of red. "Um… y-yes…"

Tyr let out a sigh. He'd expected this to come up again, but he hadn't expected Applejack to be here for it. Let alone be the one to bring it up. Then again, Fluttershy would no doubt be too scared to say anything. "I understand. Should I call Luna and the girls?"

"Naw, I reckon we can settle this between the three of us." Applejack's face was serious, as was her tone. "I just want ya ta know—I love Fluttershy something fierce. I rethought a serious part a myself when I asked her to love me, and then I even asked her ta marry me. And I only wanted her."

"I remember," Tyr said with a tiny smirk. "You were pretty distressed that day."

That got a blush from the normally stubborn mare. "Well, considering the circumstances, I had a good reason. But that's a whole nother thing. Fluttershy told me what she asked ya. And were ya planning to accept?"

"I told Fluttershy to think it over seriously before I made a decision." Tyr folded his arms. His eyes went over to the yellow pegasus, noting that she was characteristically quiet during this whole exchange. "…Did you?"

"I did," Fluttershy said softly, hiding behind her mane. "I… I wanted to apologize for bringing something up to you that was so… serious. I'm ashamed I even thought about leaving Jackie…"

Tyr gave her a smile. "Like I said, you were thinking with your hormones. There was no harm done… right?"

Applejack and Fluttershy shared a quick look. When they turned back to Tyr, he was surprised to see them both with very serious looks. Fluttershy spoke for them both. "Tyr… I think we've both agreed to refuse your offer to join your herd."

"No offense to ya, sugarcube," Applejack continued, "But I ain't a herd kinda mare. Fluttershy is more than enough for me."

There was a moment of silence in the office. Then Tyr smiled widely. "Well, unfortunate as it is, I accept your decision, and hope we can all remain friends."

The orange Earth Pony in front of him grinned while Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh. "I reckon that'll be alright."

"I thought you were going to be mad…" Fluttershy sighed.

"Why would I be upset?" Tyr asked.

"I… um…"

"The crush?" Applejack pointed out.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Ah. Remember? That was a long time ago. I'm in a happy family now, and I wouldn't want to add you two in it without your complete agreement. If you're happy with just the two of you, who am I to mess that up?"

Both mares stared at him. "Ya know… you're probably one of the most gentlemanly stallions I have ever met," Applejack said after a moment.

"Mm-hm," Fluttershy agreed. "You're really thoughtful and kind, Tyr."

Tyr grinned. "I do my best. I'm just glad this didn't get out of hand or anything."

"Me too!" Pinkie suddenly dropped from the sky, landing in Tyr's lap. Her mane, tied in two over the shoulder twintails, bounced along with her. She grinned. "Plus, I think Applejack is more into fliers anyways."

Applejack gaped. "Where in tarnation did you…? Ya know, I don't even know why I'm asking."

"Was just about to say that," Tyr said with a chuckle, resting his head on Pinkie's. "And what was that about fliers, Sunshine?"

"Just a thought, Papa Wolf!" She giggled. "I think if you had been a pilot or something, she'd probably have fallen for you!"

"Not sure where you're getting this information from, but okay…"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "I bet Pinkie's thinking that I'd fall in love with some feller if he just fell outta the sky. I ain't that easy, sugarcube."

"I fell out of the sky," Fluttershy added softly, making Applejack blush.

"W-well, you get on well with the family. Some human like Tyr couldn't get into my good graces that easily. No offense, sugarcube."

"None taken." Tyr shrugged. "You never know, AJ. Jehu was telling me about the Alternate World Effect—there could be another world out there where you DO fall in love with a human."

Applejack huffed. "Well, he'd better be something amazing. He have to be selfless, kind, and a hard worker. He'd have to be handsome to boot. I didn't even think I could fall in love until that whole deal with Fluttershy."

The named mare blushed. "I'm sure someone out there could love you like I love you, Jackie."

"Well that's… well, thanks, Shy." Applejack smiled and nuzzled the other mare.

Tyr turned his attention to the mare in his lap. "Aren't you supposed to be with Luna and Rarity?"

"We came back early, and I wanted to see you," Pinkie said, twisting in his arms to hug him. The hug grew just a tad bit tighter. "…I really needed to see you."

"I think we'll leave y'all be," Applejack said with a little chuckle, tugging at Fluttershy's hoof to get her to stand. "Taken up enough a your time, and I know you're pretty busy."

Tyr smiled. "Not so busy that I can't talk with my friends. You girls need to come by more often."

Fluttershy smiled. "I think I'd like that. I do so enjoy spending time with Rarity and Pinkie, and Goldie is getting along so well with Cori…"

"They are, aren't they…" Tyr gave her a knowing smile, and the pegasus giggled.

"Oh, stop conspiring you two," Applejack chuckled. She gave Tyr one last nod. "We'll be on our way then, Tyr. See ya around."

The man nodded back, and the two mares left. He waited until they were gone before looking down at Pinkie. "So. My dear Sunshine—what's the real reason you wanted to see me?"

Pinkie blushed, glancing away from him. "Um… yeah, about that…"

"Pinkie…"

"I saw someone I knew in town today."

"Okay…? So why did that make you want to see me so badly?"

The mare hid her face, something she was now able to do thanks to her bangs. "I'm really sorry, Honey!" She said hurriedly.

"…Why?"

"The stallion I saw today, his name was Cheese Sandwich, and we held a super duper big birthday party for Rainbow Dash a while back, and we started off as enemies because I thought he was taking my place as Ponyville's Premier Party Pony and I really didn't like that so I challenged him to a goof off and that got really goofy but then I remembered that the party was supposed to be for Rainbow Dash so I gave up and we threw a super big party together for her and then we became friends and he said he would write me while he travelled and he did and we kept in touch over the years and now he's here and he asked me on a date and I didn't know what to say so I ran!"

Tyr stared at her for a long minute. I was really just amazing how quickly Pinkie could relate information while still keeping it all in one breath. But it made it a certainty that whoever she was talking to had to take twice as much time figuring out what the heck she even said. "Um… You ran away?"

"Well, duh!" She pouted. She flung her forelegs off to either side. "I'm in a herd now, and I can't just go running off with another stallion!"

"Given the nature of herds I do believe including other stallions is a thing," Fenrir said lazily, appearing at the window. "As far as I know."

"I'm honestly not one to share," Tyr replied evenly, resting his hand on Pinkie's head and scratching behind her ear. "Why didn't you just tell him you were taken?"

Pinkie's blush deepened. She looked away, tapping her front hooves together. "Erm… When Cheese saw me, he seemed really happy and… kissed me."

Tyr blinked. He stayed silent for a long minute before reaching out to finger the black collar around Pinkie's neck. She tensed up almost involuntarily. "You were wearing this, right?"

"Y-yes… I dunno if he noticed…"

"And you say you kept in touch with him all these years?"

"I thought he was just mailing me to talk about parties! I mean, he always talked about how he thought we were kindred spirits and all that, but we hardly spent any time together…"

Tyr frowned, hooking one finger in the collar and pulling Pinkie close enough to kiss. She whinnied slightly, fidgeting from the sudden show of affection. The man let her go a moment later, but his hands didn't leave her mane. "Pinkie… I'm not letting you go."

"I don't want you to," She replied softly, blushing a little. "Um… if I see Cheese again, I'll make sure he knows that I'm in a herd now. I love you and Rarity and Lunie so I don't really want him."

The Elemental gave her a slight smile. "You don't have to avoid stallions like the plague or anything, but just be careful, alright?"

"Same to you, mister!" She poked him in the chest. "You're a very handsome man, and I'm sure there are gonna be mares all over ya. You don't get to add anypony without our permission, got it?"

"Right, right," Tyr chuckled. "Come on, let's go find Luna and Rarity. I haven't seen them today."

"Okay!" She hopped out of his lap and allowed him to get up. Together—along with Fenrir of course—they exited out into the main halls. As they walked, Tyr kept one hand on Pinkie's back, gently stroking it as they walked. In response, she walked closer to him, almost pressed up against his side. It was a comfortable sort of arrangement, and Tyr couldn't help but smile at the amount of love radiating off of the pink mare.

When they reached the Jötunheim, they found Serenity and Luna standing outside of it. Luna immediately seemed happy to see him. Which was made even more obvious by the fact that she immediately flew over to him and hugged him. "Beloved! I have missed you!"

Tyr chuckled and hugged her back, smiling even wider when she kissed his cheek. "I see that! Have a good day?"

"I did! Today would mark the very first day I have ever gone on a girls day out! It was… fun!" She beamed.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun. Is Rarity inside?"

"Yes she is, I think she said something about freshening up?"

Serenity cleared her throat to get their attention. "Lord Tyr, there is a matter I wish to inform you of."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be, Serenity? Mind you, I am really in the mood to lie on the couch with my mares and simply relax."

The Seer smiled. "I understand that, my lord. However, there are visitors that wish to ask something of you."

"…Visitors?"

"Very… odd visitors. Should I tell them to come another time?"

Luna nudged Tyr with her wing. "Go ahead, beloved. We will wait for you."

Tyr groaned. "Fiiiine. Come on Serenity—I'll see you two later." He heard the other two mares giggling behind him as he walked away with the Seer on his heels. Fenrir hopped up onto his shoulder, yawning slightly as she took her usual seat. After a few minutes of walking, the Seer spoke up.

"You seem to sleep a lot," Serenity said thoughtfully, glancing up at the Wolf Spirit.

Fenrir gave her a flat look. "You know how you maintain those stones of yours for long periods and they tire you out?"

"Yes?"

"My magic is so closely tied to my Alpha's that I generally rest in order to regenerate my energy quicker. That way, we are always ready for a fight, if necessary."

"I see. Very prudent."

"Wolves are nothing if not paranoid," Fenrir pointed out.

The pair passed into the main yard of the castle, and immediately Tyr had a frown on his face. None other than Zecora and Sycamora stood before him, a quartet of Timberwolves formed up behind them. The wood-pony straightened a bit upon seeing him. "Ah, Blizzard. Greetings once again."

"Hello Sycamora, Zecora," Tyr greeted the herbalist and wood-pony. "What are you two doing here?"

Zecora opened her mouth, but Sycamora held out a hoof. "Perhaps it will be better if I explain? That was I can save my sanity from your constant rhyming."

The zebra frowned. "Very well; I suppose that will make it an easier sell."

Tyr chuckled softly, but said nothing. Sycamora nodded. "Zecora and I have agreed to lend our support to your growing city."

"Lend your support…?" Serenity frowned.

"I'm a bit surprised as well," Tyr pointed out, glancing between Sycamora and Zecora. "I thought you needed to stay in the Everfree?"

"Zecora's magic will continue working despite distance," Sycamora said. "On top of that, my wolves can watch the border between your lands and the Forest."

"As a herbalist, I can serve as a guide," Zecora cut in, much to Sycamora's annoyance. The zebra smiled. "Sycamora herself has services to provide."

Serenity seemed interested, a hoof going to her chin in thought. "What services does she mean?"

Sycamora said not a word, instead long vines snaked out from her body and into the ground. She lowered her head in concentration. After a moment or so of waiting, green shoots began to sprout up from the ground, blooming into flowers of all kinds. "If you have seeds planted, I can help them grow quicker," The wood-pony said. "An area this small is no trouble—larger areas may require more time."

"This could speed along our food production!" Serenity exclaimed, leaning closer to the flowers.

"That is very impressive," Tyr murmured. "I appreciate you offering, but what brought this on?"

"One can only live in the woods for so long," Zecora said sagely. "To places of community, I find myself drawn."

"So why not Ponyville?" Fenrir asked, surprisingly curious about this event. "Do you not know those ponies better?"

"Truer words could not be said, but I prefer to help your ponies instead," the zebra explained. "The Ponyville folk have Twilight and her friends, yet you are still working to make the earth bend."

Tyr shrugged. "Well, I'm not one to refuse assistance. We're terribly short on ponies that can heal or mend wounds. Whenever Grace isn't here we're a bit vulnerable."

"And I will direct Sycamora to Moss Hoof," Serenity said thoughtfully. "No doubt he will appreciate having your green hoof when it comes to farming."

Sycamora nodded, but then Zecora nudged the wood-pony in the side. "Hm? Ah, right. There was one other thing, Blizzard."

The Elemental raised an eyebrow. "You know, you can just call me Tyr, Sycamora. I don't stand on formalities much here."

"Very well."

"So what was it?"

The wood-pony and zebra stepped aside, letting them look past them. The group of Timberwolves parted as well, revealing a small figure in their midst that was very obviously not a wolf. Fenrir started. "What in the name of Odin's lance…?"

"I'd like to introduce you to Silica," Sycamora said, gesturing to their newest companion. "She's an arachne, and it seems you killed her mother."

The Arachne was small, no larger than a filly, with a dark black carapace on her body and pale white skin on her upper body that wasn't covered by the ragged shawl she wore. Her wispy hair was a pale grey, and her eight golden eyes regarded Tyr with obvious fear. However, despite the obvious spiderlike qualities, she was somewhat cute. "U-Um… hello, sir…"

"You brought an Arachne here?" Tyr asked, more curious than angry. Then, a frown crossed his features. "And you said… I killed her mother?"

"I vaguely remember you killing a particularly bloodthirsty Arachne that was looking to kill us all," Fenrir said offhandedly. She glanced down at Silica. "That was your mother?"

The spider-girl nodded. Tyr winced slightly. "Well, I guess I should apologize…?"

"Oh, no!" Silica shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. In fact, I am actually very thankful."

That made him pause. "…You are?"

"My mother is not like the mothers the ponies or you might have had," Silica said, folding her arms over her chest. "I had seventeen brothers and sisters. My mother killed them all, and would have killed me if you had not arrived."

Fenrir frowned. "Seems we saved your life."

"Yes. I met Sycamora and Miss Zecora after that. They were… kind to me."

"She is much different than her kin as I have seen," Zecora pointed out. "She is gentle and kind, and carried quite the shy mien."

Silica blushed, something that Tyr thought was both adorable and somewhat disarming. "Mother didn't like me because I did not have the 'hunter' instinct my siblings did. I wasn't keen on killing ponies for food."

Tyr nodded. "Good. Otherwise, I wouldn't let you stay here. Do you eat meat?"

"Er… yes… I know the ponies don't, so is that a problem?"

"Do you eat fish?"

That got the arachne to smile. "I like fishing. I find it fun, and the water feels nice."

Tyr smiled back. Silica was starting to grow on him, although the real test was for when she met Luna and the others. Or at least the Elements of Harmony. They were the ones who had been trapped in the Arachne's lair, so they'd no doubt be most concerned about taking in the child of one. If anything however, Fluttershy would approve of the decision. "Well, there's a river nearby that I'm sure has fish. Catching some shouldn't be too difficult."

"Thank you so much, sir." She bowed, or at least whatever approximation she could do with eight legs.

"Well, no doubt you'll be pretty helpful around here. Serenity, see about getting them some places to stay, preferably someplace cool for Silica and someplace near water for Sycamora. Zecora, do you need any preferences in housing?"

The zebra shaman looked amused. "Not at all, my human friend; I will go where you choose to send."

"Alright then, take your pick. If you need anything else, any of the Shapers—that's the Stone Ponies with cloaks—will no doubt help you. And if you need me specifically, just ask one of them to find me. I… _might_ not be busy."

"I will handle it, Lord Tyr," Serenity said with a little chuckle. "Go join your family."

Tyr gave her a smile, before vanishing on the spot in a wisp of silver smoke. Silica blinked all of her eyes. "How did he…?"

"Magic is an amazing thing, is it not?" Serenity smiled. "Come. I will show you around."

The Stone Pony, the wood-pony, the zebra, and the Arachne began walking, Serenity leading them towards the castle town. A stranger group could not be found, and they drew the eye of every normal pony they passed by.

–x–

"…Why did I agree to this again?" Bright Soul asked, almost glaring down at her menu. Across from her sat Grace and Vanna, the latter grinning like a fool. Grace looked amused as well, but was much more reserved about it.

The medic set down her menu. "Because you lost the bet, Bright."

The other knight grumbled. The restaurant they were at was rather… upscale for Ponyville, and especially for the party they kept at the moment. "I have no idea why I agreed to it in the first place."

"You couldn't have known how thick Vanna's skin was," Grace said with a sly smirk. The two knights had had an argument the other day, about just how resilient Vanna was. Bright Soul had been certain the dragonkin's skin was no stronger than any pony's (at least while not in dragon form), while Grace claimed it was more akin to metal armor. In order to test their theory Bright Soul ambushed the dragoness when she came by to visit by stabbing him in the chest with a spear. To their collective surprise, the spear had stuck, but hadn't drawn any blood. Vanna had been more annoyed than anything.

"I'm still not happy about being used for target practice," The dragonkin pointed out, reaching over to pinch her girlfriend's ear.

Grace smiled at that. "Sorry honey, but you have to admit, it was kinda funny."

"Well, I suppose that's true, at least since you weren't the one to have a spear jammed in your chest."

"Oh come now. You weren't even hurt!" She shook her head. "And that's why we brought you. To make up for using you as a target."

"Bah. I'm just upset this place doesn't serve any meat…"

"There's fish on the menu," Bright Soul pointed out. "No metal though."

The dragoness snorted. "I doubt there's a restaurant that caters to dragons like me. Which is why I bring my own." To prove her point, she pulled out a small stack of copper coins. The two mares rolled their eyes and went back to their menus.

A waitress trotted over a minute later, her bright red mane styled back into twintails and a bright smile on her face and in her blue eyes. "Hello there everypony! What can I get ya?"

"Do you have salmon?" Vanna asked, setting down her menu. The waitress winced slightly, but nodded. "Great! I'd like some of that, with tea please."

"Pasta al dente," Bright Soul said after a moment, sighing as she set down her menu. "With a glass of water."

"I'm having a little trouble deciding," Grace murmured. She set down her menu to address the waitress. "I was thinking about the soup of the day…"

"Ah, I see. Well, we have clam chowder and a basil and tomato soup today. Do either of those appeal to you?"

Grace thought for a moment, tapping at her chin. "I think… I like the sound of the clam chowder."

"And to drink?"

"Cider, if you have it. Water if not."

"A very good choice, miss. I'll get your orders to the kitchen." She gathered up their menus and trotted off to the back. Grace sighed and sat back in her seat.

Vanna frowned slightly and tossed one of her copper coins into her mouth, biting down with a satisfying crunch. Bright Soul frowned at her. "That's awfully loud."

"Can't be helped," the dragoness shrugged.

Grace smirked. "Vanna can't help himself—er, herself."

"Probably why her skin is tough like steel," Bright Soul said thoughtfully. "You just absorb all the minerals in the metal. Your teeth are probably just as tough."

Vanna looked thoughtful. "Well, I do have two rows of teeth."

"…What."

"Check it out," The dragoness opened her mouth and leaned forward. Normally something to turn up your nose at, the two knights could not help their curiosity and moved forward to look. To their shock, the dragoness did in fact have two rows of teeth, one about a centimeter behind the front. "I'm like a shark."

"That's… disgustingly interesting," Bright mumbled, sitting back in her seat. Grace sat back as well, chuckling softly to herself.

"Well, can't have just flat teeth like us to eat metal," the medic pointed out."

"I guess that's a decent point."

"I had a question," Vanna said suddenly. When the two mares looked at her, she smiled. "I know my Gracie is a super talented healer, so what's your specialty Bright?"

The hazel pony frowned slightly. "What makes you think I'm a specialist?"

"Vanna's been around the knights long enough," Grace pointed out. "She met Flash and Ace before."

Vanna nodded. "And considering Flash is the strategist, Ace is the berserker, and Gracie is the healer, I was curious as to what that made you."

"The duelist," Bright said with a sigh. When the dragoness looked at her curiously, she shrugged. "My special talent is dueling. When it comes to a one on one fight, I can best anypony—except the other knights."

Grace laughed. "She claims I don't play fair."

"Acupuncture is _not_ fair!"

"You two must be good friends," Vanna said with a smile. "The only other person I've seen Grace laugh with is Tyr."

"We weren't at first," Grace pointed out before Bright Soul could confirm or deny. The other knight shot her a look, but the medic continued. "I guess I've grown on her."

Bright frowned. "…I guess so."

Their food arrived then, and they happily dug into it. Vanna kept her coin eating to a minimum, no doubt well aware of how the sound of cracking metal was disturbing to those around them. Most of the ponies were staring at Vanna, who for some reason thought wearing a high collared sleeveless dress with a slit along the side was a good idea. Although considering the dragoness's already well known penchant for dressing nicely, it wasn't too surprising. However considering the main customer base of this restaurant was ponyfolk, seeing an individual like Vanna was way out of the norm. Most ponies didn't know Saving Grace or Bright Soul by face, since the knights normally were in uniform around the castle. "I'm not big on being stared at," Vanna said suddenly, eyes darting about.

Grace placed a hoof on her hand. "It's alright, Vanna. You're just a… very unique individual."

"An individual that tends to set fire to things when she's bothered," Vanna said pointedly, glaring at a particularly brazen stallion. His eyes had been fixed on her breasts, but the moment she had snorted a bit of flame in his direction, he looked away quickly. "I'm not even showing cleavage!"

"Oh, quit complaining and eat your fish before I do."

Bright Soul frowned. "I didn't know you ate fish, Grace."

The medic shrugged. "I do occasionally. Princess Luna introduced me to it—I think she ate some with Tyr once."

"Must have been a date of some kind."

"That's what she told me—oh, speaking of dates…" Grace pointed with one hoof towards the restaurant door. The other two with her turned to look, and they both blinked in surprise at seeing none other than Ace and Rainbow entering. The white pegasus was actually well dressed, outfitted in his knight's attire and his normally unkempt mane styled a bit more carefully. Rainbow was in a dress uniform as well, although seeing her with her mane tied back in a bun was unusual. Upon spotting them, Ace grinned and waved at them.

"Oh buck," Rainbow muttered as Ace led her over to their table. Her husband opened his mouth to respond, only for her to quickly hit him in the side. He laughed quietly.

"Wasn't expecting to see you three here," the Solar Knight said amiably. "If Flash was here, we'd have a party!"

"I thought you were still in Canterlot?" Grace said, lifting a hoof to bump against Ace's. "What are you doing back here?"

"Picking up this one," He replied, gesturing at Rainbow.

She scowled. "I have a name, you dork."

"Yeah, and it's Dashie." He punctuated the statement with a loving nuzzle. Rainbow surprisingly suffered the affection for a moment, before pushing him off.

"Celestia's mane, you're such a softy!" She grinned while she said it, before leaning in to peck him on the cheek. "But you're tough where it matters…"

"You guys are too sweet for me," Bright grumbled. "So why are you here?"

Ace rolled his eyes, too used to Bright Soul to be bothered by her annoyance. "Well, it's kinda a celebratory dinner. For Dashie."

"For Rainbow? Whatever for?"

The white knight cleared his throat, and stood at attention. His voice took on a more military tone to it. "I'd like to introduce you two to the future Sergeant Rainbow 'Danger' Dash, of Her Majesty's Royal Guard."

The three at the table looked on in surprise. "You're getting promoted?" Bright spoke up finally.

Rainbow rubbed a hoof behind her neck. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, after all the stuff in Tyr's homeworld, I joined the Royal Guard and all, but my status as an Element of Harmony meant I had to stay close to the others—not that I minded."

Ace nodded. "On top of taking care of Vibrant. She was a Guard only in name really. So after talking to Spitfire…"

"Who happens to be my cousin-in-law," Rainbow pointed out.

"…And she agreed to give Rainbow an honorary position in the Wonderbolts," Ace finished. "We're headed to Canterlot for the official induction, but we wanted to have a little… celebration for ourselves before we headed out."

Vanna took a sip at her drink. "What are you two going to do about Vibrant?"

Rainbow frowned a little. "Well, we decided to take him with us—he was actually interested in spending time with Heart Song."

"Oh?"

Ace nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and Heart is looking forward to spending time with her nephew."

"That's cute," Vanna said with a smile. "You two enjoy your celebratory dinner. And congrats on the promotion, Rainbow."

The cyan mare smiled. "Thanks Vanna. Well, I'm gonna drag this idiot off before he embarrasses me more. See you girls later!"

Ace laughed as Rainbow began pushing him away, a very obvious blush on her cheeks. Grace laughed softly. "Those two are ridiculous."

"It's kinda funny," Bright said after a moment. The other two ladies looked over at her. The hazel pony was watching Ace and Rainbow walk away, the couple transitioning to walking side by side, wing feathers slightly intertwined. "We don't see much of them, but every time I see them you can't deny that they love each other."

"Despite all the jabs they give out," Vanna agreed. "They're made for each other."

The hazel knight sighed and set her head on the table. "…I need a boyfriend. I'm tired of seeing all these couples."

Vanna and Grace shared a quick look. "Sorry Bright, we didn't want you to feel like a third wheel…" Vanna trailed off, rubbing at the back of her head.

The medic agreed, frowning. "If you weren't comfortable coming you didn't have to…"

Bright blinked, looking between the two of them. "H-huh? Oh, that's not what I wanted to imply. You two… I consider you my friends, and I'm happy to spend time with you both. I know I'm a little… hard to get along with, but you've been patient with me."

Vanna snorted. "I've worked with metals easier than you."

"…Right." She blushed and looked down at the table.

"Vanna," Grace said warningly. "Don't be mean to Bright Soul."

"I'm not being mean!" the dragoness complained. "Besides, I like her! She's like a more stern version of you!"

The medic looked at him with no humor on her face. "What was that, _honey_?" She asked, putting a lot of ichor in the pet name. Vanna winced slightly.

"Come on babe, sorry."

"Yeah, whatever. Just be glad I can't actually physically hurt you."

Vanna grinned and leaned across to kiss her on the cheek. "Love you, Gracie."

"…Love you too."

Bright Soul rolled her eyes. "Anyway, let's just finish eating before we let our food get cold."

–x–

"You know, staring at it isn't going to make it grow any faster," Even Tempo pointed out to her fiancé. Read Write was sitting behind the counter of the Soundscape, his bored eyes fixed on the small flower growing out of it. It was still sitting there with the same little bud, unchanged from when the three sisters had visited. Tempo, Trixie and Coloratura had been curious about the flower upon seeing it, but when Read had explained the entire story, they had been quite skeptical. But the flower was proof, and nopony could ignore it.

Read sighed softly. "I'm well aware, dear. That's not why I'm sitting here."

"Then why?"

"I haven't made any progress on the track," Read said irritably. "Audio has been helping, but nothing I've been trying out has been working. I'm starting to feel like this is never going to get done."

The pegasus frowned slightly, walking around the counter to sit beside him. She wrapped a wing around the upset unicorn. "Hey, it's gonna work out, baby. I know you—you're one of the best mixers this side of Equestria. This is your brainchild, I know you'll finish it."

"Yeah, when I'm like a hundred or something."

Tempo stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, don't be a pessimist."

"I'm not! I'm just positive it'll take me a while."

His response was met with a sigh, and Tempo rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It was a slow day today, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was." Read glanced around. "Only had one or two customers before you got back."

"Then, how about we grab Rara and Trixie and go do something? Better than working when you're not in the mood."

Read gave her a small smile. "Don't forget about Audio. We can't just leave her on her own."

"Ah, right. Well, I was just suggesting we go see a movie or something. We could probably find something that—" Tempo cut off as the doors into the shop opened up to allow three ponies with instruments stuck to their backs entered. "…Gives us something to do."

"Yo, Read!" The lead stallion said, grinning and flipping his dark blue mane out of his face. "Looking ta use a room, you mind?"

"Nah, go ahead," Read said. The trio were regulars at the Sound Scape, showing up occasionally to record their songs so that they could try and get them to a major studio. Read personally didn't like their style of music, but he was a business owner, and had to be helpful to his customers. "There's a room back there that's ready, just be sure to straighten up when you're done."

"Yeah, yeah, we know." The trio moved past, the last of them giving Tempo a rather lecherous gaze. Read glared at him and his horn lit up, slamming the door to the recording rooms in his face. "What the—?"

"What was the first thing I warned you guys about when you started coming here?" The unicorn growled, eyes narrowing.

The three stallions, despite being Earth Ponies, shivered at the tone he took. "…Don't ogle Even Tempo."

"Glad you understand that. Get going." The magic aura cut off then, allowing them to quickly rush to the back rooms. Once they were gone, he let out a sigh.

"You know you don't have to do that," Tempo said once they were alone. She hugged him anyway. "But I like seeing you possessive."

"Oh?"

"Mmhm. I don't get to see it often. Although I think it's kinda odd that you have a specific rule that your customers don't hit on me or flirt with me."

Read gave her a flat look. "Babe, you _know_ my clientele. Most of these guys are barely old enough to drink. They'll chase after a flank so long as they haven't already had it."

Tempo laughed softly. "Is that really how you feel?"

"Nah." The stallion grinned. "I like to see the best in ponies. But my soon-to-be wife is off limits."

She smiled and kissed him. "You're so silly."

"I try my hardest," her fiancé replied, nuzzling her.

They were stuck waiting for the trio of fledgling musicians to finish up, although luckily Trixie, Coloratura and Audio came back to provide them with more company. It was a couple hours later when the three stallions came out, looking satisfied with themselves. Read and the rest of his little group of friends were seated in the front, going over sheet music. "You done?" Read asked, not too happy to see them.

The leader of the little group nodded, pulling out a sack of bits and setting it on the table. "Yeah, we got our stuff done."

Tempo snatched up the bag, opening it and quickly scanning the contents. Satisfied at the amount, she put it into the register behind the counter. Read smirked. "Well, glad to have you guys back. We're closing for the day, so try not to loiter outside, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

One of the other stallions glanced over, his eyes falling on Trixie as she got up to no doubt get something to drink. She was out of her usual cloak and hat, and apparently the girls had convinced her to change her hairstyle. Instead of her normal simple mane style, they had braided it and left it hanging over her shoulder. "…Well, well, who might you be?"

Trixie blinked, realizing after a moment that he was addressing her. "Er… My name is Trixie."

"Nice to meet a beautiful mare like yourself… Hey, how do you know Read?"

The named stallion frowned, but stayed silent. Trixie glanced from him to the stallion slowly moving closer to her. "I… thank you?"

"Hey, how about you and I hang out sometime? Must suck being a third wheel to those lovebirds."

Rara blinked. "Third wheel?"

Trixie frowned. "Trixie does not mind spending time with her _friends_. I do not feel awkward or out of place with them."

The stallion rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, it's not a permanent thing. Just one night out…"

He reached out to rest a hoof on her shoulder. Suddenly, memories or Hard Rock and his cronies flooded the magician's mind. "NO!" She cried out, recoiling and at the same time casting a stunning spell from her horn that blasted the stallion across the room and into the wall.

Audio jumped at the sound of her mother's voice and the subsequent thud against the wall. "Mom!"

The leader of the little band whirled on Read. "What the buck, dude? What's her issue?"

The unicorn was silent for a moment, eyes flicking over to look at Trixie. The illusionist was curled up against the wall, freaking out. Rara and Tempo rushed over to her, trying to coax her out of her ball. Audio tugged on his leg, no doubt panicking herself. He looked over at the leader of the little band. "…You guys should leave."

"What—what the buck? Your friend there just blasted Note! And you just want us to leave!?"

Read stood, strode over to the stallion, and faced him down. "Look. My friend is freaking out over a little touch. You think I really want to do this right now?"

"I expect some kind of apology—!"

"Not. A. Chance." Read jabbed him in the chest with a hoof. He opened his mouth to continue, but a noise cut him off. His frustrated face twisted in confusion, feeling the beat, the rhythm of the sound in his mind. "…It's off key on the bridge," He murmured after a second."

"…What?"

"What are you talking about, Read?" Rara asked, looking over at him.

Read removed his hoof from the stallion in front of him, and the music stopped. He poked him again, and it came back. The musician was obviously confused. "What the heck, man?"

"Your music is off on the bridge," Read repeated, a bit more firmly now. "Your drummer is supposed to push the beat forward, but your bass player can't keep up and drops key. As lead guitar, you're supposed to _lead_ , not just run off from the group. That's why your songs always fall apart when you hit your choruses."

Everypony in the room stood in shocked silence. Tempo was the first to recover. "…Read? What's up, baby?"

Read removed his hoof. He was quiet for a minute, processes just what happened. Where had that music come from, and when did… He scowled. "Alright. Forget about that. For now just get out of my shop."

The stallion gaped. "What? But—!"

" _Out._ " The word reverberated around the room, and seemed to instill some sort of imperative in the three stallions. Without another word, they left. Once the door was firmly shut, Read let out a sigh and turned to the girls. He found Tempo and Rara staring at him. "…Er, what?"

Tempo sighed. "Whatever. We'll talk about it once Trixie is okay."

"Be prepared to explain," Rara said warningly. Read nodded dumbly as the two mares helped Trixie up and into the back.

Read let out a heavy sigh, sitting back in his chair. Audio felt her way over to him, tapping his leg once before finding a spot beside him. "Um… Mr. Read? Are you alright?"

"I think so, Audio," Read replied, glancing over to the counter. The flower on the counter had grown in size, and now sported two new buds—one yellow and one blue—in addition to the pink one. "…At least, I hope so."

–x–

* * *

 **Well, nice to see family is a big thing for Arachnes. Zecora and Sycamora have added themselves to the Wolfhome population, bringing the power of the Everfree with them, in more than one way.  
**

 **Nice to see Bright Soul is making friends, and there's also a promotion for Rainbow. She's still technically under Ace, in more ways than one. ^.^**

 **And the flower grows! But when will it bloom? Time will tell, really.**

 **But as usual, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I ask that you Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, where there will be some complaints levelled against our Lord of Wolfhome.**

 **Until then, and don't forget: The Library Accepts All. Till Next Time!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Hello again, dear readers. A little late for me this time, but I went to the movies to see Ms. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. A decent movie, but the acting was a little... 'meh'.**

 **But that's beside the point. On to Comments!**

 **WarHusky2000: I'm planning more side stories as we go, so look forward to them. And a crossover 'may' happen. No telling!**

 **Kevin Lapse: Perhaps I did. :P**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: I'll say it now, the flower has very little connection to the Elements. It may become something like them, but not yet. And Silica is one of the many different species that will come into residence at Wolfhome. She's adorable enough that someone will adopt her eventually.**

 **chaddmychal: The flower is a minor part of the story, but it will come into its own eventually.**

 **That enough out of me. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 46: Lords and Ladies

Dealing with nobles—particularly _merchant_ nobles—had always been Celestia's least favorite thing to do. They were bossy, self-centered, and always felt that they were in the right. They also believed they knew just what Celestia—or any Princess for that matter—should do about any issue. Or at least the issues that concerned them. It was because she promised to have these meetings to understand problems in the further corners of her land that she suffered through this, and now at least she had Sherry and Hope to keep her company. As she was quietly and discreetly as possible focusing a beam of light into the face of one bespectacled noblemare (much to her discomfort) the topic of discussion came back around to her. "And what do you think about this, Princess?" A bright bronze colored pony demanded. She thought for a moment and remembered his name was Bronze Bust, one of the primary mine owners in eastern Equestria.

She was silent for a moment. "And what, pray tell, is the issue you're wondering about?"

Sherry, beside her on her left, rolled her eyes. Behind them, Ace and Flash tried extremely hard not to laugh. Hope was busy looking out the window. All of them knew full well Celestia wasn't paying attention. Bronze Bust didn't seem to notice. "The fact that there is an entire community of ponies that are claiming to be outside your rule!"

"Lead by that human of yours, no less," Another mare said. Her name was High Quality, and… well, Celestia barely remembered what she did. Something about trade. "Can he even be trusted?"

Sherry scowled, but quickly schooled her face back to a more professional demeanor. She was getting better, Celestia noted. There was barely any of the expected venom in Sherry's response. "My _father_ has been watching over the Stone Ponies exceptionally well for the past couple months. Not only has he established trade agreements with Ponyville and Appleloosa, but he's also kept a steady supply of gems and minerals to the rest of the land as well."

That had been true. Tyr had gone to quite some lengths to make sure his ponies were cared for. Constant food shipments came in from the nearby farms, and the location of Wolfhome provided a useful stopover point for travelling merchants. The Stone Ponies themselves were helping even beyond the fortress town—many of the braver Shapers had gone on road building missions, putting down tiled roads at an impressive rate. But because Tyr insisted on only trading with the two nearest towns and not any of the noble pony families, he was getting some flak. Bronze Bust frowned. "That does not excuse the fact that he claims them as a separate nation away from Equestria."

"More so a city-state," Hope said flippantly. Most of the nobles in the room turned in shock at hearing her speak out, almost as if they had forgotten she was there. She turned from her examination of whatever was outside to face the group at the table. "Tyr has established a court of advisors, established relations with nearby towns, and established a place for them all to live."

Celestia nodded. "On top of that, I doubt Tyr would be a threat to us. He is technically tied to Equestria through marriage, after all."

"So we're just supposed to trust an outsider?" High Quality said. "He's repeatedly refused offers of direct trade with us!"

Another of the nobles nodded. "He insists on doing business with Ponyville first."

"I believe that is his prerogative," Celestia said with a sigh. "I cannot force him to change his mind on that matter."

"And he refuses to leave that backwater town and meet with us," Another noble said bitterly, scowling. Ace and Flash immediately scowled at that.

"I'd like to remind you all," Ace said, "My family and Flash's live in that _backwater_ town."

"It's also where I was born," Sherry added, frowning. "You're free to have your own opinions, but please, do be careful about where you voice them."

The noble from before sat back in his chair, mumbling something under his breath. Celestia sighed. "Well, you can all bring up your grievances with Tyr when he arrives. I invited him to address these… issues you have. Estrus has come and gone in Ponyville, so he should be free…"

There was a knock at the door, and one of the day guards peeked inside. "Princess Celestia? The Lord of Wolfhome is here."

Celestia nodded, hiding a small giggle at the bristle of irritation that went through the gathered nobles. "Let him in."

The guard nodded, and moved aside for Tyr to enter. He was wearing his mother's cloak, and what looked to be a set of chainmail underneath. On his shoulder was Valor, the little ice phoenix having grown relatively fast in the past month. He was no longer a little chick, but a young almost grown bird at this point. On his other shoulder was Fenrir, the wolf spirit deigning to wear another of the dresses Rarity made for her—a more tribal like outfit than before. She grinned widely as they entered the room. "Well, looks like we were expected."

Valor chirped, and Tyr smirked. "Nice to see I'm still causing noblemen grief even though I'm not doing anything."

"It's a gift, Alpha," Fenrir told him.

"Not doing anything—!" Bronze Bust stood up. "We need to address the fact that you're circumventing Equestrian markets to sell your gems and ores!"

Tyr frowned slightly, before glancing over his shoulder. "Ladies? Care to join me?"

"As you wish, Lord Tyr." Carver entered, wearing her bright silver cloak and armor. Behind her came Silver Mint, dressed in quite the sharp business suit and her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Lastly came Serenity, dressed in a simple white gown. They followed Tyr over to the empty place at the table, before focusing on the floor. Carver's gem glowed, and the stone pulled itself up into the form of a chair. "Will this suffice?"

"Much nicer than I imagined," The man replied, patting her on the head before sitting. Celestia gave him a pointed look. "What? She'll put it back when we leave."

Valor warbled once before flying off Tyr's shoulder over to Sherry. The ice phoenix landed on the table in front of her and flapped his wings in a bid for attention. Sherry smiled and nuzzled the bird. "Hello to you too, Valor. Have you been a good bird?"

Valor chirped happily at that. Celestia spared the bird a small smile before turning back to Tyr. "Glad you could join us, Tyr. And Miss Carver. I hope being here in Canterlot is not uncomfortable for you? No issues with the light?"

Carver shook her head, taking a moment to adjust her sunglasses. "The sun is… bright, but thanks to Lady Twilight's help, it is not that bothersome. Although… being so high up is a bit… terrifying. I am glad to have solid stone under my hooves again."

Sherry giggled. "Obsidian freaked out on the train up as well."

The Shaper brightened at mention of her sister. "Obi is alright? Can I see her?"

Celestia cleared her throat, seeing the irritation on the faces of the nobles in the room. "We can arrange for you to spend some time with your sister later. For now we have business."

"Pleasant," Fenrir grumbled. "I _hate_ merchants."

"We should do introductions first," Hope pointed out.

Tyr smiled. "Good idea. I'd like to introduce Carver Inscription, First Shaper of the newly formed Way of the Vanguard. Beside her is Silver Mint, my financial advisor. And lastly, my domestic and diplomatic advisor Serenity."

"Hello," Carver offered with a short bow of her head.

"Greetings," Mint said.

Serenity smiled warmly. "Hello, everyone."

High Quality frowned. "Financial advisor?"

"We pull a lot of gems and whatnot out of that mountain," Tyr said with a shrug. Mint nodded.

Sherry held up a hoof to hide her giggle. "Ahem. I believe there were questions that were going to be asked? Who would like to go first?"

Bronze Bust snorted. "I would, Princess Sherry. For starters, the metals and gems coming out of the Wolfhome mines are untaxed and go directly into Equestrian markets through Ponyville. Those materials should be run by our own inspectors and subjected to the same trade taxes placed on materials coming from another part of Equestria."

"That would be true, if Wolfhome was a part of 'Equestria' proper," A very amused Tyr remarked. When all eyes went to him, he grinned. "According to what I asked Cindy to pull up for me, Wolfhome does not fall under Equestrian Law."

"It doesn't? How is that possible?"

One of the other nobles straightened up, adjusting his monocle. He was a relatively fat stallion, looking quite opulent in his golden vest. The nameplate on the table marked him as a Mr. Gold Miser. "I'd like to echo Mr. Bust's question. How can you declare this Wolfhome of yours independent of Equestria?"

"Several factors really," Tyr said. "One being that not a single Stone Pony has pledged allegiance to any of the ruling Princesses. They all answer to me."

Another noblemare, named Jasmine Sculpture, frowned at that. "Ponies that do not recognize the Princesses as their rulers? Inconceivable!"

"Not particularly," Celestia said with a sigh. She realized where this was going, and she was mostly upset she hadn't thought about this. "I was there personally when Serenity offered the loyalty of the Stone Ponies to Tyr here."

Tyr's smile grew. "Meaning that in regards to Equestria, they are just like the Crystal Empire—allies and friends, but subject to their own laws and practices."

Bronze Bust scowled. "Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor were placed in their position by Princess Celestia herself. What claim do you have to your leadership role?"

Serenity cleared her throat. "Lord Tyr led us personally from the depths of the badlands, fighting valiantly against the Lurkers and protecting us. Upon reaching the surface, we pledged our loyalty to him and his line."

"Plus I'm technically royalty through marriage," Tyr pointed out. "Despite already having subjects and a capital of my own, Celestia did name me a Lord."

High Quality bit her lip. "Still, the land which you settled… 'your' ponies on is still Equestrian land—!"

"Not in the slightest," Tyr pointed out. He smirked. "I believe I am personally the owner of the mountain and the lands surrounding it, up to the border of the Everfree."

"Technically your claim extends into the forest itself," Sherry piped up. "Just that we can't enforce that sort of ownership."

Silver Mint cleared her throat, much in the same way Serenity had. "Lord Tyr purchased the land from Ponyville. His signature and Seer Serenity's mark are on the deed, along with the signature of Ponyville's mayor."

Tyr shrugged, holding up his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture. "Seems the land does belong to me, and I'm allowed to do what I want with it, correct?"

There was a grumble of assent from the table. However, one particular individual hadn't spoken since the meeting had started. Tyr glanced over at the source of the silence, finding a pale pink mare with a two tone white and purple mane sitting there. She wore a little tiara in her mane, and a starch white collar around her neck. Her bright blue eyes met his for a moment before she looked away. He glanced down at her nameplate, only to find it blank. No doubt she was a new addition, given that she didn't even look older than Sherry. The Princess of Creativity cleared her throat. "Any other complaints or questions?"

"I have one," Gold Miser said, raising a hoof. "Even if we view Wolfhome as another nation unto itself akin to the Crystal Empire, that still does not satisfy the complaint of where these tools and materials go."

"A fair point," Bronze Bust murmured, sitting. "Trade goods need to be marked as such and go through the proper channels."

Silver Mint adjusted her monocle. "All products of Wolfhome such as metals or gems are either used in-house or sent to Appleloosa or Ponyville. In particular, our more civilian tools—such as hammers, wrenches, and the like—are sold to a 'Barnyard Bargains' in order to be redistributed."

"My father," the unidentified mare spoke up suddenly, catching Tyr's attention. "He signed the contract with Miss… Silver Mint."

Celestia frowned. "I meant to ask—where is Filthy Rich? I expected him to be here for this."

"He's under the weather and still at home. As Vice President of Barnyard Bargains Inc., I was available for this meeting." The mare eyed Tyr curiously. "My father claims the tools you sold us are of the best quality he's ever seen."

Tyr grinned. "Titan Forge and the rest of the metalworkers will be happy to hear that, Miss…?"

"Diamond Tiara," she offered. A small smile touched at her lips. "…Sweetie Bell and the others told me about you."

"Hopefully only good things."

"Sweetie thinks of you like a brother, I've gathered."

High Quality coughed loudly. "May we continue?"

Tyr nodded. "I'm looking forward to what else I get to rub in your noses."

Three Princesses almost lost it, hooves snapping to muzzles in an effort to hide their laughter. Ace grinned widely, while Flash simply sighed and shook his head. The three Stone Ponies behind Tyr simply shared knowing smiles. Jasmine Sculpture spoke up next. "So you have a special deal in place with Filthy Rich and his business?"

Instead of Tyr speaking, it was Diamond Tiara who fielded the question. "My father was approached by a 'Vanna Pyrros' and a 'Titan Forge' in town, who offered him quality tools for resale and a reasonable price. So far, anything that has the Wolfhome stamp on it has performed above and beyond what we get from other sources."

Vanna would be dancing happily at that, Tyr thought to himself. Sherry spoke up next. "Barnyard Bargains is a widely known and respected chain. If Filthy Rich is placing Wolfhome products on his shelves, how is that any different from the stores here in Canterlot carrying Crystal Empire products?"

"…acceptable," High Quality murmured.

"Is there anything else?" Celestia asked, looking around. When no one spoke, she nodded. She stood then, letting her magenta eyes fall on her brother in law. "Tyr? I'd like to speak to you. In private."

Tyr winced slightly, but nodded. "Of course. Serenity, stay here and help with any other questions. I leave it to you."

"I will do my best," the mare said with a small bow.

Tyr smiled and got up, following Celestia as she left the room. He noticed that neither Flash or Ace followed, although he got a little wave from his daughter. He frowned suddenly. "Hey, Tia? Mind holding up for a moment?"

The Princess of the Sun frowned, but paused at the door. "Very well, but what…?"

The man quickly crossed the room to his daughter. Before she could ask him what was up, he pulled her into a hug and held her tight. "I love you, Sherry."

The chocolate Alicorn blinked once before hugging her father back just as tight. Her smile was as bright as the sun itself. "I love you too, daddy."

"We're going out to eat later—my treat."

"Okay, but anything I eat gets comped by the crown."

Tyr glanced back at Celestia, who nodded. "Well, we're going to spend some father daughter time. Looking forward to it?"

"Always," She responded, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Now go, before Auntie gets mad at you."

Celestia smiled. "I'd never be upset at something so adorable. But we do need to speak, Tyr. So please, show your affection later."

Tyr rolled his eyes, but gave Sherry one last squeeze before letting her go to follow Celestia. The Solar Diarch led him down some side halls of the castle, eventually leading to a more secluded sitting room. She gestured to one of the chairs, and Tyr took a seat. "So, what did you need, Tia?" He asked.

"I've been getting some… concerning reports from Twilight about your actions in Wolfhome."

"Oh?" Tyr narrowed his eyes. "And what does dear Twilight say about me?"

"She has… expressed concern about your…" Celestia searched for the word she wanted to use. After a moment, she nodded to herself. " _Violent_ choices regarding crises to your ponies. In addition to a… murder in Los Pegasus."

"…I see."

Celestia frowned. "You're not going to deny it?"

Tyr folded his arms across his chest. Fenrir appeared behind him, sitting resolutely behind her Alpha on the chair back. The Elemental faced down Celestia with no fear on his face. "What is there to deny? I killed four ponies. I saved three. Off by one, but one of them counts for two with me."

The Princess of the Sun's eyes narrowed, her frown only growing in intensity. "You value the lives of my ponies that cheaply?"

"I don't value any life I take cheaply," Tyr countered, leaning forward. "Every life I take weighs on my very soul, Celestia."

"Then what about the Diamond Dogs? Do their lives tear at you as well?"

Tyr was quiet a moment. "Lives focused on greed are worth nothing to me."

Celestia stood quickly, but Fenrir spoke before she could. "Did Twilight Sparkle tell you what the Diamond Dogs were doing?"

The Alicorn paused, judging the question the spirit posed to her. She sat back down. "…Not in any detail. I was told your ponies were kidnapped?"

"Kidnapped and killed," Tyr clarified. When Celestia stared at him in horror, he nodded. "The Diamond Dogs wanted the gems the Stone Ponies have in their foreheads. Losing those kills them."

Fenrir nodded. "They tore the gems out simply to collect them. Would you say they deserved to simply be let live?"

"They deserve better than to be slaughtered wholesale," The Alicorn countered.

"No, that is all they deserve," Tyr shot back venomously. Celestia drew back from the anger in his voice. "Pointless killing is something I will _not_ tolerate. My daughters and sons were in danger, and you know well enough I'd do anything to protect my family. If that means the diamond dogs die, then they die."

Celestia was silent, taking her silence once more. "…You have been through a lot, have you not? With Jehu?"

Tyr sat back in his seat, letting out a heavy sigh. The only other living thing in Equestria that knew what he went through while working with Jehu was Fenrir, and she'd never tell unless he told her to. Chrysalis had an idea, but she did not delve too deep in Tyr's memories out of politeness. It was something he wasn't sure anyone—any _pony_ could handle. But Celestia was different. She had thousands of years of experience, and had no doubt suffered through a lot of terrible things in her years. "…Yes. I have."

"Did he make you do something? Did he force you to kill?"

"WE were never forced," Fenrir said quietly. "But the ones we had to kill… those were the worst."

"Had to?"

Tyr nodded. "My work was never… Well. I guess the easiest way to put it is that I was an assassin."

Celestia blinked. "What?"

"You remember I was a sniper? That was my job. Sit for hours in secluded places waiting on the perfect shot to kill someone that would never know I was there. Amongst the plane travelling community, I'm becoming known as the Wolf of Death." Tyr glanced down at his hands, reliving the feel of pulling the trigger. He hadn't touched a gun in months—he almost missed it. "I killed dictators, tyrants, leaders, murderers, heroes, villains, all kinds. Behind a scope, all men are equal."

"…Tyr…" The Princess of the Sun frowned, letting his name trail off into silence. After a long minute of silence she finally spoke again. "Your kindness… I know it is still there, because you obviously have not shared this with anyone else."

"Of course not. I've truly seen terrible things, Tia." He didn't miss the small smile grow on his sister-in-law's face when he used her nickname. "I don't think there's anyone I can really share that with, save Chrysalis and Fenrir."

"Would it be too much to try with me?"

Tyr looked up at the Alicorn, noting the caring and worried look on her face. "Celestia… I really… I don't know if I want to burden you with all this…"

Celestia reached out with a hoof and touched his hand. "Burdens are better carried together," She told him with a warm smile.

"…Alright then, Tia. But I know about your connection to Luna. The moment you're in distress, she'll know and tap into your mental connection to see. So the moment we do this—"

"You're going to her. I understand. I do believe I can handle it, however."

Tyr gave her a flat look. "…Very well. Remember you asked for this."

Before Celestia could respond, the Elemental's eyes flared blue, and her mind was overwhelmed with knowledge and memories. A single scene surged to the fore. A little girl chained to a wall, her body scourged and ripped by chains and flails. Even as Celestia began to make sense of the scene, it was taken away from her and she was back in the sitting room with Tyr. A ripple of multiple emotions tore through her, leaving her breathless and wordless as Tyr's eyes returned to normal and he withdrew his hand. "T-Tyr… Was that…?"

"Not all of it," Tyr said, sighing. "Just one. I'm not showing you all of it. Never. Please just never ask. That was the only thing I'm willing to show you."

"I think I've seen enough," The Princess of the Sun murmured, retreating a bit. Tyr's memories carried images of darkness that for all Celestia knew, didn't even _exist_ in Equestria. She glanced over at Tyr. "…Did she live?"

"Her parents tortured her," Tyr finished with a short nod. "They used the pain their own daughter suffered to power a magical weapon."

"One that we subsequently destroyed," Fenrir pointed out.

"…And the child?"

She scowled. "We put her out of her misery."

Tyr shook his head. "Having to watch them torture their own daughter… Well, I'm just glad I'm back with my own family, where I can protect them."

Celestia nodded dumbly, rubbing one hoof against her head. "I cannot believe… well, you've seen more worlds than I have, so there must be things you know that I do not. But always know that you are my brother-in-law, Tyr. If there are things you must shoulder, I am always available to speak with you."

Tyr gave her a half smile. "I think Luna would appreciate it if I went to her first."

"Of course. But… Tyr, I'd like to at least ask you to… not kill any more of my ponies without good reason?"

"As long as you leave it up to my discretion what constitutes a 'good reason'," Tyr countered.

Celestia was silent for a minute, before nodding. "I trust you, Tyr. Please do not abuse that trust."

Tyr gave her a soft smile. "You're my sister-in-law, and my friend. I could never do that in good conscience."

The white Alicorn smiled at that, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for that, Tyr. I hope that we have no need of your prowess in battle, but knowing that I can count on you for your assistance is relieving."

Fenrir yawned and laid down on the chair back. "No need for worry. These wolves have no desire to howl at your gates."

Celestia giggled. "I understand, Fenrir. Now Tyr; I do believe you promised your daughter a father-daughter date today?"

Tyr grinned, and stood up. He picked up Fenrir and set her on his shoulder. "That I do. And I do have to retrieve Valor before he causes some sort of issue. We'll talk again, Tia."

"Of course." She gave him a little nod, and the man left the room. She stayed in the sitting room for a minute longer, watching the sky through the window. The single memory that Tyr had given her was… more than she had expected. She had expected battlefields, or murders, not… depravity on a familial scale. She shivered. It would be some time before that image left her mind. Just as she was thinking that, there was a commotion in the hall. She got up and went to the door, peeking out just in time to see Tyr sprint by, a laughing Sherry hanging on his back, Fenrir clinging to his shoulder and Valor flying alongside. He was pursued by a quartet of guards calling for him to stop, and then Ace and Flash calling after the guards that he was allowed to take her.

Celestia smiled. With images like that aplenty, she could handle any darkness the grinning Chaos Mage could show her.

–x–

Starlight teleported to the top of Wolfhome's walls, momentarily surprised at her location. She was in the middle of a circle of gems, each glowing with magic energy. "I think I recognize this spell…"

"Remote teleportation director," A voice behind her said. She whirled around and found an amused Bright Soul and Vanna looking at her. The Lunar Knight smiled. "What's up?"

"What are these for?"

"Keeping visitors monitored," Vanna said, writing on the clipboard she had in her hands. "Note: Unicorns attempting to teleport in do not notice their spell being redirected. Hey, where were you trying to go anyway?"

"The throne room," Starlight said, frowning. "How did you manage to divert me without me realizing it?"

"I'm _very_ good at security," Bright Soul said with a smile. She gestured to the gem circle. "Imbue gems with enough magic and spellcraft, and you can intercept any teleporter that tries to get past the line."

"The line?"

"I've got gems all along the wall. No unicorn gets in unless it's here or the gate."

Vanna giggled. "I'm waiting for Gracie to pop by and wonder why she's on the wall instead of my forge."

The pale violet unicorn looked around, noting the amused smiles on the faces of the Shapers on the wall. She blushed heavily, turning away. "I-Is Tyr here?" She asked hurriedly, trying her best to hide her embarrassment.

Vanna frowned. "Nah, he's up in the capital today. Something about nobles complaining about how we run things down here?"

"Tyr was called in to allay the concerns of the Canterlot nobility," Bright Soul said more diplomatically, rolling her eyes. The dragoness made a face at her, which she ignored to return her attention to Starlight. "What did you need to show him?"

"Who said that I… ah. Makes sense when you consider I normally don't drop by for anything else…"

Vanna and Bright shared a short look. The dragoness shrugged. "Well, nothing you can do now until he comes back. And knowing my bro, he's gonna want to spend time with his daughter while he's up there."

Starlight let out a sigh. "Well, I guess that's understandable. Guess I just wait until he comes back…"

"Was what you needed to show him that important?"

"Well, sort of. I asked him about doing an experiment a while back—"

There was another pop noise, and they all looked up to find a net full of fish floating overhead, a very confused Silica, Aurora and Aleron hanging onto it. They all looked down. "…What?" Aleron said simply.

"Oh no," Starlight gasped.

Vanna grinned. "Perfect."

The net fell, the unicorn below it managing to dive out of the way in time to not be crushed. The three hanging onto the net went tumbling. "What happened…?" Aurora asked, getting up to a seated position and rubbing her side. She looked around, shock popping up on her face when she saw where they were. "Hey, Al! This isn't Silica's room!

Al gave his sister a flat look. "I'm well aware of that. I'm guessing Miss Bright Soul finished the teleport pad?"

Starlight blinked. "You know about this?"

Bright Soul smiled. "Of course. Aleron is the one who had the idea."

The colt in question smiled broadly. "Well, I can't take all the credit. Miss Bright Soul is the one who knew what spells to use."

"That's still impressive," Starlight told him. "I don't think either Twilight or I ever thought of something like this."

"Obviously you don't need it," Vanna said with a shrug. "Catching teleporters? Grace told me that only a few unicorns can actually teleport long distances safely."

Bright Soul nodded. "Grace and I can only do it because of Princess Luna's blessing."

"Well, add in these two little ones," Vanna said, scooping up Aurora and Aleron in a hug. "Cause they're apparently geniuses."

Aurora giggled. "Al's the genius, not me Aunt Vanna!"

"I hardly think I'm a genius," Aleron murmured.

Starlight smiled, but then she glanced over and spotted Silica. "Oh? And what might you be?"

The arachne jumped, caught off guard at being addressed. "U-uh… Hi. I'm Silica, and I just m-moved here the other day."

"Silica's really nice!" Aurora said, wriggling free of Vanna. "And she's really good at fishing!"

Aleron nodded. "She also made that net."

Starlight leaned down a little bit to give Silica a closer look. "Huh. I've never met an Arachne. Well, anyway—nice to meet yo, Silica."

"All this is fish you caught?" Vanna asked, lifting the net. She whistled, obviously impressed. "Nice haul."

Silica gave him a shy smile. "I did… I like fishing. You can have some if you wanted…"

Vanna grinned. "I like fish too. Wanna share some with Charlie? She should be done with what she was doing, and is probably starving."

Aurora tugged on Vanna's skirt. "Hey, Auntie, can I have some fish too?"

Starlight gagged. "You want to eat _fish_? That's… odd."

"Not like it's bad for me!" the filly countered, sticking out her tongue at the unicorn. "Mommy eats fish sometimes!"

"It needs to be cooked first," Vanna pointed out. Then, a strange look crossed her face. "…Hey. We could totally have a fish fry!"

"Frying fish?" Bright Soul frowned. "You can do that?"

The dragoness smirked. "You don't know, so I can't judge you. But it may come as a surprise that I'm actually really good at cooking."

Starlight frowned. She glanced down at her hooves for a moment, before looking back up. "I feel like that's sexist or something, but I can't figure out how."

Vanna grinned. "Come on, let's go. I've been itching to cook something for a while now." The dragonkin hefted the bag of fish over her shoulder. "I'll carry this, Silica."

The arachne oohed in amazement. "You're really strong, miss Vanna…"

"Yup!" Vanna led the group down off the wall, drawing a few stares from the other ponies as they passed through the yard. Before long the little procession entered the keep, and ran into Luna herself. "Oh, hey Moonbutt."

The Princess of Dreams narrowed her eyes. "Really. That's the nickname you chose for me?"

"I'm a girl now, so you can't even call me a pervert."

"…Part of me hates you now." All she got in return for her irritation was an amused giggle. She sighed. "What are you doing, Vanna?"

"Planning a fish fry," The dragonkin replied, gesturing to the net full of fish over her shoulder. "You wanna join us?"

Luna blinked, surprised. "Did you catch all of those?"

"No, Silica did." The dragoness reached out a hand to gently pat the arachne's head. "We've got ourselves a pro fisherspider."

Silica blushed a little. "I-I'm not that good…"

Aurora giggled, and the other ponies smiled. Luna smirked. "Well, I am quite impressed, Silica. And I would like to join your little 'fish fry', as you call it. I have been quite bored, and hungry."

Vanna nodded. "To the forge!"

The dark blue Alicorn rolled her eyes, but she joined the group on their journey to the forge. Which wasn't much of a journey than simply walking about a couple flights of stairs. Charlie was waiting on them when they arrived, putting the lid onto a dark blue box. She turned when she heard their foot and hoofsteps in the hall. "Hm? Oh, hey Dad, everyone. What's going—why do you have a net full of fish?"

"Fish fry!" Silica cried out, happily.

"Ah. Food. Well, I guess that sounds like fun. I finished the order, by the way."

She finished just in time for Aurora to pop over and poke the box with a hoof. "What's in the box, Charlie?"

"No touch," The blonde dragonkin said, smacking her hoof away. "That's for your dad."

"You can't tell me what's in it?"

"Nope. It's a surprise, you know."

"Did somepony say surprise!?" Two pink ponies popped out of a storage chest, both with bright eyes. Everyone paused upon seeing Pinkie and Jubilee.

Charlie blinked. "…What. The. Hell."

"Twilight says you shouldn't ask," Starlight said, eye twitching slightly. "Because if you do, your mind will _refuse_ to understand."

The blonde dragonkin scowled. She walked over to Pinkie and said one word. "Explain."

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie leaned forward and began rapidly whispering in Charlie's ear. Vanna, moving on with her business, began gathering up the supplies she needed.

"That actually makes perfect sense," Charlie said after a minute. Pinkie nodded vigorously. "Huh. I can understand why they don't get it."

Starlight gaped. " _You_ understand what she said?"

Charlie rolled her eyes like it was simple. "Well, yes. To be fair, I have 67.8 trillion other minds processing it at the same time, but that's beside the point."

"…What?"

"Oh right. I never explained Dust to you."

Vanna pulled out an apron with the words 'TOP CHEF' written on it. "Well, might as well do some explaining, Char. Your mom's about to cook a feast!"

"I told you I'm not calling you mom!"

–x–

"Do come again!" Solstice called out as his most recent customer left. He grinned—this was a perfect location, and he was getting a decent trickle of customers. Nothing crazy like dozens a day, but at least six or seven would stop by over the course of the day. And at least one or two made a sale. It was strange—selling things felt way different from taking them.

He moved over to a shelf full of small stained glass pictures and began adjusting them. The stallion was almost done when he heard a smug voice behind him. "Housework already? Say it ain't so, dad."

"Gotta keep the place looking somewhat presentable," He remarked, straightening up. He turned to face his daughter, finding a bright smile on her face. "What's up, Sunny?"

They shared a quick hug. "Just came by to visit… and introduce you to my friend Heart Song."

The sound of wheels on the wooden floor got his attention, and he glanced past to see the unicorn mare in question wheeling herself in. "Oh… hello there."

"Hello, Mr. Glow," Heart Song said warmly, smiling and letting the tiniest bit of her magic into her voice. She moved forward to shake his hoof. "A pleasure to meet you."

The stallion frowned. "I… I remember you. I went to your concert!"

"Oh, you did? I hope you enjoyed yourself," Song said with a bright smile.

Solstice smiled. "I did! It was actually the perfect date, and I really enjoyed it."

Song shot her friend a smug look. "See? Even your dad is a fan."

"…Whatever." Sunset rolled her eyes.

"So what brings you two by?" Solstice asked, moving back to his seat behind the counter. The two mares came over as well, taking spots in front of it. The stallion grinned. "I doubt you came by for anything in my shop."

Sunset smirked. "Maybe I just wanted to come see my dad. You said you were going to spend more time with me, right?"

"Well, that is true, but I'm working."

The two mares turned to look around, finding a quiet and empty shop all around them. "…Seems real busy," his daughter replied flatly.

"I just had a customer," Solstice countered, and then a thought crossed his mind. "And now I have two more."

Song giggled as Sunset groaned. "Very clever, Mr. Glow."

"We're not even here to buy anything!" Sunset complained.

Solstice frowned then. "So what, introducing me to your girlfriend?"

Sunset's mouth dropped open wide and her face turned a deep scarlet. " _DAD_!" She hissed, shooting Song a quick look. The snow white unicorn giggled, shaking her head slightly.

"Oh no, Sunset and I are not an item," She said with a smile. "I am quite invested in stallions, as it were. Sunset and I are simply very good friends."

Solstice seemed taken aback by that answer, but one look over at his daughter's blushing face confirmed it. "Ah… sorry for assuming. Knowing my daughter…"

"I'm still single, dad," Sunset stated, grinding her teeth. Her dad really knew how to embarrass her without trying. "And unless I meet someone worth my time, I might just stay that way."

"Oh, come on, Sunny! There're plenty of decent guys out there."

"Don't even think about trying to set me up on dates."

"What? I'd never do that! I just want you to find… well, as cheesy as this sounds, love."

Sunset stared at her father for a long minute, eyes searching his features. She sighed after a moment. "I'll… I'll try, dad. No promises."

The door behind them opened, and the three at the counter turned. In walked Sherry, followed closely by Tyr. The Princess of Creativity glanced around. "Hello…? Are you still open?" She asked, before spotting them at the counter. She smiled brightly. "Oh, hello Sunset, Heart Song!"

"Princess," The two mares replied with smiles.

Solstice blinked. "Er… Who's her friend?"

"Her father," Tyr pointed out with a small smile. Sherry looked up at him, and he gently patted her head. Valor popped out of her mane, trilling

"Ah, I see," The stallion nodded. "I should have guessed. I'm a father myself, to this one right here." He gestured to Sunset, who shot him a glare before turning to Tyr.

"Yo, Tyr. Nice seeing you again," She smiled.

Tyr nodded. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Since the gala. We really didn't talk much then anyways."

"That is true." Tyr glanced over at Song, who was pouting. "Hello, Heart Song. It's nice to see you too."

The singer beamed. "Hello again, Tyr. I had not expected to see you here."

"I got called in to a meeting with some nobles," Tyr explained as Sherry went off to peruse the shelves. He moved to lean against the counter. "They are attempting to vilify everything I do."

Solstice frowned. "What do the nobles have against you?"

"The usual thing—I don't conform to heir whims."

Song giggled. "You be surprised. I already have a bad reputation amongst the Guild of Musicians because I refuse to join up with any of them. Lucky me that my brother is Captain of the Guard."

"That and you're plenty dangerous on your own," Sunset remarked, to Song's amusement.

Tyr shrugged. "I guess they just want to find something wrong with me. I probably have about three ponies following me and Sherry around today, and only one of them is a Guard."

"Actually, there are four followers," Fenrir pointed out, pulling herself out of Tyr's cloak. She hopped out onto the counter and sat. "But you are correct—only one is of the guard."

"Well, what have we here?" Solstice leaned down to look at Fenrir. "Some kind of pet?"

"I am no pet!" Fenrir countered, glaring at him.

Tyr chuckled and placed his hand on the irritated wolf's head. "She's my partner, and a very close friend of mine for a few years now. She watches out for me."

The wolf spirit snorted derisively. "Someone has to. Otherwise you'd never get anything done."

"Oh? And who's the one constantly sleeping or eating?"

"You know exactly why I do that!"

Song giggled as Fenrir leapt up to bite down on Tyr's hand. She was biting very hard, which was obvious, but it was playful biting—her way of showing affection without giving up her tough appearance. "You two must be very close," The singer pointed out.

"They are indeed," Sherry said, coming over. Valor was still perched on her head, and chirped happily when Tyr came into view. The chocolate Alicorn brought over what looked to be a key. "I'd like to buy this."

Solstice lifted up the key, frowning slightly. "You want this old thing? I picked it up somewhere down south—I've been told it's not Equestrian made."

"I want it because it does this," Sherry pointed out, horn lighting up to pull the Rubrik out of her mane. She lifted it up near the key, and then they both glowed a soft violet. "That's not something that happens normally, is it?"

"Not in the slightest," Solstice said. "Well, I guess since you got a matching object, it'll be better off with you."

Sherry nodded. "How much is it?"

"I couldn't possibly charge a princess…"

"I'm not going to walk out without paying," Sherry asserted. "This is your shop, your merchandise, and I insist that I pay."

"You want me to pay for it?" Tyr asked.

His daughter shot him a dark look. "Father, I am a Princess of Equestria, and not only that, in charge of the nation's finances! I can pay for a simple antique."

Tyr chuckled and patted his daughter's head. "Alright, alright sweetie. Go ahead."

Sherry turned back to Solstice, a bright smile on her face like she had won something. Solstice rubbed at the back of his neck. "Er… okay. I guess I can part with it for about twenty bits."

The young Alicorn nodded at that. She reached into her mane, before blinking. "Er… what?"

Song frowned. "Is something wrong, Sherry?"

"I think… I think I left my bag of bits at the castle…"

A slow smile began growing on Tyr's face, even as Sherry swallowed heavily and turned to him. "Is there something you needed, Sweetie?" He asked, grinning.

"Er… Papa?" Sherry put on her best pleading face and tone. "C…Can you please buy this for me?

"Oh? I thought you had it under control? You are a _Princess of Equestria_ , after all."

"Pleeeeeaase?"

Tyr smiled and laughed softly. He gently mussed up Sherry's mane. "Of course, my dear. I'm just teasing." He reached into his cloak and pulled out his star covered bag. He pulled out twenty golden bits and set them on the counter.

Sunset stared at his bag as he replaced it. "That's a very small bag. How do you fit all those coins in it? Is it magic?"

Tyr nodded. "It was a gift from a friend of mine. Enchanted the inside so it would be infinitely large." He pulled a large statue off a nearby shelf, shoved it into the bag, and right back out with the bag distorting more than needed to allow it entrance.

The unicorns at the counter gaped at that. "How is that possible?" Sunset asked. "No unicorn has that kind of magical power! At best, someone like the Princesses could enchant something to be larger than it was on the outside, but not that kind of size!"

"My friend wasn't a unicorn," Tyr pointed out. "And her powers are… a bit different from a normal unicorn."

Sunset frowned, but didn't press the issue. Instead, it was Sherry who spoke up next. "Dad, we still have time before we need to go back. Dinner?"

The Elemental smiled. "Sounds wonderful love. Sorry we have to leave, but the Princess has command of me today," He added with a smile.

Sherry nodded. "I get my dad all to myself today!"

"Isn't that sweet," Solstice chuckled. Sunset hit him.

"Stop that," She said, smiling.

Tyr smiled. "See ya around, Sunset, Song. If you ever get the chance, why not come down to Wolfhome for a bit? Always nice to see friends."

"If I could, I would," Song said. "But I have a concert to prepare for. Sunset however could head down there."

Sunset shot her friend a glare, but turned back to Tyr. "I guess I could. I haven't visited Twilight lately anyway—it'll be nice to see her for a bit."

Tyr nodded. "We'll be sure to give you a warm welcome. Until next time!"

He gave them one last wave as he picked up Fenrir and set her on his shoulder. With that, he and his daughter left the shop. Sunset and Song turned back to Solstice. "I suppose we should get going too dad. Got stuff we need to do and can't keep you occupied all day."

Solstice nodded. "I understand. Just come by every now and then, alright?"

"Of course." They shared a short hug. "Be good."

"Same to you."

Song inclined her head politely as she and Sunset got up and left. Solstice watched them go, sighing to himself once they were out of sight. "And, all by myself again," He muttered, turning and putting his back to the door. Hopefully some customers came by soon.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, welcome to my shop!" Solstice turned quickly, before pausing slightly. The mare before him was pure white, with a pink mane and tail.

'Sunrise' giggled. "Are you busy?"

The stallion grinned. "Never when it comes to you."

–x–

* * *

 **Tyr's terrorizing the nobles so they'll let him spend time with his daughter, and Solstice is doing well in his shop. Vanna reveals his skills as a master chef! Who knew?**

 **Starlight missed her chance to show Tyr whatever it was, but he should be back before long to see whatever it was.**

 **As usual, Read, Review, and Return, and never hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me a message. The Library accepts all, and will see you soon.**

 **Until then.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Seasons Greetings, Dear Readers. I hope the cold weather is not too off putting for you all. Myself? I enjoy wrapping up in warm jackets and blankets while I write. All nice and comfy. But as usual, I bring you another chapter!**

 **Kevin Lapse: I find it funny you bring that up right as I'm working on the Crystal Empire section of the story. A lot is going to be happening, and I just needed the time to build up some stuff to it. This chapter in particular includes a bit more of what's happening away from our heroes.**

 **WarHusky2000: Sherry wants to get as much time with her father before... anything happens. Will anything happen? I'm not telling. And Sherry can't help but be a little forgetful; she was excited to spend the day with her dad, after all! And be prepared for a little more father/daughter time.**

 **cadenceheart117: He's not the mastermind, but there's some info in this chapter. And Celestia is hiding her rendezvous even from us, so we might not see as much of her and Solstice. Perhaps.**

 **But I have a chapter to present, so I shall hold you no longer!**

* * *

Chapter 47: Promise Keeper

Tyr woke up quietly, as always. He was still in Canterlot, since Celestia had sent a message asking him to remain for the rest of the day. Not that he minded—He got to spend more time with his daughter. He had sent Serenity and the rest of the Stone Ponies home, figuring they'd be happier at home. He shifted slightly, noting the weight on his other side. He glanced over to find Sherry curled up there. An unbidden smile touched at his lips, and he reached out to gently smooth down his daughter's unruly mane. At his touch she snuggled closer to him, breathing softly against his chest. "I almost don't want to move," He murmured, continuing to run his fingers through his daughter's mane.

"You may have to, Alpha," Fenrir said amusedly. "I understand you enjoy this time with your daughter, but the rest of your family is waiting on you."

"Too true. Well, I suppose we should get up."

"Don't wanna," Sherry muttered cutely, clinging to him.

Tyr chuckled and poked at her cheek. "Come on, sweetie. Time to wake up."

"I don't wanna…"

Her father rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Come on. Breakfast is probably ready."

One eye cracked open to peer up at him. "…Are you leaving today?"

Tyr patted her head. "Sorry love, but I have to. Your brother and sisters are no doubt wondering where I am. I am staying for breakfast though."

Sherry sat up quickly, renewed hope in her eyes. "Really? You're staying for breakfast?" She asked excitedly.

Tyr chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "Of course, love."

"Um…" Sherry was suddenly shy, rubbing her front hooves together. "If it isn't too much to ask…"

"What is it?"

"Can you help me brush out my mane?" She asked, smiling shyly and levitating over a brush.

It was just like old times, Tyr thought as he took the brush without a word. Sherry happily scooted over so that she had her back to him, humming a little tune under her breath as Tyr began brushing out her mane. It was comfortable, and he was reminded of the times he'd do this back in his old world. Tyr thought for a moment. "Hey, sweetie?"

"Hm?"

"Just curious, why doesn't your mane do the whole flowing thing like your mother and aunt?"

Sherry thought for a moment. "Hm… Actually, I think Hope asked Aunt Celestia about that once. She said that we need to perform something amazing while using our magic in order for it to happen. Auntie and Mom moved the sun and moon. She says Twilight is able to do it, but she hasn't figured out how to yet. Cadance is able to, but she hasn't done it yet either."

"So it's almost like a mark of accomplishment, huh?"

"Mm."

They lapsed back into silence, at least until there was a knock at the door. "Princess Sherry? Are you in there?"

"That's Capstone," Sherry said, taking care not to move her head. "He was looking for me?"

"You're not in your room," Tyr pointed out, to which his daughter giggled and shrugged.

"I guess you have a point." Her horn lit up, and the door opened. The guard was in the middle of knocking again, pausing when he saw them seated on Tyr's bed. "Hello, Capstone."

The guard swallowed heavily. "Er… Princess. Lord Tyr. Am I interrupting…?"

"Not at all, Capstone," Sherry said regally, before Tyr took one finger and scratched behind her ear. "Nyah! Dad, don't do that!"

"I'm your dad, I get to tease you," Tyr responded with a chuckle. He glanced over at the guard. "Hello again, Capstone. Hope we didn't tire you out yesterday."

"Of course not, sir…" He trailed off, Tyr's words catching up to him. "You… you knew it was me?"

"You smell like the earth," Fenrir spoke up. "Something that is a welcome change from the perfumes and whatnot pervading this city."

"Capstone likes gardening in his spare time," Sherry said matter-of-factly.

Tyr smirked. "Oh really?"

Capstone bushed slightly. "Well, yes. I do. I didn't think you remembered, Princess Sherry…"

"I wouldn't regard something like that as trivial," The chocolate Alicorn replied, somewhat put off.

"R-Right. Well, Princess Celestia asked if you would be joining us for breakfast today."

Tyr nodded. "Of course. Let me finish with Sherry's mane and we'll be right there."

Capstone nodded. "I'll uh… wait outside."

He shuffled away, closing the door behind him. Sherry giggled softly. "He's always doing his best."

"He's a young guard, of course he is." Tyr retrieved Sherry's silver ribbon and began tying it into her mane. After all the practice he had with Aurora and Ancè, he was getting pretty good at tying ribbons.

"You're right," Sherry agreed. "It's cute though."

Tyr paused, glancing around at his daughter. "…Cute?"

She blushed heavily, noting his scrutiny. "Er… I mean… I… um… His effort! The effort he puts in to help me—I mean all the Princesses! Um…"

Sherry devolved into quiet mumbling, obviously not sure what to say to her father. Tyr finished with her mane, and pulled her into a hug. "…Hey, Sherry?"

"Yes?" She craned her neck to look up at him.

"Remember when I told you not to grow up?"

"Well… sorta. What about it?"

Tyr hugged her a little tighter. "I'm fine watching you grow up. I don't care if you start dating or anything—"

Sherry groaned. "Dad…!"

"Hear me out, love. I just want you to be sure that _you_ are happy with whoever you choose to date. Don't worry about impressing me—I just want you to be satisfied and happy."

"Dad…" Sherry's voice took on a softer, gentler tone as she reached up to touch his arm. "You raised me well enough so that anyone I ever pick is going to be good in your eyes. Besides—why would I pick someone my own father wouldn't trust?"

Tyr grinned. "Why do you have to be such a good girl?"

"Because you're such an amazing dad!" She countered, pecking him on the cheek. They both laughed, before there was a surprised squeak at the door. "…Um… what was that?"

The door opened then, allowing entrance to a particularly amused Celestia. "Well, if I knew you were going to have such a tender moment, perhaps I would have had breakfast sent here for you," She said, smiling at them.

"Sorry Auntie," Sherry said with a little giggle. "I'm just enjoying my time with my dad."

"I see. Tyr? A message came from Grace. You're needed back at Wolfhome as soon as you are able."

"Looks like I have to cut our time short," Tyr said sadly, looking down at his daughter.

She sighed, a bit of frustration creeping into her voice. "I guess. I was hoping you could stay a little longer…"

Tyr thought for a moment. "Hold on a second. Tia, isn't Cadance having that Crystalling thing soon?"

Celestia blinked, a bit surprised at Tyr pointing it out. "Ah… yes. That is at the end of the month, I believe."

Tyr did some mental math. "That's in at least two weeks, right?"

"Yes, and we should be staying at least a week."

"Then we'll spend that week together," Tyr said, turning his attention back to Sherry. "No duties, no responsibilities, just a father and his daughter."

Sherry's eyes opened wide. "R-Really?"

"Mmhm. I haven't spent as much time with you as I should, so I plan to make up for that."

"But… Aurora and the others…"

Tyr patted her head. "I know my little ones will understand. Regardless, they've got four mares to go to for attention if they can't get me. No doubt when I go home They'll ask me how it was visiting you."

She blushed then, as Tyr rubbed her mane again. "I'll miss you, dad."

"And I'll miss you too, sweetie. Remember—it was just you and me at first. If you ever feel lonely, I'm always there."

"I'd like for you to rely on me as well, Sherry," Celestia pointed out, reminding them both that she was there. "I'm your aunt, after all."

"Rely on her too," Tyr added, getting both mares to laugh. He let Sherry go then, getting up and tossing on his clothes. "Well, I guess I should be off. Whatever I'm being called back for must be somewhat important." He paused for a moment as he pulled on his cloak, Valor alighting on his shoulder and Fenrir climbing into her usual pocket.

"Seeing as one of Grace's ravens brought it, I suppose it must be somewhat urgent," Celestia pointed out.

Tyr nodded. "I'll stop by again, Celestia. Thanks for always being welcoming."

The white Alicorn gave him a warm smile. "Of course. I could do no less for family."

The man smiled one last time before vanishing on the spot into silver smoke. Sherry gave one last sigh and got up. "I guess we can go eat breakfast now."

–x–

Tyr appeared in the throne room of Wolfhome, much to the surprise of Vanna and Bright Soul. "I'm back… why are you looking at me like that."

Bright Soul frowned. "Hm. This is odd. I was sure the Teleport Catcher would get you."

"…What. What are you talking about?"

Vanna chuckled. "Miss Bright here set up a security circle of gems on the walls to catch unicorns trying to teleport in. Instead of letting them inside, it puts them on a teleport pad on the walls which is watched by shapers. So far we've caught Starlight, Grace, and Twilight."

"And yet you got through without any problems," Bright said, looking over Tyr. "You're not even singed or anything."

"Huh. I did feel something odd as I teleported, but I pushed it aside."

The unicorn and dragonkin blinked. "…What?"

"I felt the obstruction and I pushed it aside." Tyr grinned. "Oh yeah. That makes sense. You two have never dealt with a Chaos Mage. I twist the laws of physics for fun."

Vanna rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

"So, what did Grace want me back for?" Tyr asked, looking around. "I don't even see her around."

"Oh right, she's on the Jötunheim. Said she had to check into some things first."

"I see. Did Serenity and the others get back okay?"

"We are back, safe and sound," Serenity's voice called out. Tyr turned to see the Seer and Carver approach. They both bowed slightly once they were a few steps away. "How was your time with your daughter?"

"Relaxing and very much needed," Tyr replied, smiling. "I wish I could have stayed longer, but duty calls."

Serenity nodded. "I would not have called you back if not for the circumstances, sir. Please, come with me to your airship—Lady Grace needed the medical facilities offered by it."

Tyr frowned, Valor chirping softly on his shoulder. That Grace needed the Jötunheim's medical bay was a bit worrying, and that she was calling Tyr back for whatever it was? Even more concerning. "Well, I won't keep her waiting. Are you joining me, Carver?"

The Shaper nodded, the hint of a smile on her lips. Tyr imagined she had missed him. "As always, sir."

"Well, I'll catch up with you later, Vanna. You too, Bright Soul."

The knight frowned. "Very well."

"Oh," Vanna spoke up. "That 'thing' you wanted me to make for you is done. Pick it up in the forge whenever."

Tyr nodded. "Thanks, Vanna. I appreciate it." Vanna waved as the Elemental and Shaper left, headed on the direct path to the Observer airship. As they were on their way, Tyr glanced over at his companion. "So, did you enjoy your time with Obsidian?"

That put a wide smile on the Shaper's face. "Yes, I did. She showed me a game she was learning—chess, was it?"

"Your sister taught you how to play chess?" Tyr chuckled. "That sounds like fun."

"Well, considering I don't understand the pieces, it was… strange."

Tyr grinned. "Luna likes to play. You can ask her to teach you."

The Shaper glanced up at him, before smiling. "I see. Perhaps I shall ask her."

They reached the hangar, finding a very bored looking Grace sitting at the hatch. She was feeding one of her ravens when they approached. "Bout time you got back," She said, smiling slightly as they approached. "Couldn't get Sherry to let you go?"

"I'll have you know, daughters are a father's favorite thing to hug," Tyr shot back, grinning. "Aside from their wives."

Grace chuckled and stood up. "You're ridiculous. Sticking around you might get me to have a daughter."

"Ah, it's not that bad. So what did you need, little sis?"

"Starlight brought Mitta back," the medic said, frowning.

Both Tyr and Carver paused at that, sharing a quick look. "Is she…?"

"You might want to come see for yourselves."

"Not ominous at all," Tyr mumbled, following the redhead medic into the ship. As they walked down the—as always—immaculate hallways, he was momentarily surprised at how familiar Grace was with his ship. She navigated the corridors with ease, easily bringing them to the medical bay. Although a bit disconcerting, he figured it was due to coming by almost daily because of Luna or Vanna.

Grace tapped the door, and it opened. She led the man and mare inside, both pausing at the sight on one of the beds. Mitta was sitting there, a bright emerald set in the middle of her forehead. Beside her was Starlight, watching a monitor that was keeping track of Mitta's vitals. Cindy was standing over her with a hard-light screen, detailing something regarding her skeletal system. The automaton glanced up, smiling as she noticed them enter. "Ah, Operator. Welcome home."

"Thanks Cindy," Tyr said, moving over to the side of the bed. Mitta looked up at him, before blushing slightly. "Hey Mitta. How does it feel?"

The Earth Pony turned Stone Pony held up a hoof to look at it. "Well… My body doesn't really feel very different… a little heavier maybe. I had a headache for a few days after the um…"

"The operation," Starlight said, turning to face him. "I got Grace to help me implant the gem."

"It was… fun," Grace said with a little smile. "I've never actually had to cut into a pony's skull before."

Starlight winced. "Please. Knowing that you go into surgery _gleefully_ makes me loathe to ask for your help again."

"You won't find a better surgeon in Equestria," Tyr said with a smile, patting Grace's head. "So from what I can see it went off without a hitch?"

Mitta nodded. "I've attempted to 'shape' the stone, and well…" She gestured over to one of the side tables, where a small cube of stone sat. It looked rough around the edges. Mitta picked it up, and after a short moment of concentration, the gem in her forehead lip up and the cube turned into a sphere. The red maned mare winced slightly. "…It still hurts, Starlight."

Starlight nodded and made a note of something on a notepad. "Hopefully that goes away with time."

"By the Stone…" Carver murmured. "You actually managed to do it…"

Starlight grinned. "I'm nothing if not persistent. It's just…" She turned back to the screen, frowning slightly.

"What?"

"I asked for one of the Stone Ponies to allow me to examine her," Cindy clarified, getting their attention. "The pain no doubt is coming from your body getting used to accessing the power in the gem. It should fade with time."

Mitta nodded. "I guess that's good."

"Well, congrats Starlight. You've technically made a Stone Pony." Tyr grinned. "But now, that technically means you answer to me."

"Er… Didn't I do that already?"

"Since you've been busy, not really. But as of today, you're my subject."

Starlight frowned. "You can't just claim a pony like that, Tyr."

"Considering Tyr saved my life, I actually don't mind," Mitta pointed out, placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder. She smiled up at Tyr with pure innocence. "What do you wish of me, sir?"

Tyr chuckled. "Ah, you don't have to go that far. I was only joking. Just report to Petrus once you can shape stone without it hurting. He'll be able to train you, and teach you how to work the stone."

"Alright. I'll do that."

"I will continue to monitor your condition," Cindy informed the mare, pulling out what looked to be a choker made of metal. She opened it up and put it around Mitta's neck. "This will allow me to track your physical condition no matter where you are. Please keep it on until I clear you of any complications."

Mitta nodded. "I can do that."

"Also—" Cindy paused, glancing off to the side. She smiled. "Operator, your children are home."

"I'll go greet them," Tyr replied with a laugh. He gave Mitta a little pat on the head before leaving the med bay. When he came out into the common room, he was immediately assaulted by Jubilee and Aurora. "Seems you two missed me," He chuckled.

"Of course!" Aurora beamed. "How's Sherry doing?"

Tyr smiled at his daughter's concern for her older sibling. "She's doing alright, and looking forward to spending time with us in the Crystal Empire when the Crystalling happens."

"When is that, anyway?" Aleron asked, coming over with Cori and Ancè. Tyr gently ruffled his mane. "Cadance sent her letter a while back, right?"

"Should be before the end of the month," Tyr replied, sitting on the floor in front of his kids. They gathered around him, taking their usual spots whenever they were with him. "We'll be spending the week in the Crystal Empire."

Ancè gasped. "T-The Crystal Empire? Where… everything is made of crystal?"

"Why else would it be called the 'Crystal Empire'?" Jubilee asked.

Her sister gave her a flat look before turning back to her father. "You said we would be going with you, correct?"

Tyr smiled. "Yeah, all of you and your friends are going. It's a whole week long trip."

"Oh, I hear the spas in the Crystal Empire are _divine_! And learning how their manes keep styled will be a very good excursion as well. Oh, it will be so much…" Ancè trailed off, noting the amused look her father had, along with the flat looks of her siblings. "…Er, I will of course, be looking forward to spending time with all of you…"

They all laughed, Tyr reaching out to gently pat her head. "You're so much like your mother. She's no doubt already plotting to have a store set up in the Crystal Empire with any luck."

"Mom was telling Mommy about that," Jubilee said thoughtfully. Tyr stared at her, confused for a bit, before he clarified what she meant in his head. Mom was no doubt Rarity, and Mommy would be Pinkie. He thought.

"The Crystal Empire, hm?" Chrysalis suddenly appeared behind Tyr, laying her chin on his shoulder to nuzzle him softly. "Am I allowed to come?"

Tyr reached up to stroke her mane. "You're family, right? Of course you can come. Might be a bit cold, though."

"I won't worry about it," She replied, smiling. "After all, feeling cold simply means you're near, no?"

"Exactly."

They shared a short kiss, to which half of the children made faces at. "Ah, quit it you little monsters," Chrys snapped playfully, smiling at them. "Your father and I are not that bad."

"You could be worse," Luna said, coming over with Rarity and Pinkie. The Princess of Dreams smiled at him. "Although I suppose that is one of your best traits."

"You are a very affectionate man," Rarity admitted, Pinkie nodding her head in agreement.

Tyr shrugged, and pulled a blushing Cori to his side to hug her. "I guess I just have a lot of love to give," He said with a smile. Cori giggled and hugged him back.

"We love you too, father," She said, nuzzling him.

The man grinned as the rest of his children gathered around, either hugging him or simply getting to where they could be close. "Alright, alright I get that you all love me. I haven't had breakfast yet, so let me eat first okay?"

Cindy suddenly emerged from a hatch behind them, a smile on her face. "Well, if you were hungry, why didn't you say so, Operator? Simply give me a moment and I will have breakfast ready for you all."

Tyr nodded. "Good. That gives me time to do something. Luna? Girls? Follow me, will you?"

The four mares shared a look, but when Tyr got up and headed for the hatch, they followed obediently. Tyr led them out of the ship, down into the keep, and eventually ending up outside the forge. "Here we go," He murmured, pushing the door open. There was no one inside, but the table before them had a box atop it.

"What is supposed to be in the box, darling?" Rarity asked as the man went over to it.

"Gifts for you," He replied, taking off the top. He whistled softly. "Wow. Charlie and Vanna outdid themselves…"

Chrys frowned. "Master, as much as I know you like surprising others…"

"Alright, alright. Come here."

The four mares came forward, just as Tyr moved aside to reveal the contents of the box. Two rings and two necklaces sat atop a velvet pillow. One ring was brilliant silver, with a bright blue sapphire set in it. The second ring was a onyx color, with a dark emerald in its center. The necklaces were both silver in color, but one had a pink amethyst set in a balloon shaped locket and the other had a dark blue sapphire set in the crook of a crescent. Luna's eyes widened. "Beloved… what are these…?"

"I do believe these were very overdue," Tyr said, smiling. "I looked into it—technically, herds don't have to be married, but having something that marks you is always good."

"And these are for us?" Pinkie asked, eyes wide.

"Mmhm."

Chrys's eyes narrowed, and then widened. "One for each of us…"

Tyr grinned. "I thought about getting you a tag for your collar, but I think the ring is a little nicer." He reached out and pulled her close, easily slipping the ring over her warped horn. "There. Looks like Vanna did it exactly how I asked her."

He took the other ring and put it on Rarity's horn, and then put the respective necklaces around Luna and Pinkie's necks. Luna lifted her necklace up to examine it. "These are amazing, beloved…"

Rarity nodded in agreement. "These are much more than I ever expected. Thank you, my love."

Pinkie's gratitude was more pronounced, especially since she leapt on Tyr and kissed him passionately. When they finally broke apart for air, the party pony was grinning. "Thank you so much, Honey," She said warmly.

"Why did you decide to do this, Beloved?" Luna asked, her confusion showing on her face. "You know we do not need gifts to know how much you care for us…"

Tyr shrugged. "I just wanted to do something nice for you all. Besides—all the help you've given me in the short time I've been here has to be rewarded somehow."

The four mares looked to one another. Then, they all turned back to their mate with bright smiles. "You don't have to give us jewelry in order to thank us, Master," Chrys said, laying her head against his side.

"Mmhm!" Pinkie agreed.

"Although it is nice," Rarity murmured, admiring her new ring in a handheld mirror. When all the others looked at her, she blushed. "W-What?"

"What we mean to say," Luna continued, shaking her head slightly at the white unicorn, "Your continued presence and affection is more than enough for us. Anything else is… a bonus."

Tyr smiled, reaching out to caress his wife's face. "Then expect a lot of bonuses."

–x–

The door to the laboratory opened up, and the fog colored unicorn stallion at the far desk looked up from his books to regard the pony entering. "…What is it now, Jury?"

The former council pony frowned, moving further into the lab. Books and papers were scattered around haphazardly, the results of constant study and research. More grisly accoutrements sat on a nearby table, along with jars of assorted organs and bodily fluids. The stallion winced at the sight of two preserved eyes staring at him from one corner of the room. "…Has anything changed with your work, Grim?" He asked, taking care not to kick anything over as he moved.

Grim Project adjusted his glasses. "Changed? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean has everything gone as expected?"

"Of course it has. I'm the only pony in all of Equestria that has managed to transfer a soul between bodies. Thana, can you bring me the next volume of _The Mercurial Nature of Spirits_ please?" There was a soft grunt noise, and then a pale blue mare trotted over with a tome in her mouth. Jury drew back at seeing her—despite the shawl that covered her body, he could still make out the stitching lines crisscrossing her body at the major connections between limbs and torso. Thana set the tome on the desk with a little thud and smiled up at Grim. "Thank you very much," He told her, reaching out to pat her head. She beamed brightly.

"I do not doubt your… ability," Jury continued, watching warily as the white maned mare walked off. "I simply have invested a lot of time, money and effort into this plan, and I do not want anything to go wrong."

Grim scowled. "You think I made a mistake? Remember Jury—I'm the _only_ necromancer in all of Equestria. I built Thana from scratch and her only flaw is that she cannot speak. I have plenty of working ghouls that can attest to my ability. You brought me a body with no flaws. Transferring the soul was easy, not to mention applying that extra touch."

"Jury simply wants to be certain all is going according to plan," A buzzing voice said. Both Jury and Grim turned to see a tall figure entering the lab, a purposeful stride in their steps. When the light fell on them, it revealed a tall Changeling with burning red eyes, dark black-blue chitin and a bright red band around her torso. Her gossamer wings were pale red as well.

"Cocoon," Grim muttered. Thana ran over to him, hiding behind him with a terrified look on her face.

Queen Cocoon smirked viciously at the necromancer. Where Chrysalis was at least somewhat regal in her appearance, Cocoon was more feral—her fangs were more pronounced, and the red adorning her figure was akin to blood. From what the other two ponies had seen, those traits were shared between her and her entire hive. She spared a glance at the trembling Thana behind Grim. "Ah, the dead-raiser. I see you still have the dead thing clinging to you as usual. Haven't gotten around to throwing it away yet?"

The lab began to move, shuffling noises that began to grow closer. At least a dozen shambling zombie-ponies moved into view, mouths hanging open and a dull blue light in their eyes. Grim stood up slowly from his desk, fury in his cobalt eyes as his horn lit up a dark violet. "Do not insult me in my own lab, Cocoon. We are still working together, and I'd hate for our partnership to end _violently_."

Jury quickly stepped between the two, holding up a hoof for calm. Cocoon was as powerful as Chrysalis had been during her invasion, and Grim Project was a powerful mage even without using his ghouls. And that 'grave titan' of his was currently unaccounted for, not to mention he knew for sure there were more ghouls lurking about. "No fighting, understood? We are allies—we do not need to be at each other's throats."

Cocoon laughed, the buzzing noise grating to the ear. "Oh, I'm only teasing. I know he values that one especially. I'm well aware he'd never get rid of it."

Grim's glare didn't diminish, but he did sit back down. Jury let out a relieved sigh. He'd be able to keep these two from killing each other for a while yet. "So? What did you want anyway, Cocoon?" The necromancer asked bluntly, putting a comforting hoof around Thana.

"Word from your spy?" Jury added, turning to the Changeling.

Cocoon nodded. "She informs me that Princess Cadance is beginning preparations for something called the 'Crystalling'. Princess Celestia and the other Princesses have been invited to attend."

"I know about that," Grim said, frowning. "Children born to the ruling figure of the Crystal Empire are blessed with magic from the Crystal Heart itself. They take a pure fragment of crystal and imbue it with some kind of spell before adding it to the Heart. Supposedly it makes the Heart stronger."

"So they're starting it…" Jury thought for a moment. "Then that will be the best time to begin."

Grim blinked. "Begin?"

"It is the perfect opportunity," Jury continued, ignoring Grim for the moment. "No doubt the Princesses and their knights will be in attendance, along with that blasted human. That and Frost Storm has figured out how to use that amulet…"

Cocoon frowned. "So you will push forward with your plan while they are away?"

"Trying to capture all of them like Chrysalis attempted would no doubt backfire in some way. We have to keep them occupied and establish a position of power," Jury said thoughtfully. "Only then can we achieve our goal."

The Changeling raised one eyebrow. "Are you sure that is wise? No doubt the Princesses will rally and come after us."

Jury shook his head. "The Guard will be wiped out, and despite all their power, the Princesses can still be overwhelmed. That, and we will have leverage."

"…I see."

Grim stayed silent, watching the two. Jury Review was always enigmatic about what he wanted from all those participating in his plan, no doubt trying to keep them in the dark so they would not be a liability to the plan over all. Since he was spilling the beans now, Grim stayed quiet if only to sate his own curiosity. Jury turned to Cocoon. "We won't have a very large window, but we should have at least a week, perhaps more. How fast can you prepare?"

"My soldiers will begin preparations," Cocoon said with a nod. "We will be in place and waiting for your signal."

She turned and left, not before pausing to regard one of the ghouls. Her horn lit up for a moment, but then a look of disgust crossed her features and she stormed out. Grim watched her go for a moment, before noticing the other pony in the room was looking at him. "…What?"

"Can the magic binding you placed on that body be sustained through time manipulation?" Jury asked.

Grim blinked. Time magic? "Why on Equestria would you use time magic on… wait." He frowned. "You plan to rapidly age the body?"

"We planned for at least a year, to avoid complications, but we have no better opportunity than now." Jury nodded. "We know that it is possible—we've deciphered the books we liberated from the Starswirl the Bearded Wing and we have the unicorns needed to accomplish the feat."

"You're planning to go ten years in two weeks?" Grim stared at him like he was an idiot—which the necromancer was beginning to think was true. "I set up those magical binds to survive a _slightly_ accelerated aging process. As in slowly aging the subject over the course of a year, not two weeks! Considering we're dealing with _Alicorn_ level magic, who knows what will happen?"

Jury stared at him. "…Can you strengthen them?"

"Can I…? I can, but that doesn't change anything—!"

"Then do it. Solar Flare must be ready to perform his duties in two weeks. If all goes well, you can simply renew the bonds when it is all over."

"You're missing the point!" Grim growled, slamming one hoof on the desk. "If you let him go use his magic without proper preparation, he might implode, spontaneously combust, or even just lose control of his magic! He wasn't born with it—everything we have at this point is synthetic or created. We were working on a specific timetable, Jury!"

"Then we have to move it up. I know you were excited to work on this project, where did that fervor go?"

"I came on board because you gave me a lab space to work with," Grim pointed out. "That and the idea of 'creating an Alicorn' was too interesting to pass up. But I warned you—I've tried reanimating unicorns before. Without the proper bindings, they will lose control of their magic and who knows what will happen then?"

"We were already trying to play god," Jury reminded him. "Where's the reward when there are no risks taken?"

Grim scowled. "This is going to go terribly and we both know it."

Jury shrugged. "We will begin a new era, Grim Project, with or without you. Who's to say that Solar Flare will have to use his magic for combat?"

The necromancer stayed silent for a long time. "…This is a fool's errand, Jury."

"We are beginning a grand undertaking," The leader of the Cult of the Sun said proudly. "There will be one true ruler of Equestria when we are done."

"…You're a fanatic."

Jury review sighed. "Fanatic, zealot, heretic… it all depends on where you stand. History is written by the victors, Grim. Choose your side carefully. Now, I will leave you to your thoughts. I have one last part of my plan to put into action."

He turned on his hoof and left. Grim stared at his retreating figure, blinking slightly when he saw a small red and gold maned colt join the older stallion just outside his door. Solar Flare glanced back at the necromancer, the glint of a golden ring shining from the base of his horn. The young Alicorn turned away as he followed after Jury Review. Grim kept watching, at least until Thana began nuzzling his hoof. "…Thana? What is it?"

The mare frowned, glancing between him and the door. Despite not having functioning vocal cords (since undead didn't need to breathe, she couldn't really use them well) Thana had gotten very good and getting her ideas across, at least to the necromancer. It was almost like translating another language. –Did you want to leave?– She seemed to ask.

Grim nodded. "Yeah, I'm considering leaving. This project was interesting at first, the concept of creating a living Alicorn, magic and all. But now… I was aware this was some shady business, but when have I been in the good graces of the nation?"

–You're not a bad pony, Grim– Thana poked him with a hoof, looking somewhat upset. –You don't hurt anypony–

"I know, but this is going too far. I'm starting to think a lot of ponies are going to get hurt because of me." Grim scowled. "I should never have taken this job…"

Thana looked between him and the door again. –Should we leave?–

Grim stayed silent for a long minute, weighing his options. Staying with this group would no doubt end violently. The guard would no doubt stand up against any attempted coup, and the Princesses themselves would not take kindly to an upstart trying to take their place. But who would he go to? Necromancy was considered black magic, and vilified in any magical school in the land. No doubt not even Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic even knew anything about this field of magic. "…I want to, but where would we go?"

Thana scrunched up her nose for a moment, before an idea seemed to seize her. She trotted off quickly, before returning with a newspaper. The mare tossed it onto the desk and pointed to a picture on the front. –Look–

Grim frowned, adjusting the paper so he could see it. The picture on the front page was of Tyr, Vanna and Serenity, standing with Luna, Twilight and the Mayor of Ponyville. Fenrir was in her wolf form beside him, and Valor was perched on his shoulder. In the background was the towering skyline of Wolfhome. "The Wolf Lord of Wolfhome?" Grim read. He blinked, turning to Thana. "You think he'd be willing to take us in?"

–Maybe– Thana looked thoughtful. –Perhaps he'd be more understanding than the Princesses–

The necromancer turned back to the paper. "…Well, if anything, he's connected to the Princesses. He might be able to stop whatever Jury is planning."

Thana looked from him to the ghouls. –And us?–

"We pack up and leave," Grim said, horn lighting up. The ghouls in the lab began shuffling about, starting to gather up the assorted papers. Despite being relatively mindless, they still served well for menial labor. "I'll strengthen the bonds for Jury and that's the last of my involvement. Go get Tulip—we're leaving the moment I'm done, little sister."

–x–

Cadance enjoyed walking through the Crystal City, be it by herself or with Shining Armor. All the Crystal Ponies were friendly and spoke to her as she passed, nowadays with congratulations and well wishes for her new baby. A new baby she hadn't actually named yet. Normally, the baby would have been named at birth. But since the child would be the first child to the royal family of the Crystal Empire, tradition indicated that a Crystalling would be held, and the child would be named then. Which in a way was a good thing—Neither she nor Shining had actually thought up any names.

But today, Shining was watching over the little one, while she got a much needed breath of fresh air. She had no idea how Tyr had managed it—caring for an Alicorn filly was stressful. Uncontrollable magic on top of being able to fly? It was only due to Shining's proficiency with barriers that they'd even had a small chance at holding the filly down longer than three seconds at a time. However, the little filly seemed to have inherited Cadance's empathic ability—whenever her parents were nearing the end of their rope, she'd suddenly become docile and obedient. It was… an experience.

"A bit for your thoughts, Princess?"

Cadance started, the voice breaking her from her innermost thoughts. She turned to find a sky blue pegasus mare looking at her, a smile touching at her lips. She had almost run into the mare. "Oh… I'm sorry. I've just been run a little ragged lately. New baby and all."

The mare giggled. "I know the feeling. My brother had a hard time with his kids and had me help out from time to time."

"Really? How many did he have?"

"Four, at the moment."

"Oh my." Cadance giggled. "Sounds like a very hard time."

"Well, the oldest is very well behaved, so it's really just the younger ones."

Cadance and the mare laughed, but then the Princess of Love caught herself. "Oh, I'm sorry. You know who I am, but I don't think I've caught your name."

"I hadn't given it, so no harm done." The other mare smiled. "My name is Harmony—the pleasure is mine, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

"Oh, just Cadance is fine, Miss Harmony," Cadance replied, blushing a little. Hearing her full name spoken always made her a little embarrassed.

Harmony smirked. "Harmony is just fine, Cadance."

The Princess of Love giggled softly. "Right. So are you visiting the Crystal Empire? I notice that you're not a Crystal Pony."

"Ah, that's right. I'm simply visiting with my sisters. My little sister really wanted to see the Crystal Empire."

"Oh really? Is she around?"

Harmony glanced around. "Actually… here they both come."

"Harmony!" Cadance turned at the voice, seeing two more mares trotting over. The deep green one was the one who had spoken, a bright smile on her face. "There you are!"

"We seemed to have been separated," the other mare, a pale white unicorn in a cloak said. "Where did you get off to?"

"I stopped to meet the Princess," Harmony replied. She glanced over at Cadance. "Princess Cadance, meet my sisters: Genesis and Terminus."

"Pleased to meet you," Genesis said.

Terminus nodded. "Charmed."

Cadance smiled. "Nice to meet you as well, ladies. First time in the Crystal Empire?"

"Indeed." Terminus looked around. "I had not believed that the entire city was made of crystal until I saw it for myself."

Genesis grinned. "Life always finds a way, Termie."

The pale mare rolled her eyes, making her sisters giggle. Cadance smiled warmly. "To be honest, I thought this place was a myth myself until I saw it. And now my husband and I are ruling over it."

"Sounds difficult," Genesis said, with Cadance nodding in agreement.

Terminus sniffed. "Leadership is always a heavy burden. But you seem able to carry it."

Cadance smiled softly. "It wasn't easy… but as long as I have Shiny, I can handle it."

That made the other three mares smile warmly. It was obvious to them that Cadance relied a lot on her husband. "Well, if you feel that strongly about him, then your marriage is secure," Genesis said.

"I'd be a terrible Princess of Love if I couldn't find love myself," Cadance said with a little laugh.

Harmony nodded. Then, something else caught her attention and she glanced past Cadance. "Er… Cadance? Your husband is taking care of your baby, correct?"

Cadance blinked. "Um, yes he is, why?"

"Your husband is a unicorn with a spiky blue mane with a shield for a Cutie Mark, no?"

"Yes, he is. Why do you…" Cadance had a sinking feeling in her stomach, and she turned around quickly. Sure enough, Shining was sprinting down the road, barely keeping up with a little foal with wings, a curly two tone mane, and a tiny unicorn horn. The heir apparent to the Crystal Empire giggled loudly as she led her father on a merry chase towards her mother. Cadance swallowed heavily. "Oh dear…"

She jumped into the middle of the street, other Crystal Ponies jumping out of the way. She spread her wings in order to provide the largest obstruction possible. The little Alicorn filly giggled, and then poofed out of view just before impacting her mother. "Oh buck."

"I got her," Genesis said softly, just as Cadance whirled around to continue the chase. The green Earth Pony had the filly in the crook of one leg. The Princess of Love stared in confusion as her daughter giggled and reached up to tug at the flowers in the mare's mane.

"…What?"

"Cady, did she get past you?" Shining called out, running up beside his wife. He too paused at seeing the Alicorn foal in the care of another mare. "…What?"

Genesis tugged one of the flowers out of her mane and placed it in the foal's. She was regarded with a number of happy baby sounds. She looked up at the confused parents. "What is it?"

"She's never like that with ponies she doesn't know," Shining murmured, not moving. "How… how are you doing that?"

"I'm really good with babies," Genesis replied, walking over and handing the happy baby to her mother. Cadance took the foal gingerly, but the baby seemed relatively content to not run off this time. She even waved goodbye to the green mare.

"I've… I've never been that good with newborns," Cadance murmured. "And I was a foalsitter."

Harmony giggled. "Genny has a magic touch when it comes to babies," She pointed out.

Genesis nodded. She then turned a warm and motherly gaze down at the crown princess. "This one is special. She will no doubt grow up and become great, all in order to live up to her amazing parents example."

Cadance and Shining shared a look. "Er… do you have children?" Shining asked.

"Millions," Genesis said softly, too quiet for the Prince and Princess to hear. When Harmony and Terminus shot her looks, she straightened up. Much louder, she spoke again. "I worked in a hospital delivering babies. None have been mine, however."

"I'm sure you'd make a wonderful mother, Genesis," Cadance said warmly.

"I thank you for your kind words," Genesis replied, bowing slightly. "But my sisters and I should be on our way. No need for us to detain royalty for so long."

"Plus, you have your little one to look after," Harmony added, using one of her wings to tickle the nose of the filly in question.

Terminus nodded. "I still view it as a pleasure to have met…" She trailed off suddenly, her eyes suddenly went far away, and she gazed off down the street.

Cadance blinked, confused at Terminus's sudden shift in attention. "…Um… is something the matter?"

The gray white mare frowned slightly. "…Hm. I seem to have business. Genesis, Harmony, I am going ahead. I will inform you if I need your assistance."

Her horn lit up then, and she vanished on the spot. Genesis and Harmony shared a worried look. "That doesn't seem good," Cadance murmured. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine," Harmony said slowly, thinking for a moment. "I do believe we'll have to cut our conversation short for now. I pray that your family prospers in the coming days—You will need all your strength."

Shining frowned. "Er… okay… Thanks. I think."

Harmony and Genesis trotted away then, leaving the confused Prince and Princess in the middle of the street with their baby. Cadance was silent for a minute, before glancing over at her husband. "Did that… did that just happen?"

"I think so…" Shining murmured. "Who _were_ those three?"

"I have no idea…"

"Well, I guess we should get this little one back to the castle," Shining said, leaning over to nuzzle his daughter. "We still have the Crystalling to prepare for, you know."

Cadance shot him a look. "I know! You're the one that lost track of her in the first place."

"I… er… right." Shining looked over his wife sheepishly. "…Sorry?"

"Oh, I'm just teasing. Let's go home before she tries flying off again?"

Shining grinned. "Yeah, I can agree with that!" He said.

–x–

"Terminus!" Harmony called, she and her sister catching up with the youngest of the trio. They were in a secluded alley in the Crystal City, away from the eyes of normal ponies. The youngest of the three turned to face her siblings. "What's wrong?"

"I sensed a disturbance," She said quietly. "A Plane is dying."

Both Genesis and Harmony shared a look. The Earth Pony stepped forward. "That is nothing out of the ordinary, no? So why the sudden concern?"

"Something feels wrong about it," Terminus explained. "I cannot place any certainties on it, but I have a bad feeling."

Genesis nodded. "Very well. Go check with your Travelers. We will stay here and actually enjoy our vacation."

Harmony giggled as Terminus rolled her eyes. "Do try not to lose track of time," She warned.

"Oh, you know me, Termie," Harmony said. "I'm always good with time."

The youngest sister nodded, and turned to one of the blank walls. Her horn lit up, and a doorway appeared. With one last nod to her sisters, Terminus walked through it and the doorway vanished behind her. Genesis sighed. "Well, that's just great. I was hoping we'd get some time to just bond as sisters."

Harmony smiled. "Oh, no worries, Genesis. Let's just head off to the spa, okay? Termie didn't want to go to that anyway…"

* * *

 **The sisters return! Plots are hurried! Mitta is a Stone Pony!  
**

 **What will this all entail? Well, as I stated before, the Crystal Empire is coming up next, and the trip there will put into motion a number of plots and schemes will begin. As a bit of a incentive to stick with it, be prepared for two more races to be introduced, and one last member of Tyr's family to make an appearance.**

 **But no more hints! That would be telling.**

 **As always, thank you for Reading, and if you please, leave a Review. I hope you Return next week for the next chapter, and as always; The Library accepts all. Don't be shy; leave a comment!**

 **Until next time!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Happy Holidays once again, dear readers. I hope all is well in your lives! I'd have missed my editing period, cause my girlfriend went to go give blood, but I'm back in time. While waiting on her (I didn't give because needles make me squeamish) I did have the chance to read the latest chapter of Fallen Eagle though! :D**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Grim's got plans, and they're no doubt aimed at getting to Wolfhome somehow. The Cult hasn't been hit very hard, so no doubt they're still optimistic. The three sisters haven't had their true purposes revealed, but if anything they're as close to 'gods' as you get in my universe. More will explained in the future.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: The Striate Family are doing fine, they're just unable to interfere in the world of Equus at the moment. And yes, Terminus is being ominous. Which is never a good thing for someone titled 'Lady Gray'.**

 **WarHusky2000: Corruption? Oh no! And I really do enjoy writing family moments. They're always fun to write!**

 **cadanceehart117: No, he is not. He will become important to the plotline, however. And the three sisters are not the Fates. They're a bit more important to that. They do, however,embody Concepts much like Chaos and Order Spirits. But I won't go any further than that.**

 **And now, the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 48: Fair Weather, Clear Skies

It was a very odd scene in the main yard of Wolfhome this morning, as a small crowd greeted the day. Tyr and his family were there, along with Vanna, Charlie, and a number of Shapers. A pile of suitcases and bags were piled together in one section, slowly being loaded onto one of the Rangers which was parked there. "I feel like we're over packing," Tyr murmured, picking up one of the suitcases and lugging it into the Ranger.

"But I _must_ bring my dresses, darling!" Rarity protested, directing a trio of Shapers into moving a particularly large case into the Ranger. "I have to show the ponies of the Crystal Empire what they could have! I may even get an invitation to open a shop there!"

She finished with a little dance and a squeeing noise. Tyr rolled his eyes. "But do you need to bring so _many_?"

"Yes, I did. Otherwise, I would not have a variety to show!"

"Might as well not bother questioning her," Chrys pointed out, walking out of the Ranger with Cori. "She's fixated on this."

"Yepper-rooni!" Pinkie added, appearing behind her. "When Rarity is in business mode, there's no stopping her!"

"We're going to celebrate Cadance and Shining Armor's daughter's Crystalling," Luna pointed out, coming over. "Do not forget that."

Rarity pouted. "All the things I am taking are essential!"

Tyr and everyone looked towards the inside of the transport. It was full of suitcases and chests bearing Rarity's Cutie Mark, with a smaller set marked for all the rest of the Winter family. Vanna snorted softly. "…Essential my scaly ass."

"Vanna! That is language unbecoming of a lady!"

"Too bad I'm not—" The dragonkin blinked, glanced down at her chest, and then sighed. "…Damn it."

While Rarity gazed triumphantly at the dragoness, Tyr surveyed the inside of the Ranger. "I hope we've got enough space in here for us…"

"Well, no worries about making space for me," Vanna pointed out, getting her friend's attention. When Tyr raised an eyebrow in confusion, she shrugged. "I got called away for business. Something I can't ignore."

"Who could have possibly called you away, Darling?" Rarity asked, obviously confused.

In response, Vanna held up her hand. On it was the mark of the Gray Lady. It was glowing an ethereal blueish color. She shrugged. "Duty calls, and I must answer."

"So you're not going with us?" Aurora asked, appearing in the air behind her father. She looked upset. "I thought you were!"

Tyr frowned. "I have to agree with my daughter, bro—sis. When did this happen?"

Vanna lowered her hand and put it on her hip. "Last night. I was working on a personal project, and then my Brand started glowing. Means I'm needed."

Aurora gave him a cute pout. "Aw! I wanted you to come with us! What's so important that you have to leave for?"

"And how long are you going to be gone?" Charlie asked. Pinkie nodded in agreement.

"I can't actually say," The dragonkin said, scratching the back of her neck as all eyes fell on her. Her golden eyes flicked over to Charlie, who looked more worried than she needed to be. "I mean… If it was something I'd have to be gone for a long time for, I'd take you with me, Char. As it is, Lady Gray only asked for my help for a short time."

"You're going to miss the Crystalling," Luna pointed out. "But I understand that you must answer to your… er…"

"She's technically my Queen," Vanna said with a shrug. She glanced over at Tyr "Seems I'm not yours to command, boss."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "You never were."

"True."

Rarity shook her head. "Well, I hope you are careful, darling. I've grown used to having you to consult on and model my designs. It is an absolute pleasure working with you."

"And having you around to heat up the castle is super nice!" Pinkie added.

Charlie walked over to her father and wrapped her arms around her. "…Dad… Please don't be gone long."

Vanna nodded, hugging her back. "Nothing could keep me away, Charlie. Be good for Tyr while I'm gone, okay?"

Normally, Charlie would have bit back with a comment regarding her age, but no doubt the seriousness of the moment was getting to her and all she did was nod her head. "I'll be good. You just… don't get hurt?"

"I'll be careful, Char. Don't get into any situations where you'd need me, okay?" Vanna held her out at arm's length. The older dragoness looked worried. "I may not be able to come rushing back any time soon."

Tyr walked over then, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll look out for her, Vanna. No worries."

"You better," The dragonkin replied, but there was a smile on her face. "…Have fun."

"Aye aye, sir!" Pinkie and Jubilee declared.

Tyr nodded, gently pulling on Charlie's shoulder. The younger dragonkin let go of her 'treasure', and quietly moved over to stand beside him. Vanna gave her one last smile, before turning away from the group. She took a deep breath, before touching her hand to her Brand. When she pulled it away, a black inky substance followed. A swipe across the air left a hanging line of the ink, which then slid downwards to create a doorway. "Well… see you all around. Tell Grace where I went, okay?"

"I'm yelling at you when you get back," Grace's voice told him. The dragoness turned to see the medic walking down off the wall. She gave him a little smirk. "For asking Tyr to tell me what happened instead of telling me yourself."

"S-Sorry…" She scratched at her neck. "But it kinda was last minute."

She sighed, but smiled anyway. The redhead walked over, yanked her down with her magic, and kissed her. "Come back safe, alright?"

"Of course. Until then, have fun with all the snow!"

The dragoness waved one last time, before walking into the inky doorway. It dissolved behind him. "Well, there she goes," Chrys murmured.

"There who goes?" Twilight asked, flying down with Evie on her back and Flash beside her with their saddlebags. Starlight teleported over a moment later, bags on her back as well.

"My dad just left," Charlie said softly. "He was called away for business."

"Business?"

Flash shrugged. "I know the feeling. Luckily Princess Celestia is going to the Crystalling, or else I'd be stuck here in the capital."

Evie smiled and hopped off her mother's back to go nuzzle her father. "I'm just glad you're coming with us."

The sound of more wings caught their attention, and three pegasii landed. Rainbow shook out her mane before grinning at the group in front of them. "We're right on time! Just like I told you, Ace!"

The snow white Pegasus sighed. "You're only saying that because we saw Fluttershy, Applejack, and their kids on the road here."

"Nuh uh!"

"Totally," Vibrant pointed out, agreeing with his dad. "You were worried we'd be late all this morning mom."

Rainbow scowled at him, before bopping him gently on the forehead. "Stop siding with you dad, you scamp."

Vibrant batted his mother's hoof away, only for her to grab him in a gentle headlock. "Mom~!"

There were general laughs and giggles at the adorable sight, only interrupted when one of the sentries on the wall called out. "Miss Fluttershy, Miss Applejack and their children approach, Lord Tyr!"

"Let them in," The man replied. His order was met with a low rumble as a doorway was opened in the gate. A moment later and the four members of the Apple clan entered. Bramley was in awe of the castle, as it was no doubt his first time here. Applejack and Fluttershy went over to greet their friends, while Goldie joined Cori and her siblings. Tyr noted with satisfaction the glow of love about his daughter as she embraced the brown filly. "Hello Fluttershy, Applejack. Pleasant morning for you two?"

"Oh my, yes," Fluttershy said, with just a hint of nervousness at speaking to him. Which was normal considering her. "We had a very pleasant breakfast, and the weather was very good today as well."

"Glad the trip wasn't that bad. But speaking of trips… why is everyone here anyway?"

Twilight took that as her cue to speak. "We thought it may be good to travel together in the Ranger—it's faster than the train, isn't it?"

"Well, you're not wrong…" Yet again, Tyr glanced over at the almost full Ranger. "…Considering what Rarity's packed…"

"I didn't pack that much!" Rarity complained.

Rainbow frowned. "Yeah… I think you did, Rarity. Did you empty out your shop for this trip?"

"No, these are just my extras."

" _Extras_?" Chrys repeated. "…You baffle me."

"The second Ranger is always standing by," Cindy's voice offered helpfully. "However you'd need a second pilot…"

Tyr glanced over at the young dragon standing beside him, unmoving from the spot Vanna had left her in. She nodded slightly. "I can fly the other one, if you want."

"I'd appreciate that, Charlie," Tyr said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, before smiling softly. The man turned back to his friends. "Charlie's going to fly you guys while I fly all of Rarity's things." He ignored the upset look his gemstone gave him.

"Is there going to be enough room?" Ace asked. "There's like what, sixteen of us?"

"Rangers typically can hold up to two dozen individuals," Cindy said informatively. "Even with Miss Rarity's belongings taking up 63% of the space, it should still hold enough room for my Operator and his family to ride inside, so long as one of them sits in the copilot spot."

Tyr thought for a moment. "I see. How about… Evie, why don't you switch with Cori?"

"Huh?" The named filly and her parents responded at the same time.

Twilight blinked. "Why do you want her to ride with you, Tyr?"

"I thought Cori would like to be with Goldie," Tyr offered. "That and I'm sure Evie and Aleron have notes they want to compare."

Aleron blinked, before shooting his father a dirty look. But he didn't have time to refute the claim, for Evie nodded. "Okay. I wanted to share a theory with Al anyway."

"Alright."

Twilight narrowed her eyes, but nodded anyway. "Actually, speaking of theories, Sunset was telling me that she wanted to talk to you in the Crystal Empire."

"She's going?" Tyr raised an eyebrow in thought. "I'd have thought she didn't know Cadance well enough to want to go."

"I think Princess Celestia invited her. Heart Song is apparently singing at the ceremony."

"My sister is a pop star!" Ace said proudly.

Charlie tapped Tyr's shoulder to get his attention. "I'll go get the other Ranger."

Tyr nodded. "Alright."

She wandered off, seeming to Tyr a little bit lost compared to her usual tough and slightly aloof nature. Having her father away was really affecting her. Hopefully she found something fun or distracting to do while they were in the Crystal Empire. "Is she okay?" He heard Fluttershy ask.

"Flutters has a point," Rainbow said, frowning. "She seems… off. Where's Vanna?"

"Away on business," Chrys replied.

"…Business?" Twilight repeated.

"He was summoned by an interdimensional semi-deity that governs the very concept of Death itself and she needed him to help investigate what she thinks is a super dangerous threat to all existence!" Jubilee and Pinkie blurted out together.

Everyone stared at them. "Er… Well, if that's the case…"

Rainbow snorted. "Still, she's that messed up because her dad's gone off somewhere? Not a lot of kids would react that way when their parent is away."

Suddenly, there was a violet-pink flash, and Sherry appeared. Instantly she threw herself into her father. "I'm SO mad!" She yelled, burying her face in his chest.

"Oh, come on!" Bright Soul could be heard complaining from the wall. "I didn't catch her either?"

"Sherry?" Tyr blinked, instinctively wrapping his arms around his daughter. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Some stupid noble in Fillydelphia asked for my personal input on something out there," Sherry fumed. "I have to go out there this week and I can't go to the Crystalling!"

That meant their plans were ruined," Tyr realized. Sherry was more so upset that she couldn't spend time with him than seeing Cadance's baby. He gave her a soft smile and stroked her mane comfortingly. "It's okay, sweetie. Sometimes things come up."

"But this was supposed to be our week!" She protested, pushing off of him. "We were going to spend the week together—just us, with no work interrupting. And then _work_ comes by and pulls me away again!"

Tyr frowned at her. "I understand you're upset, Sherry, but this is outside both of our control. You have your duties as a Princess, and you have to fulfill them. We can reschedule."

"I was… I was really looking forward to this week though…"

Her father sighed, but a small smile grew on his face. Knowing his daughter was looking forward to spending time with him could never make him upset. "Look sweetie. We'll have other days. Not like I'm going to be gone forever or something crazy like that."

The chocolate Alicorn let him go, sliding to a seated position on the ground. "But… I don't know when we'll get the time…"

"I'll make time," Tyr assured her, kneeling in front of her. "For you, for any of my kids. If you need me, I will _always_ make time. You send me a message when you're back from Fillydelphia, and I'll be there to see you."

"Really?"

"If he forgets, we'll remind him!" Aurora declared, flying over to flop on her father's head. She grinned. "You're always in the capital, so we don't get to see you! We're ALL gonna come see you!"

"That sounds like fun," Ancè said thoughtfully. "Truthfully, although we are sisters, we have not spent any time together."

"Which is SO not cool!" Jubilee bounced over to hug Sherry. "I've never had a big sis! I want to enjoy the feeling!"

Tyr gently patted his eldest daughter's head. "See love? You have much more to look forward to than just me."

Sherry gave him a grateful smile, reaching out to hug Jubilee. "I guess you're right. Maybe when I'm done, you can all come see me?"

"Sounds perfect," Tyr replied, leaning over to kiss her forehead. At the same time, he felt—and saw—Aurora lean down to do the same. Sherry giggled, gently pulling her little sister off Tyr's head to hug her.

"Love you, Ro."

"Love you too, big sis," Aurora replied happily.

Chrys cleared her throat. When all eyes fell on her, she began to speak. "We are expected in the Crystal Empire, no? I do not intend to break up this adorable moment, but we should be on our way."

"I have to agree with Chrysalis," Twilight said after a moment. "We don't want to keep Shining and Cadance waiting."

"And you need to get back to Canterlot," Tyr addressed his eldest daughter, who smiled up at him sheepishly. "You know I don't condone running out on your duties."

"I'm a Princess!" She pouted. "I technically outrank you!"

"And I'm a dad. That's always your commanding officer."

Sherry kept scowling for a moment longer, before breaking out into a wide grin. "I love you, Papa."

Tyr grinned back, playfully mussing up her mane. "Get going before Tia comes chasing after you."

"Kay~!" Sherry gently shook off her siblings and stood up straight. "See you soon, Dad."

She nodded one last time before teleporting away. Tyr straightened up, a renewed smile on his face as he turned to see all his friends and family smiling back, no doubt at his expense because of the scene they had just witnessed. Seeking to hide the slight embarrassment he felt, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Well, where is Serenity with the Shapers that will be joining us…?"

"Here, Lord Tyr," the Seer called, catching his attention. Carver, Etch, and half a dozen Shapers followed, all wearing silver except for two, who were red. "I bring you the members of the Vanguard, at your request. Along with two scouts."

"Greetings, Lord Tyr!" One of the scouts, a mare with an eyepatch called out. Tyr blinked in recognition—it was Harrier. She gave him a tiny smile. "I er… I volunteered to go along."

Tyr smiled. The damage to the young mare's eye was extensive, but Grace was certain she could repair the damaged organ with time. Despite narrowly escaping death and being beaten senseless, her energetic personality had not faded. "Good to see you up on your hooves, Harrier. And your partner there?"

"Penn, your lordship," The other scout said. "It is an honor to travel at your back."

"The other shapers with us are Landslide and Crater," Carver explained. "You already know Etch."

"Surprised to see you wearing silver," Tyr pointed out.

Etch nodded slightly. "Joining the Vanguard seemed a… wise choice for me."

"I will be joining as well," Serenity added. "I would like to meet Princess Cadance once again."

"The number keeps growing," Fluttershy said with a little smile.

Rainbow let out a loud groan, just as the other Ranger floated down to land beside its twin. "Can we just _go_ already!?"

"How long of a train ride is it to the Crystal Empire?" Tyr asked, rolling his eyes at Rainbow.

"Normally it takes most of the day," Twilight explained. She glanced from Tyr to Charlie, who was emerging from the other Ranger. "It's one thing to ride a train, but will you two be alright flying that long?"

Tyr glanced over to Charlie, who shrugged. "I've gone for weeks without sleeping before—staying focused for half a day is no problem."

"I'll be fine too," Tyr assured the Princess of Friendship with a smile. "Considering how my mind works, I should be able to keep myself focused."

Chrysalis moved over to nuzzle his arm. "I will assist you, Master. I should be able to use my magic to keep you energized."

"Thanks, Chrissy." Rainbow cleared her throat, prompting a little chuckle from Tyr. He turned to the waiting Rangers, smiling brightly. This should prove to be a fun trip, even without his best friend hanging around. "Alright, alright. All aboard for the Crystal Empire!"

–x–

"You actually don't want to go?" Celestia stared in shock at the Alicorn before her, absolutely confused at the words she had just heard. She blinked, shaking her head a little before repeating; "You want to stay here in Canterlot?"

Hope nodded, further confusing the two Alicorns in front of her. Neither Celestia nor Sherry had expected this response from the golden Alicorn. "I don't really want to go to the Crystal Empire."

Sherry frowned. "But Hope… why not?"

"It's going to be cold!" She frowned. "I don't like it when it's cold."

"The castle would be warm," Celestia reminded her.

"I know! But… someone has to stay behind, right?" She smiled widely. "I can practice holding court! Just in case you get sick or… have to run off to meet a lover!"

Both Alicorns blushed heavily. "I don't have a boyfriend though…" Sherry muttered. Then, she glanced at Celestia, who hadn't spoken. The ivory mare had a deeper blush, looking away. "Um… auntie?"

"H-huh?" Celestia blinked. "What is it?"

"Um…"

"Aunt Tia has a boyfriend!" Hope declared.

Sherry blinked. Celestia jumped up, wings flaring. "H-Hope! You are not supposed to tell!"

"Wait, you mean the stallion that keeps sneaking into the castle sometimes?" Sherry pointed out flatly. "Sunset's dad, right?"

Celestia blinked. "You… you saw?"

"Well, I tend to stay up late, and my study window opens up towards your balcony…"

"…Oh." The mare rested her face in her hoof. "Well… yes. I'm dating Sunset's father."

Sherry grinned. "That's cute!"

Celestia sighed. "Regardless, we need to prepare for departure—I'm meeting Sunset and Heart Song and we're travelling together."

"And I have an airship to catch," Sherry glanced at a clock on the wall. "Obi and Capstone should be waiting on the _Cinnamon_ for me." That was the name of the de facto flagship of the Equestrian Armada—Sherry's personal vessel. It wasn't the largest (that honor was taken by the retrofitted _Celestia's Grace_ ) but it was one of the fastest. Plus it was the only ship in the fleet that flew Sherry's Cutie Mark as its banner.

Hope picked up Palla, who was wandering by, before smiling at the two. "Go on! I'll be fine—Ferrous and the other guards promise that I'll be perfectly safe."

Celestia and Sherry shared a short look. Celestia was taking both Ace and Flash with her, and Sherry was taking Capstone, Obsidian, and the crew of the _Cinnamon_ with her. Hope would be left with the rest of the guard. "…Well, I suppose. But stay in contact, if you can."

"Bring me back something nice!" Hope told them, nuzzling her little kitten. Celestia and Sherry smiled at that, before gathering themselves and leaving the room. Hope stayed where she was, smile still on her own face until their steps vanished into the distance. "…Ugh."

She got up, walking to the nearby window. She could see the _Cinnamon_ moored a short bit away, and even spotted Sherry appearing on the deck. In just a few short minutes, she and her two retainers would be headed for the Crystal Empire. "…Neither of you can be here this week," Hope said softly, sighing. "Because I can't have any of this go wrong."

–x–

"I'm actually looking forward to this trip," Fenrir murmured, appearing in Tyr's lap.

Momentarily sparing her a glance, Tyr smirked. "Oh really? I hadn't expected this from you."

Fenrir gave him a flat look before returning her attention to the view before them. Ponyville was long gone behind them, and even now they could see the snowy mountains in the distance. From what Tyr had been told, the Crystal Empire sat in the middle of an expansive snowy landscape, only kept habitable because of the power of the Crystal Heart. He'd have gotten more information, but Twilight was in the Ranger flown by Charlie, who was keeping formation with him quite well. The Wolf Spirit had been silent up till now. "I am more comfortable in these sorts of landscapes," She said after a moment of thought. "I know you are as well."

"I am an Ice Elemental," Tyr agreed.

"Although…"

"Hm?"

Fenrir leaned back against his chest, switching to thought-speaking. –Have you felt around in Etro lately?—

Tyr frowned. –No, why would I have to?—

—It just seems like something odd is going to happen— Fenrir scowled. –Be ready for anything—

The man nodded, before another voice interrupted his thoughts. "Honey, I'm getting sleepy…"

Tyr blinked, and glanced over to where his fingers was aimlessly running through Pinkie's still straight mane. "What? Oh, sorry Sunshine—I wasn't paying attention."

Pinkie giggled, scooting closer to lay her head on his leg. "It's fine. You're focused on flying, right? If this helps you, then I'm okay."

"It is a very interesting feeling, with your mane like this," Tyr admitted, smiling. Even though Pinkie could still be as bubbly and sporadic as always, she was more prone to these quiet and gentle moods that Tyr was honestly beginning to enjoy. And despite the wariness that her friends showed around her, he was sure the other Elements of Harmony felt that their friend was mostly recovered from her loss. However, Tyr still had to ask. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better," Pinkie replied, not needing to ask what he meant. "The pain will never fully go away, but I can move on."

Tyr nodded. "Well, that's all I can ask. You know if you ever need to let anything out…"

Pinkie grinned. "I'll come looking for your shoulder first."

"I'll be prepared," He assured her.

Pinkie settled into a more comfortable position, edging Fenrir out a little bit as Tyr continued to fly. The inside of the Ranger was quiet, as the rest of the passengers were either asleep or watching the outside world shoot past. Tyr spared a glance backwards. Luna was gently stroking Aurora's back as she slept. Evie and Aleron were sitting together on her other side, the former asleep on the latter's shoulder while he read. Jubilee was drawing something in a notebook, while Ancè busied herself with her tail. Her mother was busy as well, although she had a piece of fabric in her lap and was knitting it. Chrys was in the copilot's seat watching Valor preen himself with a bored look on her face.

Tyr grinned. "Heh. Family vacation."

The rest of the flight was uneventful, with Tyr making small conversation with Pinkie and Chrys so that he didn't zone out. But before long, Tyr spotted something bright on the horizon. Something crystal. "…Is that it?"

"I would assume so," Chrys said, the only one actually paying attention. She leaned forward a bit. "…It does look to be made of crystal."

A small ringing noise piped up, and Tyr extracted his little earpiece out of his cloak. "…Charlie?"

"Seems these do work," The dragonkin's voice replied from the earpiece. "I'm seeing a spire. Is that the Crystal Empire?"

Tyr opened his mouth to answer, but Twilight's voice came in from the background of Charlie's communicator. "Yes! That's it—you should see more of the city once we're closer!"

"Well, there's confirmation," Charlie murmured wryly, getting a small chuckle from Tyr.

"We'll set down outside the city," The elemental said, gently shaking Pinkie awake. The Element of Laughter took a moment to wake up, but once she did she immediately stuck her face to the front window.

"Ooh! We're here, we're here!" She exclaimed happily.

That woke the others up, and they all began to crowd the window ports for a glimpse at the crystal city. "That's amazing…" Ancè breathed, eyes falling on the bright and shining city.

"Almost like Los Pegasus," Tyr murmured, hearing Rarity chuckle behind him. He tapped at his earpiece. "Charlie? Ask Twilight if there's anywhere we can land."

There was a short moment as Charlie repeated his question, and then he heard Twilight's response. "Ever since Sherry authorized the construction of more airships, most major cities in Equestria have airship docks. We can probably land there."

"You heard her," Charlie continued, speaking directly to Tyr.

The man nodded, although obviously the dragoness couldn't see him. "Get Twilight to lead you in, and I'll follow."

"Roger that."

The other Ranger slipped into view then, making its way down towards the city below. Tyr's hands flew across the controls, sliding his own aircraft into formation behind it. They glided in slowly, before there seemed to be a bit of confidence in the other pilot's motions and Charlie led them down towards the city. There was a large, elevated platform made of crystal below them, with a pair of small ships docked at it. It was merely a formality to finally land. Lucky for them, the platform was large enough to fit both Rangers with ease. "We're here," Tyr said softly, leaning back in his seat. He had a bit of a cramp from sitting still for so long, so he stretched a bit.

"Are you feeling any pain, Beloved?" Luna asked softly, coming up to him while the others began filing out of the Ranger.

Tyr smiled at her. "Just a bit stiff is all."

"Let me help." Before Tyr could protest, Luna lit up her horn and gently touched his back. Instantly, Tyr felt all his soreness wash away. Seeing the shiver the magic caused, Luna smirked. "How do you feel now, my love?"

"Very… very good." Tyr smiled. "Felt weird, but thank you."

"Then reward me!" The elemental rolled his eyes before leaning over to kiss his wife. She smiled widely. "Thank you very much!"

"Let's go see this city," Chrys murmured, walking past them. "Unless you two wish to 'share a moment' before we go?"

Luna blushed heavily. "Chrysalis! That is highly unbecoming, and not appropriate."

"…I care?"

The two mares left the Ranger, bickering as they went. Fenrir hopped up onto Tyr's shoulder, Valor taking the other. "Those two never cease to amaze me," the wolf spirit murmured. "They complain and fight, yet they are still considered friends."

"I think it's a good thing," Tyr pointed out, walking out the rear hatch of the Ranger. Valor trilled happily, flapping his wings lightly as he hopping about on Tyr's shoulder. The Elemental chuckled. "Go on, I know you want to fly."

The Ice Phoenix nuzzled him happily before taking off into the cold air. Tyr watched him fly for a minute, before a familiar voice drifted over from behind him. "Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

"Must you do that every time you meet?" Chrys asked dryly as Tyr moved to join the rather large group gathered at the entrance to the airship dock. Cadance was there obviously, along with Shining Armor and at least a dozen Crystal Empire guards. The Princess of Love was in the middle of hugging her sister-in-law when she turned an amused look towards Chrys.

"Well, it does assure me you haven't taken her place," Cadance said evenly.

Chrys winced slightly, but smiled anyway. "Good to see you are well, Princess Cadance."

"Same, Chrysalis."

There was a bit of tension in the air. All the Crystal Guards were watching Chrysalis warily. Almost protectively, Tyr pulled the Changeling to his side. "Chrissy's being good, Cadance."

Releasing Twilight, the pink Alicorn smiled. "I can see that. The guards are mostly here because we've never seen those before." She gestured to the two Rangers sitting on the platform behind them.

"They are pretty conspicuous," Shining agreed, hugging his sister. "But I'm happy to see you all. Nice to see you after so long."

"It has been a while, hasn't it partner?" Applejack agreed. "Everything going alright?"

"Mostly. But we can get into the state of affairs later. Since there's so many of you, we thought it best to get you a place to stay in one of the hotels here in the Crystal Empire."

"Plus, Auntie, Sunset and Heart Song are already staying in the castle," Cadance admitted.

Luna blinked. "My sister is already present?"

"They arrived not too long ago," Shining confirmed.

"Hm. I will need to speak with her later."

Cadance grinned. "Alright, no more standing around out here. C'mon, I'll show you to your hotel. The guards will grab your things."

The group gathered about, following Cadance as she led them into the city. The guards started picking up suitcases and whatnot. Tyr made to follow, but a hoof against his side caught his attention. It was Shining, a very serious frown on his face. "Got a moment, Tyr?"

Tyr glanced up to where his friends and family were walking. Luna glanced back when she realized he wasn't following. He assured her with a smile and a nod. "What did you need, Armor?"

"Just a moment of your time," the unicorn stallion said. He glanced over at Chrys. "…Privately."

Chrys opened her mouth to retort, but Tyr placed a hand on her head to silence her. "That's quite alright, Armor. Go on, Chrissy."

The Changeling hesitated, but after a moment simply nodded. "As you wish, Master." With a bit of a disappointed huff, she walked off to join Luna and the rest. Tyr thought an apology her way before turning back to the stallion beside him. Shining Armor tilted his head, indicating that he wanted the man to walk with him. Seeing no reason not to, Tyr followed after.

Shining stayed silent for a good minute. Letting Tyr follow him down the streets of the city. It gave Tyr an opportunity to see the crystal city, quietly marveling at its construction. Every single building was made of crystal, yet it was still tinted dark enough that one couldn't simply see inside. They passed a particular odd statue of a younger Spike, holding a heart shaped crystal. Tyr was going to ask about it when Shining finally spoke up. "So how's the herd life?" He asked.

Tyr frowned slightly, turning his attention away from the ponies staring at him to look at the stallion. "It's going fine."

"Not getting tired out?"

"I get my energy back by soaking in water," Tyr informed him. "But it is somewhat difficult."

"I can imagine," Shining chuckled. "Part of me is jealous of you, but the other part feels like I'm lucky to not be in your situation."

Tyr smirked. "Well, I can handle it. Is one Princess too much for you?"

"Cady was… interesting during her heat," Shining admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "And when she got pregnant, the mood swings were hard to deal with."

"At least your wife didn't succumb to darkness and try to kill you and your friends," Tyr pointed out.

Shining laughed nervously, glancing around as if making sure Luna wasn't in ear shot. "Y-Yeah, that is true…"

Tyr's smirk persisted for just a moment, before slipping back into a slight frown. He was fine talking to Shining like this (he did consider him sort of a friend), but it was obvious that it wasn't exactly what the Prince of the Crystal Empire wanted to talk about. "…So what did you want to talk to me about, Shining?"

The white unicorn glanced over at him, before clearing his throat and schooling his features into a more professional demeanor. "…Well, if you want to get down to business, I don't mind at all."

Tyr heard Fenrir snort softly within his cloak. He smirked. "That would be best. I don't like dancing around the issue."

Shining nodded. "Same here. Cadance told me I should lead into it, but… "

"What?"

"You sure we can trust Chrysalis?" He fixed the man with an even stare. "I understand she did save your life and all, but can you really—?"

"Don't finish that," Tyr warned, eyes narrowing. "Chrys will do exactly what I tell her, when I tell her. So don't worry about her."

"I'm just trying to warn you," Shining clarified, holding up a hoof. "The Crystal Ponies are quite… paranoid when it comes to Changelings. Keep her on a short leash, will you?"

Tyr grinned. "I think she'll enjoy that more than you think."

"…That's very awkward."

"She likes it, ya know. What, Cadance doesn't have any—"

"OKAY!" Shining said loudly. "Not… what I wanted to talk about…"

That only made the elemental laugh. "I'll take your advice, Shining. Chrys will stay by me at all times while we're here."

The stallion frowned. "As long as she isn't wandering alone, it should be alright—" He paused, spotting a guard coming over to him. "Hold on a moment."

He walked off to meet the guard, the two of them holding a quiet conversation. Tyr took a moment to whistle for Valor, calling the ice phoenix to him. The bird came almost immediately, landing on Tyr's outstretched arm. The Elemental gently straightened out a couple of ruffled feathers. "Where did you wander off to?" He asked the bird, but only got a little chirp in response. "Ah. I guess you really can't tell me."

Valor chirped, rubbing his little head against Tyr's hand. "He's nothing if not affectionate," Fenrir mumbled.

"You got that right." Shining walked back over then. Tyr took a moment to look over the serious look on the stallion's face. "…Seems like the news wasn't good."

"Just some… odd news I have to take care of." He glanced up at Tyr. "You alright on your own? Need a guard to show you were the hotel is?"

Tyr chuckled. "Shining, don't forget—I'm a wolf now. I can track via scent ya know."

"Oh that's… actually kinda cool."

"I'll see you around, Shining."

The stallion nodded before following the guard away. Tyr watched him go, before turning away to the city itself. "So where shall we go now?" Fenrir asked, pulling herself out of Tyr's cloak.

Tyr thought for a moment. "I actually would like to see this 'Crystal Heart' before we go catch up with the others. Care to take a peek?"

"Why not? An artifact that powerful to keep this city from being overrun with snow? Seems very interesting."

"I thought you'd be interested," Tyr said, smiling and starting in the direction he felt the most magic coming from. It was obvious that an artifact of that much power would radiate, and it was leading him to the center of the city. Best place for something like that, he thought as he wandered down the road. Valor took off to the sky again, tracing circles in the noon sky.

A few minutes of walking later and the Crystal Heart came into view. It glowed softly, pulsing every few seconds with a faint pink glow. As Tyr approached it, he suddenly felt his steps grow heavier, as if walking forward was harder. "What the… what the hell?"

He grimaced, feeling physical discomfort as he was stopped in his tracks. Fenrir growled, clinging to Tyr's shoulder. "It's Order magic," She hissed, trying to both keep her distance and stay on her perch.

"Order magic?" Tyr repeated, incredulous. He turned his eyes back to the Heart. "That hunk of crystal?"

"Pure and whole," Fenrir asserted. "That's why we're being repulsed. We could no doubt force our way closer, but at harm to ourselves and possibly to this city."

"This has never happened before—not even against the Zodiac knights." Tyr moved back a few steps, feeling noticeably more comfortable. "Why now?"

"That's because this was created to defend," The Wolf Spirit said thoughtfully. "I can feel no hostile magic, but as we approach, it works actively to keep us away. No doubt because it senses we are a threat to it."

Tyr frowned. "So that thing is sentient?"

"Somewhat," A third voice pointed out. Tyr turned to see the recognizable mane of Sunset Shimmer approaching, a knowing smirk on her yellow-gold face. "Can't get close either?"

"Keeps us at a distance," The Elemental said as she walked up next to him. He frowned slightly. "What do you mean, 'either'?"

Sunset's eyes snapped up to him, shock momentarily written in her eyes. She quickly looked away, chuckling nervously. I-I mean… I overheard Twilight… um… ah! She said that Discord had trouble getting close to it once before. Chaos and all that, right….?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Fenrir said folding her arms. "This 'Crystal Heart' is very old. No doubt whoever made it intended it to be a protective ward for this city and the lands surrounding it."

"All the history of the city says that it's always been here," Sunset added. "Nothing I've read says that it was ever made or anything like that. It just… was."

"A truly ancient artifact," Fenrir murmured.

Tyr frowned. "Well, I guess we can't consider it evil, because it's really depending on the user. It feels oppressive to me when I walk close, but when I don't walk towards it, it's like a soft, gentle wave of comfort."

Sunset smiled. "I think that's the desired effect. It is sorta feeding off Cadance's love magic."

"Feeding?"

"From what Twilight told me, Cadance was the last magic user to channel her magic through it, so it's sort of 'tied' to her." Sunset shrugged. "I dunno how it works, and since we're here for the Crystalling, I doubt I'm going to get to pick her brain about it."

Tyr frowned. "I was sure you'd get the chance, staying in the castle and all."

Sunset blinked. "Huh? Oh, no, I'm not staying in the castle…"

"Huh? Why not?"

"I don't feel comfortable in swanky places," Sunset admitted with a small laugh. "So I asked Cadance to get me a room in the hotel you and the others are at."

"I see."

Sunset smirked. "So, you got ditched by your family?"

"What? No. Shining wanted to talk to me about Chrysalis. Seems my dear Changeling has to be kept on a short leash."

"I mean, that's to be expected. Even with you, Changelings aren't trusted. I know the feeling…" She trailed off, looking away.

Tyr frowned, examining the sort of regretful look on the mare's face. "…Sunset?"

"I stole Twilight's crown once," Sunset said, sighing. "I took it and escaped into the parallel world. She went after me to get it back, and she did. Afterwards, it took a long time before anyone would trust me."

"I understand." Tyr said, nodding. "Trust is easily lost, but hard gained."

"You're preaching to the choir there."

"But I for one have had no reason to mistrust you," The man pointed out. When the flame-haired mare looked at him, he smiled. "So far, I've never had a reason."

Sunset smiled. "I guess that's good."

Tyr grinned. "Any time you wanna hang out, don't worry about asking. You're a friend to me and my family."

"I'll hold you to that, Tyr. I gotta run—Heart wanted me to help her practice. She's singing for the Crystalling."

"Sounds like fun. Well, don't let me keep you."

Sunset grinned. "Yeah, whatever. Don't get lost!" She trotted off, sparing him a wave as she went.

Tyr waved back, keeping his smile even as she walked out of sight. "You've made a very interesting ally, Alpha," Fenrir murmured, leaning against his head. "The flame-haired one is proficient in magic. Will you recruit her to your side?"

"That would be like stealing her from Celestia," Tyr pointed out, turning away from the Crystal Heart. It would be weird explaining why he couldn't walk too close to the Heart, but he was sure that the others would understand. He frowned at the Spirit on his shoulder. "I mean, if she wanted to, I wouldn't refuse…"

Fenrir sniffed derisively. "You know, Alpha… Pack leaders do not simply ask or allow things to happen. They _demand_. I'm sure you could… 'convince' that mare to join you with ease."

"True or not, that's not my style and you know it."

"Bah," Fenrir rolled her eyes before playfully batting her tail in his face. "But your stance on this is refreshing, and I appreciate it, Alpha."

"Yeah, yeah…" Tyr had a response to that, but suddenly there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He stopped in his tracks, head snapping towards the outskirts of town. "…What?"

"Alpha? Is something the matter?"

Tyr's silver eyes stayed fixed on the distance, before narrowing. "…I can't place my finger on it, but I just feel like something is wrong…"

–x–

Sherry took a deep breath, feeling the wind blow through her mane. She truly enjoyed riding on airships, despite having wings of her own. It was one thing to fly using your own power, but another thing entirely to simply sit back and let a machine do the work for you. And considering it was _her_ ship and she was its 'technical' captain… "Enjoying the view, captain?"

The Princess of Creativity glanced behind her to see a mulberry colored mare with peach blonde hair in a thick braid. "Mayweather," Sherry greeted the pegasus. She turned back to her examination of the sky. Somewhere, off in the far reaches of the North, her father would no doubt be in the Crystal Empire right now. Where she should have been. "I'm just thinking."

"Bit for your thoughts?"

Mayweather was a relatively young pilot, serving as the proxy captain when Sherry wasn't onboard. She was bit older than the Princess, and Sherry considered her a friend. So it was easy to talk to the other mare about _some_ personal things. "I just… miss my dad."

"I know the feeling." The pegasus moved over to stand beside the Alicorn, resting her forelegs on the rail. The pilot gave her a lopsided grin. "My pa's still in Cloudsdale. Didn't really think I'd get very far as a pilot, but he did wish me luck."

"You and your dad weren't close?"

"No, we are. He just didn't expect me to be captain and pilot of one of the Princess's personal ships. Shoulda seen the look on his face when I show up with your Cutie Mark on my lapel! Right nearly gave him a heart attack."

Sherry giggled. "I didn't think it warranted that much shock."

"Well? An up and coming Princess like yourself?" Mayweather grinned. "You're making a name for ya self, love."

"Thanks, May."

The pilot nodded, then frowned slightly. "Hey… your friend doing okay? The one with the pale fur and the stone in 'er head?"

Sherry blinked. "You mean Obi?"

"Yeah… haven't seen her on deck since we left. She all right?"

Obsidian had been down in her quarters since the trip began, refusing to even open her door. Sherry assumed the poor Stone Pony was curled up in her bunk, trying to not visualize the hundreds of feet between her and any solid earth. Sherry chuckled softly. "She'll be okay. She's never seen the ground from so far below us before."

"Oh really? Huh. And I was thinking Earth Ponies had more fear a heights than that one…" She trailed off, noticing something off to the side. "Hey… seems your guard wants a word with ya."

Sherry glanced around as the pegasus walked off, seeing Capstone approach her. "What is it, Capstone?"

"Mayweather beat me to it, but it seemed like you had something on your mind." He shrugged. "She help any?"

"She did," the chocolate Alicorn assured him. Then, she smiled. "But thank you for your concern, Capstone."

The guard smiled. "Of course. I was assigned to be your guard, and I won't stand idly by while my Princess is in distress."

Sherry giggled. "Why thank you, Capstone. Are you sure you weren't just admiring me from behind?"

"Ah! I-I would n-never…!"

Behind them at the helm, Mayweather laughed loudly. "Oh my dear Celestia! Our little baker's got some spice in her now!"

"I get it from hanging around you," Sherry shot back, making the pilot laugh loudly.

Capstone chuckled nervously, trying to hide his blush. "Eh… eh heh…"

"Captain!" One of the crew called out, catching their attention. "Airship approaching us!"

Mayweather blinked. "Approaching? What banner do they fly?"

The pony in the crow's nest was silent for a bit, peering through their spyglass. "Er… They don't have a banner, ma'am."

"What does that mean?" Capstone asked, confused.

Mayweather looked grim. "I think they might be pirates."

"That's not… why would they attack a royal ship?"

"We'll have ta ask when they get closer," Mayweather mumbled to gritted teeth. "All hooves to station!"

Sherry walked over to the wheelhouse, joining Mayweather at the helm. Capstone came up as well worry on his features. The Princess frowned. "Will we have to fight?"

"Mayhaps. Maybe we can convince them to just sod off. I'm not too keen on the latter happening, though…"

"I see. I'll try, at least." Sherry cleared her throat, horn lighting up slightly. "Unidentified ship! You are on a course for impact with the EAS _Cinnamon_! Identify yourself and state your intentions!"

The only response from the unidentified craft was to increase speed. "…Well, looks like we're fighting," Mayweather growled. "Ready the cannons!"

The _Cinnamon_ was the first Equestrian ship to be fitted with offensive weaponry, namely quartets of cannons on either side of the ship. The crew rushed about, getting into positions for combat. Capstone seemed quite confused. "Er… have you ever been in a ship battle before?" He asked nervously.

"Once or twice. You'd be surprised how many pirates out there have an airship. Normally we're with the _Sunbeam_ and the _Midnight_ , but that doesn't mean we don't have fight in us!" Mayweather grinned. "Plus, it's just one ship after all!"

A pulse of magic flared outwards from the oncoming ship, and suddenly it was like a veil was lifted—two more armored airships rippled into existence beside it. Sherry swallowed. "…That's not good."

Mayweather grimaced. "…Oh. Princess? Wanna weigh in on this one?"

"We might have to exercise caution this time and run…"

Suddenly, their airship stopped moving, halting roughly. "Oh, what the actual buck!?"

"Restriction magic!" Capstone called out, rushing to the railing. "That means there's unicorns aboard those ships!"

"We're dead in the air," Mayweather said, gritting her teeth. "And if they have unicorns, we're not getting away."

Sherry's eyes narrowed, suddenly bursting into violet light. "Then we'll have to fight."

"That may not be wise, Princess Sherry," a voice called. The three in the wheel house turned to see a group of white cloaked ponies emerged from below deck, one holding a blade to trembling Obsidian's throat. The stallion holding her grinned. "Don't want your friend here to get hurt, right?"

"P-Princess…" Obsidian whispered. "What is… what is going on?"

"Do _not_ hurt Obi," Sherry growled, her magical aura growing.

"Ah, ah, ah," The blade wielding stallion said. "No hostilities. Surrender or I kill her—no questions asked."

The trio of airships finally came over, surrounding the _Cinnamon_. Grappling hooks were thrown over to hook the ships together. More armed ponies spilled over the sides, holding the crew of the ship hostage. "This isn't looking good, Princess," Mayweather murmured, glancing about. "They were even hiding amongst our crew…"

"What do you want?" Sherry demanded.

"Surrender to us, and be placed into binders and restrictor rings. Your ship will have a disabling spell placed on it for at least a few days—then they will be allowed to return to Canterlot."

"And us?"

"That remains to be seen. Will you comply?"

Sherry let her magical aura go, letting out a heavy sigh. "…I will not sacrifice my ponies for myself. I'll surrender."

Capstone gaped. "Princess, no…!" A group of cloaked ponies approached, holding chains and restrictor rings. Capstone moved over to Sherry. "Princess, you can't do this!"

"I can do as I please," Sherry snapped shortly. She caught herself, and looked away. "…I have to. My job is to protect the ponies of Equestria. And I will not guarantee my own safety over the safety of the ponies on this ship."

The leader of the cloaked ponies laughed. "How admirable. Put them on her, her guard, and this one."

Restrictor rings were placed on Sherry and Capstone, along with bindings on their legs. Obsidian was bound as well, and the trio was bundled off to one of the nearby ships. Sherry met Mayweather's gaze with her own. "…Take care of the crew?"

"You know it," the pilot stated. Then, her gaze softened. "…Take care of yourself, Sherry."

"…I'll do my best."

"Well, that's all we wanted!" The cloaked pony waved at them as he hopped onto one of the other ships. "Hope you have a fun time getting home!"

As the grappling hooks detached, Mayweather blinked. "What in the name of the Princesses…?" Suddenly, the _Cinnamon_ was free, and was rapidly falling to the earth.

"They disabled the engines!" One of the crew cried.

"WHAT!?"

Another crewmember turned to her. "We can't get them restarted in time!"

Mayweather frowned. "The hull of the _Cinnamon_ should allow us to survive a crash, but the engines will be damaged when we hit… Open the wings! We're gliding down!"

"But, Captain…"

"It's the only way to make sure we don't screw up anything else with the landing!" Mayweather grimaced. "We gotta get back to Canterlot as soon as possible—they have to rescue the Princess!"

–x–

* * *

 **Crisis Time.  
**

 **I have had a few questions asking what the big climax of my story is. Well, this is the start of it. However, I haven't actually thought up and 'end' point for Lunar Legacy. So if things go as planned, this is really the climax of the first act, if I consider it that. But anyways, we're hitting the start of the big conflict! I won't spoil anything here, of course, but it's going to be a bumpy ride for all our characters.  
**

 **But as always, thank you for Reading, leave a Review or a comment, and please Return next week for a new chapter!**

 **And remember, the Library accepts all. So don't be afraid to leave a comment!**

 **Until Next Time.**


	50. Chapter 50

**Season's Greetings and a preemptive Happy New Year, dear readers. A bit of a short chapter this time around (I was trying to transition, and any attempts at lengthening it just didn't feel right), but as always I've put the time into it. Plus, Christmas and all that. Playing with a bluetooth speaker is fun.**

 **Kevin Lapse: I will admit, there will be something about Tyr's mother in the coming chapters. Particularly something that belongs to her will show up.**

 **cadenceheart117: Very accurate guess, lol. And the Heart is Order _based_ , but has a different use. Since the magic is so old, it has a sort of conscience, which Tyr and Fenrir felt. It was sort of probing them to determine if they were a threat. Really, I see the Heart amplifying Cadance's magic. It itself can be corrupted, and after being exposed to Sombra, it might put safeguards in place. That being said, the nature of the Heart is going to be a little different than normal. And I appreciate you reading into it! I'm happy you are an avid fan, and if you ever need more clarification, I'm always willing to respond!**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Once Tyr finds out, there will be hell to pay.**

 **Chaddmychal: No kidding.**

 **Well! Onto the Chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 49: Snow Place for Worrying

Tyr had to admit, crystal beds were pretty cool. Although they were a bit shinier than stone beds, they were still firm under all the sheets and whatnot the Crystal Ponies supplied them. Apparently, all the stops had been pulled out for the 'Princess of Friendship and her party' as they were constantly referred to as. Tyr didn't mind—it meant less ponies looked at him as a creature. He shifted slightly, pulling a mumble of discontent from the Changeling curled up on his side. He smirked, gently reaching up to pull her head closer to him so he could kiss her forehead. "Wake up, Chrissy."

"M…Master?" She mumbled, slowly waking up. She got up far enough to let Tyr sit up straight. "I apologize for sleeping on you…"

"It's fine. I've gotten used to not having a bed to myself."

Chrys yawned slightly. "So? What will we do today? I am aware I must stay with you while we stay here."

"I might have to actually have you on a leash," Tyr pointed out, gently stroking her head. "Otherwise we'll have guards following us all day."

She pouted, huffing slightly. "I am no threat, unless provoked."

"I know, I know. But Shining doesn't want any trouble."

"…Very well… Just… May I request one thing?"

Tyr frowned, a little confused at how she was acting. "Er… what is it?"

Chrys lowered her head shyly, not making eye contact. "I… I don't want Cori to see…"

"…Of course, Chrissy." He smiled, understanding her desire to not be seen in that way by her daughter. "I'm sure Cori's going to be with Goldie, so we can wait until she leaves."

She smiled happily up at him. "Thank you so much, Master."

"Don't mention it."

There was a knock at the door, and a moment later Twilight's head appeared at the doorway. "Hey, Tyr? You up?"

The man and Changeling grinned, both minds momentarily in perfect sync. "I am," Tyr answered, giving Chrys a nod.

She giggled. "And he is currently half naked."

Twilight blinked. Her eyes drifted to Tyr's uncovered chest for a moment before she realized what the Changeling meant. "Half… Oh dear Celestia!" She dashed back out into the hall, cheeks burning red. "Ah… w-when you're dressed, Shining and Cadance wanted to speak with us in the castle!"

Tyr frowned. "…Us?"

"You, me, the girls, and Celestia and Luna."

"Well, Chrys has to come along—Shining says I have to keep her close."

"Uh… what? I guess that's fine… Just hurry—I don't want to keep them waiting!"

They heard her hoofsteps along the floor then, as she hurried away. "She's _very_ fun to tease," Chrys said with a grin.

"Just don't overdo it."

"And yourself?" Chrys eyed him curiously. "You chose not to bring up your… _issue_ with the Crystal Heart. How will we get into the castle?"

"Easy. We can fly, right?"

"I can. You cannot—oh. You can."

Tyr grinned. "Seems you get to be my eyes."

–v–

Twilight and the Elements of Harmony trotted into the Crystal Empire throne room, finding Shining, Cadance, and the sister Princesses waiting on them. Cadance was holding her baby, "Now this is a royal welcome!" Pinkie said, giggling.

"Pinkie…" Twilight sighed, shaking her head. Luna laughed, and Celestia smirked.

Cadance giggled. "Oh, it's fine, Twilight."

"What did ya need us for, Princess?" Applejack asked once they were in front of the throne.

Shining and Cadance shared a short look. "We have… a issue."

"I hope nothing is going wrong with the Crystalling," Rarity said, worried.

Shining shook his head. "No, but we still haven't found a Crystaller for the ceremony."

"Which we will," Cadance assured them. "But that's not why we called you all here."

"Speaking of which…" Shining frowned. "Where's Tyr?"

There was a soft knocking at the window, and they all turned to see Chrysalis standing there. She knocked on the window again, gesturing to the inside lock. Pinkie bounced over and opened it for her, grinning all the while. "Hi Chrissy!"

"Hello, Pinkie," Chrys replied, entering through the window.

A cold wind blew through behind her, quickly coalescing into the familiar form of Tyr. "Sorry we're late," He said, pulling out a leash and attaching it to Chrys's collar. The two of them walked over to join the group. "Took a bit because I had to eat breakfast."

"And then he had to feed me," Chrys said happily.

"Oh, ew," Rainbow muttered. "Do you guys have to talk like that?"

"All I did was let her sit in my lap while I ate," Tyr said, holding his arm out the window. A moment later and Valor alighted on it. "There you are."

The Ice Phoenix chirped happily, hopping over to his shoulder. Cadance cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming, Tyr. And nice to see you again, Chrysalis."

"As always," The Changeling replied.

Twilight frowned. "So? What's going on anyway?"

"Well," Shining moved forward, horn lighting up. A table-like section of crystal rose up from the floor, forming what looked to be a map of the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North. He gestured to a section of the map far to the north of the representation of the city. "Our climatologists detected a massive ice storm to the north of us. It's currently here."

Rainbow immediately spoke up. "Uh, an ice storm? Why in Equestria would Cloudsdale put an ice storm up here?"

"There in is the problem," Cadance said. She frowned, adjusting her little foal in her lap. "That storm is not Pegasus made."

That made the room fall silent, as everypony present let the weight of that statement sink in. However, there was one present that didn't get the seriousness of the situation. "I'm not following," Tyr spoke up, breaking the sudden silence. "Why is that such a serious thing?"

"Because all weather in Equestria is managed by the Pegasii of Cloudsdale," Celestia explained. "Such a storm would not—no, _could not_ —have been made without Pegasus involvement. All weather in Equestria is overseen by the weather ponies in Cloudsdale, even out here."

"That just… sounds wrong," Tyr muttered, but he shook his head. He looked over at Cadance. "So this storm… what's so bad about it? Living in the north no doubt clued you in to this sort of thing happening. It shouldn't be that hard to deal with."

"That may be true, but this storm has been growing in size for some time now," She explained. "And we've received word that it's moving towards the city."

Twilight gasped. " _Towards_ the city?"

"The whole Crystal City will be buried in snow!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Shining shook his head. "Worse. A storm of that magnitude and that size could demolish who knows how many buildings and hurt a number of ponies. We have to find a way to stop it."

Applejack frowned. "Won't the Crystal Heart protect y'all from it? It keeps the cold out already, right?"

"That's normal storms," Shining pointed out. "This one is no doubt magical in nature."

Cadance nodded. "So we were hoping you could help us, Twilight."

Twilight was quiet for a bit. "Well, if it's magical, I _might_ be able to dispel it or something. But if not…"

"Guess that's where I come in," Tyr said, picking up the train of thought. "AS an Ice Elemental, I'm probably the best bet at getting rid of this thing."

"Exactly," Shining said with a short nod. "I know you weren't expecting to be dealing with something like this…"

Tyr waved a hand. "It's fine. I honestly don't mind helping."

Cadance smiled. "Thank you Tyr. I'm glad we have a friend like you."

"We'll get a group ready to investigate," Shining said. "I and a few of our guards will be coming."

"We can use the Ranger to get there quicker," Tyr offered.

"I'd like to go talk to Sunset about getting her to come," Twilight said, catching their attention. When she noticed the confused looks the others were giving her, she hurried to explain. "Sunset's just as good with magic as myself or Starlight. She'd be able to help if we needed another magic user."

"Why don't one of the Princesses come along?" Applejack asked.

"We're needed here," Celestia said solemnly. "The storm is throwing the surrounding area's weather patterns off. For now the Crystal Heart is holding it back, but if it gets any worse we will be needed."

"Not to mention another possible problem we'd be needed for," Luna pointed out, catching Cadance's baby just as she teleported away from her mother. "This little one is almost as rowdy as Aurora was at this age…"

Cadance and Shining stared at her in shock. "…Aurora was _worse_!?"

"Oh dear, _yes_. I was simply lucky my little crescent moon grew up to be a daddy's girl. She always does what Tyr tells her."

Tyr grinned. "I do love my daughter."

Fluttershy tapped Twilight's shoulder. "Um… Twilight? Why aren't you bringing Starlight? You said you need Sunset for her magic, but isn't Starlight good at it too?"

"Hey, yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "Starlight's always using magic for stuff!"

Twilight frowned. "Starlight's busy at the moment with a task I gave her. And to be honest… I don't fully trust that Starlight wouldn't accidentally make it worse."

Chrys frowned. "And Sunset would not?"

"Sunset tends to think her plans through," Twilight pointed out. Then, she winced. "At least, I can trust her to come up with a practical solution before resorting to magical means."

"So you want her for her brain," Tyr simplified.

"I guess you could say that. Starlight is very smart, but she might be a bit distracted with the task I gave her."

"Well, if anything we'll figure out how to fix this," Shining said. "It might take a bit to get all our provisions for the trip, so I'll give you the rest of the day. We'll leave in the morning."

A murmur of assent went through the room, and the meeting adjourned. Luna was busy struggling with keeping the baby Alicorn filly from flying off, so Tyr followed Twilight and his friends out of the castle throne room. "This is so exciting!" Pinkie squealed, doing cartwheels about as they walked.

"How in the world is this exciting?" Applejack asked. "We're about to go trudging out into the snow to find a _storm_ , for Celestia sake."

"Oh, I am so glad I packed cold weather clothing," Rarity mumbled.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I mean, who knows what we could find out there! Could be some sort of magical artifact or something!" She grinned. "It's like right out of a Daring Do book!"

Twilight chuckled softly. "If anything, this shouldn't be too hard. Maybe there really is some artifact out there that's causing this! Wouldn't that be amazing?"

The group exited the castle, passing through the city square. "I just hope there's some supervillain out there for us to bash," Rainbow said, grinning widely.

"Ooh, villain bashing?" Ace and Flash suddenly appeared, with Bright Soul and Grace in tow. The white pegasus grinned. "Count me in!"

"You have a one track mind," Bright mumbled.

Flash grinned. "You'd be surprised." He turned to the group that had just come out of the castle. "So, Shining filled you all in?"

Twilight frowned. "You already know?"

"Well, yeah. The four of us technically reported in when we got here. Shining filled us in on the details."

Ace nodded. "Crazy super storm, yeah? Would hate to live out here—never been a fan of cold places."

"Seconded," Grace said. She glanced over at Tyr. "No offense."

"None taken," The Elemental said with a smile. Valor suddenly trilled loudly, and flew over to Grace. The Ice Phoenix began pecking around in her mane.

"H-Hey! Quit it—that is not for you!" Within moments, the red haired knight was trying to fend off a particularly hungry bird that had located her bag of seeds. "Tyr!"

Tyr chuckled, pulling out his own bag of seeds. "I got him, Grace. Come here, Valor."

Seeing the easier target, the blue feathered bird flew back to his owner, landing on the offered arm. Grace huffed. "Why do birds always attack me…?"

"You're the one keeping birdseed in her mane," Flash pointed out.

"…Shut up."

"What are you all doing here anyway?" Rainbow asked, nuzzling her husband.

"Wanted to see the Crystal Heart," Bright pointed out, gesturing to the artifact in question. "Flash used to be stationed here, so he brought us."

"It radiates with love and magic!" Ace said, before getting smacked in the chest by Rainbow. "Ow."

Tyr glanced over at the Heart, shock on his features. How had he gotten this close without… his train of thought trailed off as he sensed the difference in the aura surrounding the Heart. Instead of like a weight on his body that made him feel like he was walking through a swamp, it seemed more welcoming. Like it had determined that he wasn't a threat. Almost without thinking about it, he walked closer. "Something the matter, Tyr?" He heard Applejack ask.

Then, the more worried voice of Rarity. "Darling? Is everything alright?

"It's fine, just…" He stopped within arm's reach of the Heart, the gentle pulse of its magic washing over him like Cadance's magic always did.

"Alpha…" Fenrir muttered warningly.

"It's fine," Tyr said, reaching out with one hand. "Worst thing that could happen is I get blasted—"

His fingers brushed the Heart, and then he was no longer in the Crystal City. Instead, he stood in a vast, endless field that seemed to be covered in white sand. His eyes opened wide, and he blinked once. "…What."

"Hello, Tyr Winter."

Tyr turned quickly, stopping in place when he saw the speaker. Seated at a white wooden table was a woman, her friendly gaze turned to him. She was smiling at him, a curious sparkle in her bright blue eyes. Long, sky blue hair cascaded down the woman's back, pooling about her on the sand below. Her skin was perfect, a soft slightly pale color, and she wore an elegant blue and white dress with designs of hourglasses along the bottom half. Tyr blinked. "…Hello?"

"Oh, you don't know who I am. Take a scoop of the sand—that'll help."

"Scoop of the…" Tyr glanced down, looking at the sand below him. He knelt down and took a handful up to look at it. Each grain of sand was like a tiny sphere, with what looked to be pictures moving in them. "…What is this place?"

"This is what I like to call the Repository," The woman said. "But you'll get everything once you drink those."

Tyr looked back down, finding that the handful he had picked up had quickly slipped out of his hand to leave about a spoonful in his palm. "Er…" He shrugged, and lifted the tiny amount to his lips. Almost immediately, he felt a sudden rush of _information_ reach his mind. The shock of it drove him to his knees. "W-What the…"

Harmony smiled. "It's a bit of a shock, so I'm told."

"Yeah… a shock…" Tyr picked himself back up, shaking his head slightly. "That was… not what I expected."

"Take a seat?" Harmony gestured to the other chair, which slid a few inches out for him. Tyr took the offered chair gratefully.

"Thank you," He said."

"Of course. Tea?" A pair of cups appeared full of a sweet smelling drink.

Tyr frowned slightly before picking up the cup. Not accepting the hospitality of a Caretaker could possibly end in disaster. He took a sip, finding the taste quite pleasant. Not a bad drink to share. He glanced up at Harmony. "How am I… how do I know all these things about you now, Lady Harmony?"

"Because the Repository is where all memories end up," Harmony explained, sipping at her tea. "What you drank are memories I picked out for you."

"And that's… fine?"

"Oh, yes. It's not like they go away forever. They've become your memories, so they're here somewhere."

"So… Why am I here?"

"I needed to speak to you, Tyr." Her eyes were serious. "You carry a powerful legacy, and you are walking a path I am very much interested in."

"…I am?"

"I want you to be prepared."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "…Prepared for what?"

"For what you will find." Harmony smiled, and there was nothing gentle about it. "I cannot interfere in your path, Tyr, for I am Guide of all Observers. But I can grant you a blessing, of sorts."

"A blessing?"

"All who work for the Caretakers are blessed with a Brand. It will grant you powers according to which Caretaker they follow. Your friend Vanna was blessed by my sister, so her life belongs to my sister Terminus. Those who follow my sister Genesis are blessed with the power to help the world around them grow."

"And those who are blessed by you?"

Harmony smirked. "The mind is my domain, and Time my kingdom. You bear my mark, and your already impressive mental prowess will increase."

"And my prior allegiance to Jehu?"

"Boo. My half-brother only told you that because he like making a big deal out of things. As a Chaos Mage, you do technically fall under him, but as a Dreamer, you answer to me."

Tyr nodded. "Very well… I'll accept anything you wish to give, Lady Harmony."

The blue-haired woman smiled. "Good! Hold out your arm." Tyr did so, and Harmony took hold of his arm. She pressed her finger to his bare skin on the back of his hand, drawing an hourglass shape into his flesh with burning blue light. " _Tuum fatum meum_."

Blue light traveled up his veins, glowing brightly for a moment before fading away. "That… actually hurt less than I thought it would," Tyr murmured once Harmony released his arm.

"Ah, it's not supposed to hurt." She smiled warmly. "The mark won't go away, no matter what you do."

"As I expected…" He looked up, finding a sad look in her eyes. "…What is it?"

"You've got a rough road ahead of you," Harmony said, suddenly reaching up to touch his face. Her eyes suddenly glowed bright blue, and her voice took on a second tone. "…Do not fear the storm, for it is a familiar embrace for you. The Pack follows, but requires a new leader. Gather the threads, shatter the crystal, and reclaim what is rightfully yours. Tame the thunder. The Flame will be by your side through it all."

Tyr blinked. "Huh…?"

Harmony's eyes returned to normal, and she sat back in her seat. "I have a habit of seeing the future. But I've got a special Rule for myself to make it as vague as possible."

"Why. It would be so much nicer if you just told me right out!"

"But then I'd be interfering, and I can't do that unless a Plane is in danger." She sighed, before a tiny smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "But I have faith in you. You have what it takes to defend this world."

Tyr blinked. "Well… thank you. But… am I going to go back and find out I've been standing in one spot for like ten minutes or something?"

Harmony giggled. "What? Of course not! Your Patron is known as the Overseer of Time for a reason! It hasn't even been a full second yet."

"…Really?"

"Yup!" The Caretaker's smile faltered then, and she looked sad. "…You're going to suffer through a lot of pain soon, Tyr. Be strong."

Suddenly, Tyr found himself back in the Crystal City, his hand slightly away from the Heart. Harmony's Brand burned softly on the back of his hand. He blinked several times, examining the hourglass shaped mark. "…Huh."

"Tyr?" The man glanced around to see all his friends looking at him, confusion on all their faces. Twilight was the one who had spoken, and she came forward a step. "…Are you alright?"

"You touched the Heart and tensed up something fierce," Applejack added. She frowned, no doubt concerned for him. "You okay?"

"…I'm fine," the Elemental said, shoving his hand into his pocket. It would have to stay there until the glow went away. "Just… missing Sherry, is all."

"Well, miss her on the move!" Rainbow declared. "We got a storm to investigate!"

Tyr gave her a smile, before noting the confused look on Chrys's face. No doubt she had felt whatever had occurred between Tyr and the mysterious Caretaker, but since it had happened within the span of a fraction of a second, she had no idea what to make of it. She simply walked over, leaned against him, and sighed. "…My head hurts all of a sudden," She informed him.

"I know, Chrissy." Tyr gently stroked her head. "Mine kinda does too."

–x–

Sherry had to admit, being tossed into a dungeon had been expected. But having a massive quantity of blood drawn from her and then being tossed into said dungeon had been very unusual. As the metal gate was slammed shut behind her, she weakly pushed herself up to a seated position. The Cult of the Sun had been mostly gentle with her up until they had reached… wherever this was. Once they had her inside this stone fortress thing, she had been bundled off to what seemed to be a medical facility and had a large amount of her blood drawn and put into vials. She was near delirious and feeling weak, but they had left her with enough to recover. And at least not pass out immediately.

"Princess?"

Sherry turned and slumped against a wall, her eyes glancing out to the hall. There were a number of other gates across from her, no doubt leading to other cells. The worried face of Capstone was at the bars of one of the cells. "Cap… stone?" Sherry breathed weakly. "Are you… are you okay?"

"Am I okay? Princess, you look terrible! What did they do to you?"

"They… drew blood. A lot of it."

"Why would they do that…?"

Sherry shook her head. "I don't know. I just… feel really tired…"

"That's the blood loss. Don't go to sleep, Princess…"

"Where's Obi? Is she okay?"

"Princess?" The tiny voice of the young Shaper echoed down the hall. "Are you… you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Obi." Sherry smiled, although she knew the Shaper couldn't see her. "Are you okay?"

"They… they bound my legs and hung me from the ceiling…"

Sherry's smile went away immediately. No doubt the Cult had done some research into how the Stone Ponies used their powers, and had established the best way to keep her from simply tearing apart their prison was to keep her from touching the floor or walls. Clever. "Are you hurt?"

"No, they roughed me up a little bit, but I can take it."

"You're really tough, huh?" Capstone remarked.

Sherry heard Obsidian sniff. "Well, part of Shaper training is being able to shatter a boulder with your forehead…"

"…Ouch."

Sherry giggled softly. "You two… I'm glad you're both alright. I couldn't live with myself if they hurt you because of me."

There was a moment of silence. After a thoughtful moment, Capstone spoke up. "Princess… as your personal guard, I'm willing to lay my life down for yours, no hesitation."

"Same here, Princess Sherry," Obsidian pointed out. "You are my friend, and in addition to that, you are my Princess. I would gladly shake this prison to the ground in order to get you out of here."

"You two…" Sherry felt a small surge of pride—these two were loyal to _her_. "Thank you. Both of you. I promise you, I will find a way to get us all out of this—alive."

"No doubt in my mind," Capstone said.

"I know you will, Princess," Obsidian agreed. "We believe in you."

Sherry smiled. "…Thank you. I'm gonna get some rest…" She slumped against the wall again, letting out a soft breath. For now, she'd sleep. Then, she'd figure out how to get them out of here. "…I wish my dad was here."

"Considering your father could bust us out no problem, I wish he was here too," Capstone mumbled.

–x–

"You're going on _another_ mission?" Aurora asked, glaring at her father as the Winter family shared dinner. They had found a particularly well known restaurant that was willing to cater to their unusually large family. Tyr and Luna had explained to the kids what was going on, and the female half of the twins had spoken up first.

Tyr winced slightly at his daughter's accusatory tone. "Well, yes sweetie. Since it's a massive blizzard that's being investigated, they figure I'm the best suited for the job."

"If that's true," Aleron spoke up. "Why are Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie going?"

"Er…" Rarity frowned. "Twilight believes the Rainbow Magic might be needed if the storm is magical in nature…"

Ancè frowned. "But that would require this storm to be 'evil', or something like that, right?"

"Yeah!" Jubilee piped up. "You told us the Rainbow Magic was for defeating evil!"

Rarity thought for a moment. "Well… that is true…"

"It is also the most powerful magic we have access to," Luna said solemnly. "Although considering the thought, perhaps it is best we do not send you all."

"What? Why not?"

"Truly, the Rainbow Magic is useful when it comes to dealing with evil beings, but perhaps not with a force of nature. Twilight's magic should be sufficient, and if not Sunset will be going along. That should be good enough to dispel any magic. If not, my sister and I will go personally."

"I suppose that makes sense," Rarity murmured. She sighed. "Although explaining that to Twilight might be difficult. You know how she is about this sort of thing."

Luna nodded. "I will convince her. Besides—someone must stay behind to watch the young ones."

"We're good!" Aurora complained. "We don't need a babysitter!"

"I disagree," Tyr said, fixing his daughter with an even gaze. The filly blanched immediately at the look. "You're still young, and you're in a place you don't know very well. If Rarity and Pinkie stay, you all are going to be with them. No questions asked."

"O-Okay daddy…"

Rarity glanced over at Luna, who met her look with a smirk. "Daddy's little girl," The Princess of Dreams reminded her with a giggle.

Tyr smiled, reaching out to muss his daughter's mane. "I just don't want you to get lost around town or something. I don't want to be worrying about you while I'm taming a storm, okay?"

Aurora nodded gently. "Just… Come back safe, okay?"

"Of course, sweetie. Your father's tough—nothing's gonna keep me from coming home to my family."

"Considering you crossed dimensions for us, I don't doubt it," Aleron said with a small smile. "We'll be good, father."

Luna smiled. "Well, no doubt Cadance and Shining Armor will need help getting ready for the Crystalling. You all might be able to participate."

"That sounds like fun," Cori said softly. "I'd like to be helpful."

Tyr leaned back, gently scratching at the spot behind Aurora's ear. "Well, that's a worry for tomorrow. For tonight, let's just enjoy ourselves, okay?"

He was met with a round of agreement, especially from Aurora who leapt into his lap. Dinner went quite well, especially since they avoided talking about the superstorm that was out in the wastes. Once it got late, they adjourned to their rooms—the kids off to theirs and the adults to their own. Tyr was alone in his room for a moment, since no doubt his four mares were arguing about who got to spend the night in his bed with him.

"Alpha."

Tyr glanced over, finding Fenrir in her true form seated beside him. One thing Tyr always noticed was that whenever she shifted between forms, Fenrir's clothes always shifted with her. Probably due to being a Spirit of Chaos, and bending reality just by existing. "What's up?" He asked noting that, oddly enough, she was concerned about something.

"What did the Blue Overseer want with you?"

"…You knew?"

"I am a Spirit of Chaos, Alpha. Contracted with you. Even with such a miniscule amount of time spent in her domain, I would be aware of your spirit leaving your body."

Tyr blinked, that bit of information confusing him. "My spirit left my body?"

"Momentarily." Fenrir snorted. "It happened so quickly I almost didn't catch it. The ways of the Caretakers are strange even to me. When you touched the Heart, I knew the Blue Overseer had called you away. What did she wish to discuss?"

"A warning," Tyr explained, frowning and looking at the hourglass on the back of his hand. The blazing glow was gone, but it was still a stark blue color against his darker skin. "And a blessing."

"What was the warning?"

Tyr frowned, letting his perfect recall kick in. "She said 'Do not fear the storm, for it is a familiar embrace for you. The Pack follows, but requires a new leader. Gather the threads, shatter the crystal, and reclaim what is rightfully yours. Tame the thunder. The Flame will be by your side through it all'. What do you think it means?"

Fenrir snorted derisively. "I'm not one for prophecies, Alpha. For all I can figure, this trip north will not be pleasant. We may be walking into danger, but that simply serves to make me all the more excited."

Her tail wagged excitedly, making Tyr chuckle and gently pat her head. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it myself."

"But… something still troubles you."

Tyr nodded. "Not counting that weird feeling that's been nagging at the back of my mind, there was one other thing Lady Harmony told me."

Fenrir frowned. "What was it? Any hint or clue from someone who can see all Time is useful."

"She said I was going to suffer a lot in the coming days. That's when she sent me back I guess."

"Then be prepared for your resolve to be tested," Fenrir warned him. "But you are my Contractor, so I know you will be fine. You have me to look out for you anyway!"

"Always the prideful wolf," Tyr joked, scratching behind her ears harder. She growled happily, moving to a spot in his lap so that he had better access.

The wolf spirit chuckled. "Wolves have reason to be prideful."

There was a soft knocking at the door, and they both turned to look. "Darling? I do believe I've won the privilege for tonight…"

Tyr had to admit, Rarity did seem proud of herself. Fenrir hopped out of his lap and shifted into her wolf form, curling up on a cushion in the corner of the room. The door opened to allow Rarity access. "You won?" Tyr asked, amused at the thought of democracy popping up among his mares. "How did that work out anyway?"

"We rolled a dice. Although it was a rather… barbaric way to decide, it is effective." She moved over to sit beside him, smiling warmly as he automatically pulled her to his side. "I count myself lucky."

"I'm guessing Chrissy was disqualified?"

"Of course. She was with you last night."

"Understandable."

"…Darling?"

"Hm?" He looked down at her, noting the concerned look on her face. "What is it?"

"It's… well, I just feel like something is bothering you."

Tyr sighed. "I know what you mean. Something is, but I can't figure out what. I'm hoping I just have a nagging feeling about this storm."

"I do hope you will be proven wrong, my love."

The man simply nodded, not wanting to bring up the prediction Harmony had given him. There was no need to worry Rarity over it, especially when telling her would no doubt mean the next thing to happen would be Luna, Pinkie and Chrys would be in his room demanding an explanation. Best thing to do would be to simply look forward to the future and steel himself for whatever came up.

No jinxing it though.

–v–

Considering how many things were being prepared and worked on in the Crystal Empire this week, it was a very quiet affair on the airship dock as the expedition group assembled. Twilight, Luna and Celestia were deep in discussion, with Tyr, Chrysalis, the Crystal Guards and the other Elements of Harmony standing off to one side. Tyr was seated on the ramp of the Ranger, gently running his fingers through Chrys's mane while they waited. "What are they even talking about?" Rainbow asked, landing beside him.

"If the rest of you are going," Tyr explained, glancing over at her. He was pleasantly surprised to see her in what looked to be light armor, complete with a cloak of sorts. "You're in uniform?"

"I got promoted," The cyan pegasus replied. She grinned. "I'm officially a Sergeant now."

"Oh, nice. Congrats."

"Thanks! Means I gotta wear this when going on missions like this, but it doesn't get in the way of my flying."

"And I'm a fan of my Dashie in uniform," Ace said, landing beside his wife. He nuzzled her. "Hey honey. I figured you all would be gone by now."

"We're waiting on Twilight," Rainbow informed him, smiling a little at the affection. "Apparently the princesses had something they wanted to discuss with her. What are you doing here?"

"Thought to see you all off. Grace got asked to help in the Crystal Hospital, and Bright Soul is at the library. Flash is watching over Evie. What are they talking about anyway?"

"Tyr says we might not all be going."

"Oh? So then the Rainbow Magic won't be needed?"

"I'd like to think not," Rarity said from her spot beside Pinkie. "I do detest going on such risky ventures."

"Well, Twilight might need us," Applejack pointed out, Fluttershy nodding in agreement. "Y'all ain't gonna leave her high and dry, are ya?"

Rarity huffed. "Of course not! I am willing to support my friends through any risk or undertaking!"

"Although she may complain about it as we go," Tyr joked, getting a flat look from the fashionista.

"I am not that bad!"

Applejack chuckled. "Rarity, you complain more than a pig waiting on dinner."

Rarity continued grumbling, but Pinkie nuzzled her to cheer her up. "Come on, Rare-bear. AJ doesn't mean anything mean by it…"

"I know," The violet maned mare mumbled. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't bother me…"

Twilight and the other Royals adjourned their meeting, walking over to where Tyr and the other ponies were waiting. "We've decided that all of us are going, but we're going to try and find a spot close by and leave the majority of our group with the Ranger."

"So who's going up to the storm?" Rainbow asked.

"Myself, Tyr, Sunset, Shining and you, Rainbow. If we need the rainbow magic, we can easily just bubble with Shining's shield and we should be able to get close. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

Celestia nodded. "We have faith that Tyr will be able to tame this storm."

"Hopefully I won't let you down," Tyr admitted with a little smile. The Solar Diarch simply smiled back at him.

"I have full confidence in you."

"Good, cause you get to be an aunt while I'm gone."

"…What?"

"Ooh!" Pinkie giggled. "Princess Celestia is going to take care of the kids?"

"That is a good point," Luna said, looking to her elder sister. "You have not spent time with _all_ of your nieces yet."

Celestia blinked. "…Oh dear."

Tyr grinned. "Hope you enjoy. Jubilee and Aurora are a handful."

"I can imagine…"

"Um…" Fluttershy held up a hoof. "You said Sunset was coming along, right? She's… not here yet."

"Did you remember to tell her when we were meeting?" Rainbow asked Twilight.

The Princess of Friendship frowned. "Er… I'm sure I did…"

"I'm here!" Sunset's voice called out. Every eye turned to see the mare in question galloping towards them, saddlebags bouncing with every stride. Just as she reached them, something caught her hoof and she tripped, almost falling face first into the ground if not for Tyr's quick reflexes. He caught her just shy of shattering her nose. "…Oof. Thanks Tyr."

The man chuckled and set her back on her hooves. "No problem, Sunset. Did you oversleep?"

"I got lost," Sunset said bitterly. "No one was around the hotel to tell me where we were meeting. It wasn't until Aurora told me where you all were than I managed to find my way."

"Sorry Sunset," Twilight said sheepishly. "That's kinda my fault."

"It's fine, it's fine. So are we going now?"

Shining frowned. "Do you have everything you need?"

Sunset shrugged. "I tend to over prepare. I get it from my dad."

"Oh?" Celestia seemed thoughtful.

"Well, I'm good to go. Was I the last one to show?"

"Pretty much," Applejack pointed out. She glanced over at Tyr. "Ready to fly again, sugarcube?"

Tyr shrugged. "I had a restful night. And this isn't that far of a flight, so I should be fine."

"Wonderful!" Twilight smiled widely and turned to the group. "Let's get going and find out what made this storm!"

–x–

* * *

 **Well, as I said, a little shorter than usual. But still good! A bit of insight into Harmony's motivations, and the beginning of the Storm crisis. It's no doubt going to be a bit more than they all expect, in a number of different ways. The kids express their displeasure at their parents running off to 'save the world', or so they say. They might still get into some shenanigans while they're in the Crystal Empire, though. But that's another chapter.  
**

 **As always, thanks for Reading, leave a Review or comment if you like, and Return for the next chapter, where something may or may not be struck by lightning or frozen solid.**

 **Until Next Time, Readers!**


	51. Chapter 51

**I return again, dear Readers. Hopefully you all have had a pleasant week. As promised, I bring you a significant;y longer chapter than before, as we push even more into the crisis around the Crystal Empire.**

 **Kevin Lapse: I'd never kill Sherry! I love her! Plus, you know how I am with cliffhangers. :D**

 **chaddmychal: Sometimes my chapters don't end up as long as I want. But They'll no doubt be getting longer as this section continues.**

 **cadanceheart117: You're on the right track, but not for the reasons you think.**

 **Well, enough out of me. Onto the Chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 50: Eye of the Storm

"We're nearing the last known location of the storm," Shining said, moving up into the cockpit of the Ranger. "Can you see it?"

"I'm seeing a huge wall of snow," Tyr said dryly. "I'm guessing that's it."

"This is serious, Tyr."

The man gave the Prince a flat look. "Shining, this is a crisis to you, and I get that. But considering this is something I can naturally dissipate, I'm not all that worried."

"…Right…"

"But yes, I can see the storm." Tyr frowned, watching the swirling mass of ice and snow in front of him. Flying the Ranger into that would be suicide, even with whatever hyper advanced technology the ship carried. "Should we set down somewhere nearby?"

"Probably the best course," Twilight said, coming forward as well. "We'll want to be at a decent distance from the storm so we can analyze and scan it with magic."

Cindy's voice, ever helpful, piped up from the control console. "Operator, there seem to be a set of caves below you. One such should be large enough for your party to settle in safely."

Tyr grinned. Even when he was away, Cindy was still always helpful. "Good looking out, Cindy. I appreciate the help."

One could almost hear the elation in the Controller's voice. "Of course, Operator!"

"Everypony!" Shining turned to the passenger compartment, his voice catching the attention of all those present. "We're going to be setting down in a space away from the storm, so be prepared for anything!"

"Like what, snow?" Rainbow snorted, getting a little laugh from Applejack and Pinkie. The Crystal Guards all gave her flat looks, to which she seemed to take offense. "Hey, what's up with that? Quit looking at me like that!"

Shining sighed heavily. "I have to keep reminding myself you all aren't military…"

"This is how we always manage to get by," Twilight assured her brother, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll be fine. Somehow."

"Here's hoping…"

Tyr expertly maneuvered the Ranger to a spot between two large snow dunes, right at the entrance of a large cave. Pausing momentarily to cast a sonar spell over the area, he confirmed Cindy's information—the cave was quite large, not big enough for the Ranger to fit but spacious enough for their party to shelter in for the time being. "Seems we have a good 'base of operations', so to speak."

"Well, best to not put it off. Everypony, we're moving into the cave, and from there we'll tart our investigation," Twilight informed them all. "Let's get going—I don't want to be out here for too long."

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "There's a party waiting for us back in the city, and I'm not gonna miss it!"

Shining rolled his eyes, but ignored the hyperactive party pony for now. "We'll get our equipment set up and then our first group will go do preliminary examinations."

"Which simply put means we'll be seeing if Tyr can dispel or control the storm."

"I know you can do it, Honey!" Pinkie said, holding up a sign that read 'GO TYR!' in big pink letters. "You show that blizzard who's boss!"

Tyr gave her a small smile before noting the sudden surge of jealousy coming from the Crystal Empire guards, along with a little tinge of envy from Fluttershy. [Oh dear. Seems that heat induced crush of hers isn't going away any time soon] Chrys thought, sidling up beside her master.

[Hopefully it does, I'm not planning to get accused of cheating anytime soon] Tyr thought back. He hit the hatch release on the Ranger, letting in the sudden chill of the outside. "Alright! Get to the cave!"

They hustled out, a moment of confusion as Rarity tried to get a scarf around hers and Pinkie's necks. The Crystal Guards lugged out a number of large cases and bags, some opening up into tents while others set up what looked to be weather scanning devices. "Wowee!" Pinkie squealed, zipping over to one.

The guard at it shoved her back roughly before thinking about it. "Don't touch that!"

"Watch it," Tyr warned, stepping out into the snow. "It's fine to keep her away from it, but don't be so rough."

"Unless you'd like your legs bent the opposite way," Fenrir added, perching on his shoulder.

Shining sighed. "Tyr. Please don't threaten my guards."

"I'm not," Tyr countered with a sly grin. "Fen is."

"Let's not start off on a bad note," Twilight said, shooting Tyr a little glare that told him to be on his best behavior. "Come on, let's get everything situated and then we'll go see what's going on."

The Elemental and Prince both nodded, following after the Princess of Friendship as she joined the rest of their group in the cave. "So all this is weather gear?" Tyr asked, looking over one of the taller, antenna like instrument.

"We've gotten pretty good at checking out the weather," Shining informed him with a short nod. "If you can't control the storm, we can track it's path with these."

Tyr frowned. "A lot seems to be relying on me dispersing this blizzard," He pointed out.

Twilight smiled slightly. "You are the Ice Elemental we have around. This is pretty much your area of expertise."

"Yeah, yeah…" He felt Chrys bristle at how Twilight referred to him, but he stroked her head comfortingly to calm her. No one seemed to notice except for Pinkie, who gave her a little frown.

"So are we going now?" Rainbow asked, ever impatient. "I'd like to get back to my kid sometime soon."

Shining looked over at Twilight, who shrugged. "I thought we'd take a moment to prepare, but… If Tyr's ready…"

"I don't really have to prepare or anything," Tyr pointed out. "So I'm ready whenever."

"Okay. Sunset?"

Sunset trotted over then, having not bothered to put her saddlebags down. "Yo, what's up?"

"We're going now. You good?"

"H-Huh? Uh… yeah, I'm okay going now…"

"Make it quick and get it over with," Shining said with a nod. "Good idea. If we rule out Tyr's powers now, we have more time to plan."

"We'll need to go on foot," Tyr pointed out, narrowing his eyes slightly. He was beginning to get tired of all the references to his powers, and Shining's military approach to this whole affair. He kept all those feelings to himself, instead keeping his tone as professional as possible. "I'm not risking our only means of transportation home in that sort of storm. Shining should be able to keep us in a bubble until we're close enough."

"That I can," The Prince replied.

"Okay!" Twilight smiled widely—she was somehow enjoying herself. "Let's get going!"

She led the way outside, Tyr, Sunset, and Shining joined her, the last of the group putting up his signature bubble shield to protect them somewhat from the cold. [I'll be back soon,] Tyr thought, giving Chrys one last pat before following after.

[Be safe] She thought after him, joined shortly by Rarity and Pinkie to see him off.

The vanguard group moved quite quickly, Tyr's ability to harden the snow under them making for easy travelling. But despite that, the ever closer storm began to lash out at them, slowing their progress as it weighed down Shining's shield. "How close do we need to be!?" Shining yelled over the noise of the whipping winds. The blizzard was furious, lashing against the pink done as if trying to punish them for even getting close. "This is too heavy to push further into!"

"This is ridiculous!" Rainbow muttered. "We'd need like, every pegasus from Cloudsdale to make or break a storm this strong!"

"I can do this from here," Tyr said. He could feel the malevolence of the storm about them—nature was not happy. "Let me out of the shield and I can do it."

"Alright, I can only let it down for a short second. Ready?"

"Be careful Tyr," Sunset said. She frowned slightly. "Even from behind the shield I can feel faint traces of magic…"

Tyr frowned, but Shining lowered his shield then, quickly giving him space to walk out and feel the wind against him. Behind him the shield went up once more. The elemental faced down the storm, grateful for the clasp holding his cloak from flying off his shoulders. "Well, best to get to work," He murmured, holding out his arms.

What… what is this?

His eyes snapped open wide, noting that for some reason, the storm seemed to calm around him, losing its fervor suddenly. Like it was simply swirling around him instead of raging. Huh. Suppose nature recognizes him. "Calm or no, I have to stop this thing entirely," He said quietly, closing his eyes and letting his magic stretch out into the display of nature's fury about him.

What he noticed immediately was how the storm felt. Like it was thousands of scattered threads whipping about like the wind itself. But at the same time, it was one large entity. "Tyr!" He glanced back, seeing the worried look on Twilight's face. "Can you do it?"

"I can feel the threads of power, but…" He trailed off, facing the storm once more. Each time his magic reached out to take control of the storm, it welcomed him, while simultaneously refusing his attempts at containment. It wanted to be near him, but he couldn't hold on. "They come to me, but I can't gather them up. It's like… I need something else. Something to focus it."

"You can't control it?" Shining demanded. "Well, that plan's out the window. We need to—!"

[Master!] Chrys's thoughts suddenly burst into Tyr's mind, and he missed the rest of what Shining said. [The camp is under attack!]

"What?" Tyr turned around, back in the direction of the camp. "Shining! We need to go back!"

The Prince frowned. "Er… we were planning to do that anyway. You couldn't stop the storm, so—"

"The camp is being attacked!" Tyr snarled, scowling. "Twilight, teleport back, now!"

The violet Alicorn blinked several times before realizing what he wanted and her horn lit up. A second later and they were gone. Tyr quickly followed after, arriving just as Twilight and the others did. That's when he saw them. Dozens of large white furred bears stood atop a nearby snow drift, all armed in what looked to be metal armor and carrying weapons. "That's certainly not good," Fenrir murmured.

"Those are Ursa!" Twilight gasped. "They live out _here_?"

A single pony appeared on the ridge, clad in a cloak and a golden circlet on his head. An amulet hung from his neck, glinting against the light reflected from the snow. Tyr's eyes homed in on it. It was a simple golden ring, but something odd appeared to him. In the center of the ring was a sphere of pure ice, floating in the center. [That amulet] Fenrir thought, but there was no time for inspection. The Pony on the ridge flung one hoof forward and a gem in the center of his circlet glowed. "Destroy them."

The dozens of ursa bellowed once before dropping to all fours and charging the camp. Shining leapt forward immediately, horn lighting up. A barrier was quickly thrown up to seal the entrance of the cave. "There's a pony leading ursa around?" Rainbow demanded.

"That amulet must be what's controlling the storm!" Twilight said. She glanced excitedly over at Sunset. "That means he must have made the storm! I was right about it being some kind of relic!"

Sunset was staring at the pony with her eyes wide. "That circlet… that magic… I _know_ that magic…"

"Of course you do, Sunset Shimmer!" The pony said as the ursa stopped short of the shield. "After all, you inspired this magic. A control spell powerful enough to control an entire army!"

All eyes went to Sunset, who looked horrified. "My spell… the one I tried to use in the other universe… You found it?"

"What spell is he talking about, Sunset?" Shining demanded, turning to her.

The flame haired unicorn took a nervous step back, noting that the Crystal Guards were edging forward. "I…"

"Don't act so antagonistic," Tyr said, moving over beside Sunset. He gave Sunset a small smile. "Go ahead and explain."

That seemed to calm the poor mare down. She glanced over at Twilight, who also nodded at her. "Well… I took your sister's old crown to use it to mind control the students in Equestria High. I wanted to make an army to take over Equestria."

"But it didn't work!" Twilight said, noting the frown creasing her brother's brow. "She's changed since then, Shining! She's a good pony now!"

"Suppose I don't have any reason to mistrust that," Shining said, frown easing slightly. He turned back to the pony on the ridge. "Who are you and what do you want with us?"

"I am Frost Storm," The pony said, pulling down his hood to reveal a pale gray stallion with a spiked ice-blue mane. "And this storm is mine!"

"Well, you're not going to use it against us!" Applejack said. "Y'all ain't got nothing that can touch Shining Armor's shield!"

"Yeah, jerk!" Pinkie added.

The other ponies moved forward, adding to the resistance. Frost Storm grinned, holding up a sphere shaped object. "Oh really? I was prepared for this. Enjoy a gift from _our_ engineers!"

He tossed the sphere down, it landing right before the edge of the shield. "Seems your toy doesn't work," Rainbow said, folding her arms proudly.

"Ah. You don't know."

"What?"

The sphere suddenly detonated in a bright blue glow, and suddenly Shining's barrier fell. The unicorn himself had fallen to his knees, hoof going to his forehead in pain. Tyr blinked in surprise, before hearing more cries of surprise and confusion. He glanced around to find nearly everyone around him incapacitated. "A nullification device?" Sunset groaned, holding her head.

Frost Storm laughed loudly. "Ha! How the mighty have fallen! Who can you protect now, Prince…" He trailed off, apparently noticing that Tyr had not reacted, save to block the light from his eyes. "You… you human. Why aren't you affected?"

"Can't chain this wolf," Tyr said with a snarl, drawing his sword.

"…No matter. Kill him!"

The ursa charged forward, crossing the short distance with a thundering of hooves. Tyr gritted his teeth, flinging one arm outwards. His argent army formed with nary a command, locking shields in the face of the ursa charge. Metal crashed with magic, Tyr holding firm against the mass of muscle. "Get back in the cave!" Tyr yelled. "I can hold them long enough!"

"Do not let the Prince and the Princess escape!" Frost Storm snarled. "We need them as hostages!"

"Get past me if you can!" Tyr shot back, his magic soldiers pressing forward a step. The ursa redoubled their efforts, only to be repulsed.

"T-Tyr!" Fluttershy called out, even as she was being pulled away by Applejack. "Don't hurt them! They don't want to fight!"

"You can see that?" Applejack asked, incredulous.

[They are being mind controlled] Fenrir pointed out.

"Nothing lethal then," Tyr muttered. One ursa leapt over the wall of soldiers, poleaxe held high over his head. The Elemental frowned, easily dodging the heavy-pawed strike. He was momentarily caught off guard at how big the ursa was. The one in front of him stood well above even his six foot frame, and was all muscle. The ursa wore thick metal armor, but no helmet—allowing Tyr to see the murky, dark red color in the bear's eyes. "…Definitely mind controlled," He muttered.

The ursa bellowed in challenge, weapon swinging back around to take Tyr's head off. But as the smaller and lighter of the two combatants, Tyr easily deflected the blow and moved aside. He jumped back, quickly sheathing his sword and forming his frost one. Instead of a normal blade, he made a warhammer. With a powerful swing, he knocked aside the ursa like it was nothing. But the lapse of focus on his soldiers meant more ursa could follow after their fellow bear. Tyr suddenly found several more ursa surrounding him. [Seems you're surrounded] Fenrir thought with a little laugh.

"Ha ha. Ice and fang time!"

Tyr's army of soldiers vanished, only to be replaced by a number of silver wolves. Fenrir howled in excitement, and nearly all the ursa froze in place. "… _Wulfen_ ," The ursa nearest to Tyr growled, turning to him.

[…They talk?]

"I don't think they take kindly to wolves," Tyr muttered, a moment before he was swarmed by almost every ursa in the area.

[Well, if we intended to get their attention, we did just that]

The battle continued in earnest, Tyr using his smaller size to avoid instead of block any attack thrown his way. Fenrir and the pack of magic wolves ran rampant through the fight, wreaking havoc amongst the taller ursa. "You idiots!" Frost Storm yelled. "End him!"

"Tyr!" The named Elemental turned at the sound of his name, seeing Sunset galloping towards him. One Ursa turned to attack her, only to take a fireball in the face.

"Sunset? Why aren't you in the cave with the others?"

"I can still fight," the mare told him with a little smile. "I recovered quickly."

Tyr opened his mouth to ask another question, but heavy footfalls caught his attention. An even bigger Ursa was moving his way, a massive two-handed sword grasped in his paws. It bellowed loudly in challenge. "…Well then. Sunset, can I count on you to watch my back?"

The mare glanced up at him, surprise momentarily on her face. "You… you trust me?"

"I thought I told you before. I got no reason not to." Tyr grinned. "So you got my back?"

Sunset smiled widely. She turned to the surrounding Ursa, horn lighting up and an aura of flame forming around her. "Anything that gets close is going to be extra crispy," She said excitedly.

"At the risk of repeating myself," Frost Storm muttered, but the ursa needed no more prodding. They rushed in, only halted by Tyr, his wolves, and Sunset's magic. Faced with this sort of opposition, the ursa had a hard time advancing. Tyr's ice slowed and disoriented them, and Sunset's flames burned and drove them away. Frost Storm was livid. "Fine! If you can't take them, I will!"

The stallion lifted up his amulet, suddenly being wreathed in ice. With a wave of one hoof, he directed the storm down on top of them. It grew in size and intensity, becoming a massive storm that engulfed the entire area. "What in the name of the sun—Tyr!" Sunset gasped, just as Tyr grabbed her around the torso. Ignoring her embarrassed squeak, he snapped an arm towards the cave, erecting a wall of ice to cover the still disoriented ponies inside. He saw Rarity and Pinkie's surprised faces for a moment before snow obscured the wall. "Tyr, what are you…?" Sunset began again, but the man curled over her, a dome of ice forming over them just in time for the ice storm to wash over them and bury them in snow. The sound of the raging storm was muffled immediately, only to subside moments later.

Tyr sighed. "That guy… obviously does not have any idea what he's doing with that thing."

"H-huh?"

"I might have control over ice, but even I wouldn't attempt a storm like that in such close proximity." Tyr frowned, glancing about the small enclosure. "Fen, where are you?"

The wolf spirit dug herself out of the snow below the two, shaking her head violently to get the snow out of her fur. "Confound that stallion. Burying the area in snow? That was his master plan to kill us?"

"Probably figured we'd be stuck under here and slowly die."

Sunset swallowed heavily. "Um… Tyr?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"You can… uh… put me down now."

Tyr glanced down, noting his arm was still curled around her. He hurriedly let her go. "Sorry about that."

"No, I'm fine," Sunset assured him. She gave him a weak smile, hoping that he wouldn't notice she was less embarrassed than hoping to bite into his neck. Damnable vampire instincts! Why hadn't she had something to drink this morning before they left? Ignoring her craving, she glanced up at the dome. "So the story about your ice magic was true, hm?"

"True as your hair reminds me of fire," Tyr replied with a grin. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"What? Of course not. I'm pretty tough, if I do say so myself."

"I won't doubt it. What do you think we should do now?"

"Well, an idea would be to stay in here," Sunset said thoughtfully, patting the snow beneath her hooves. "Or we could dig our way out and hope they're not up there."

Tyr clenched one fist, his argent aura flaring to life as he cast his sonar spell. "…They're still up there. I can see them."

"That's an interesting spell," Sunset murmured, watching as Tyr shifted about in the dome. "What are you going to do?"

"Blast that Frost Storm into next week," Tyr said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If we can run him off, we can easily get everyone back into the Ranger and back to the Crystal City."

Sunset nodded. "Good plan, I guess. I got your back."

Fenrir grinned savagely. "We're going to have a lot of fun, aren't we?"

Tyr didn't respond, instead placing his hand on the dome. His magical aura flared ice-blue, and the dome exploded outwards, creating a clear space in the snow. When they climbed out, they found Frost Storm trying to rally his ursa, who were comically buried in the snow. The sound of Tyr's dome detonating caught his attention. "You… you're still alive?"

"I'm notoriously hard to kill," Tyr pointed out, letting his aura of cold form. "Besides. Trying to kill me with a blizzard? _Bad idea_."

"This storm is under my control!" Frost Storm said, grabbing at his amulet. "You have no power here!"

"Try me!" Tyr countered. The stallion growled, and raised his amulet into the air.

Suddenly, there was a quiet cracking noise. "…What was that?" Sunset asked, looking around worriedly.

Tyr was quiet for a moment, before holding up his wrist. "…Cindy?"

The Controller's voice came back almost immediately. "Yes, Operator?"

"I have reason to believe we're above a cave system. Would I be correct in saying that?"

"Yes, actually. The cave you were in does not connect to it. You are directly over a very large cavern, as it were."

"Wonderful," Fenrir said dryly. "We're falling again."

The cracking noise grew louder and louder, Frost Storm and his ursa quickly trying to get away. Tyr glanced down, finding cracks beginning to form under his feet. "Oh, why can't we just be on _solid_ ground for these things…?"

Neither the flame haired mare at his side or the wolf spirit had a chance to answer as the ground below them fragmented into pieces and they plummeted into the crevasse. Tyr managed to stab his blade into the wall, arresting his descent. But just as he stopped, Sunset fell past him, crying out as she went. "…Damn it," Tyr sighed.

"Can't we let her die?" Fenrir asked from her spot clinging to his shoulder, but Tyr knew she wasn't truly serious.

"Not a chance," Tyr said, pulling his blade free and falling after the mare.

–v–

The soft whisper of wind echoed through the cavern, and gentle light reflected off the spacious interior. Sunset's eyes flickered open, and she groaned as every bone in her body protested at the pain she was in. "God… I wish I couldn't _feel_ right now…"

She pushed herself up onto her hooves. Looking up, she could see the small hole they had fallen through. It was tiny, which only showed just how far they fell. As she was wondering just why she wasn't a red (possibly) splotch against the ice, she heard a soft groan below her. She looked down to find Tyr lying under her. Cracks radiated from the ice below him, indication of how hard he had landed. "I… am really glad I know how to harden my body," The man groaned.

"Tyr!" She jumped off of him, fear in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Considering you're saying my name, that means you're fine." He smiled.

Sunset gave Tyr a quick look over. He was mostly fine, but no doubt most of the damage was internal. "Tyr… you used yourself as a shield to protect me?"

"You might be tough, but I'm probably tougher," Tyr said, sitting up. Fragments of ice fell off his back, part of the ice shield he had made in order to soften the fall. It hadn't been much, but it had been enough to keep him from shattering the bones in his body.

"You… you didn't have to do that for me…"

"I wasn't going to just let you die."

Sunset was about to retort that she was 'technically' already dead, but she caught herself. "…Thanks."

"No problem. So, we're in another cave."

"How quaint," Fenrir said, appearing on the ground nearby. "Oh, how I do adore enclosed spaces…"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Come on, Fen. There's air blowing through, so there's no doubt an exit to the outside on our level."

"We can't just teleport back up?" Sunset asked.

"Do you want to attempt teleporting back to a place we can't see and don't recognize in our condition?"

"…Fair enough. Can you walk?"

"…One sec." Tyr shifted to where he was kneeling on the ground. To the surprise of Sunset, he sunk his arms up to the elbow into the ice. Pale light radiated from the ice, and Tyr let out a gentle sigh. "Not as good as full submersion, but it'll have to do for now."

"What are you doing?"

Tyr glanced at her, before remembering the mare had no idea what any of his abilities were. "I can absorb energy from the ice. Well, ice or water, really. It's kinda like getting a good night's rest. I guess there's not a lot of latent energy around right now, because of that stallion and his _attempts_ at manipulating the weather. I guess me detonating a dome above brittle ice didn't help either…"

"So you didn't get much from it?"

"No, unfortunately. But I'm capable of surviving. How about you?"

Sunset gave him a weak smile. "I should be good. We should be able to get out of here, right?"

They would find out not too long after that their hopes at getting back to their friends and the Crystal City were a bit more far-fetched than they wanted. It took them the better part of a day to even find a tunnel that led outside, and by the time they saw the outside, the sun had set. And considering the snowy landscape, it would be twice as hard trying to find their way around. So reluctantly, they made an impromptu camp in the cave entrance. Sunset was recovered enough to start a fire, and the man, mare and wolf spirit gathered around it. Or at least, Sunset sat across from the Elemental and his Chaos Spirit. She watched as Fenrir curled up in Tyr's lap, the man gently stroking her back. From the way they seemed, the two were very close.

If only she had a friend like that.

–x–

"You're going to leave?" Even Tempo asked, blinking in surprise.

Trixie nodded stiffly, eyes flicking to the side as she attempted to avoid looking either Even Tempo or Read Write in the eyes. Unfortunately, she met gazes with Rara, who frowned. "…Is something wrong, Trixie? You know you can talk to us."

"I…" She faltered slightly, glancing over at Audio who was beside her. Her daughter seemed to know her mother was looking her way and gently leaned up against her. "I am doing very little around here, and although I am grateful for your hospitality…"

"You're free to stay here for as long as you want," Read pointed out, folding his forelegs. "I'm not going to kick you out or anything like that."

"That's not the issue," Trixie asserted.

"Then what is?"

"You know I've had a lot of trouble with the… male customers you have."

Tempo nodded. "Ever since that one group came through, you seem to vanish whenever somepony comes through. Is it that bad?"

Trixie nodded. "I remember how _he_ treated me whenever they look at me… I can't help but feel… disgusted."

"So what are you going to do?"

"…I believe I'd like to go where Tyr is."

Rara blinked. "Tyr? Rarity's 'mate'?"

Trixie nodded. "He saved my life, and he was the first real friend I believe I've ever made. I…"

"You might be in love," Read said thoughtfully. When all the girls looked at him in shock, he quickly continued; "Like… oh! The Guardian Angel thing?"

"Guardian… Angel?"

"I read about something like that," Rara said with a smile. "It means you feel heavy attraction to somepony who saved your life. You feel like you love him because you are grateful to him for saving you from a terrible situation."

Trixie was silent for a moment. "…I don't think so."

"Really?"

"I… Trixie may have had a little, _tiny_ crush on Tyr when we were still in his world. He was very kind to me, and I truly valued his friendship. That being said…"

"If he wasn't married to Luna, you might have tried to ask him out."

"Who knows if Trixie would have managed to get up the courage…"

"It almost sounded like Tyr and Princess Luna was fated to be together," Rara said dreamily. Tempo and Read rolled their eyes—Rara loved romantic stories, and her bookshelf full of novellas was an inside joke amongst them all. "When I went to Canterlot a while back, I heard that Luna was so deeply in love with him that she was locked away in her tower for almost a year after their return."

Trixie fidgeted slightly. "Princess Luna does love Tyr greatly, that is no secret…"

"Although he is in a herd now," Read pointed out. "Considering he came here with Rarity, who is quite obviously not Princess Luna…"

Rara grinned. She turned to Trixie, hope in her eyes. "Maybe you'd have a chance!"

"Trixie… in a herd?" The magician murmured. She seemed to be seriously considering the idea, which to tell the truth had never actually crossed her mind. But it was attractive. "Audio would have a large family, Trixie would be loved… But is that what I want?"

"Well, you can always figure that out by going," Read said, catching all of their attention. He gave Trixie a little smile. "I heard the Princesses and their… 'entourage' are in the Crystal Empire. A train ride would no doubt get you there in the better part of a day. You could roll down there and see him, sort out how you feel."

"That would be fine?"

"Yeah! Our next gig isn't for a while now, so you've got the time. Take Audio. It would be nice to experience a new place and all. I can lend Audio a pair of headsets and a music player."

Audio looked happy with that suggestion, but her mother was a little more skeptical. "You're fine with us going?" Trixie asked, confused.

Read smiled. "Sometimes, a change of scenery is a good thing. Might be just what you need."

"I suppose… I suppose I can try it."

"And if it doesn't help, you're always welcome here," Tempo said with a smile. "You're our friend, Trixie—we're here if you need us."

The smile that touched at the illusionist's mouth was small, yet sincere. "It has been a long time since I have heard those words. Thank you, Even Tempo. I really, truly appreciate that. Perhaps I will return… one day."

"Or send us a letter saying you're a claimed mare," Tempo joked.

Rara looked wistful. "Claimed… such a word to describe it. So powerful and raw… I think I have an idea for a new song!" The singer brightened up immediately, quickly scampering off to her room to create. The other ponies watched her go, before bursting out into laughter.

"Oh, Rara…" Read shook his head, his amusement plain on his face. "Say the right thing, and next thing you know she's off to work."

Tempo grinned. "We'll help you pack for the trip."

Trixie smiled warmly. "Thank you very much, Tempo."

Read frowned slightly. "Hey, why don't you go with Audio and get started? I got something I need to talk with Trixie about."

Both mares shared a quick look. Finally Tempo nodded. "I understand. Come on, Audio—I know just which headset Read wants to give you."

She led the young filly away. Read and Trixie stayed in silence for a bit, before the illusionist spoke. "…What did you need to speak with me for, Read?"

"Just something I wanted to give you before you left."

Trixie blinked as the stallion got up and walked over to the nearby desk. "You… you knew I'd want to leave?"

Read grinned, starting to rummage through something in the desk. "Saw it in your eyes when we first met you. You really had it bad for Tyr, huh?"

"I…!" She blushed heavily, averting her eyes shyly. "I… truly I did have a crush on him, but it was never anything serious. I thought perhaps to be like Grace was to him—a sister, or a close friend. I never felt as if I was fully part of their group."

"So you think that will change?"

The illusionist frowned, eyeing the stallion warily. "…Are you testing me?"

Read chuckled. "Not particularly. You can look at it that way, if you like. I was just in a thoughtful mood. Here—catch."

Trixie started as the unicorn stallion tossed a generous sized bag her way, the obvious sound of coins jingling filling the air. The pale cyan mare blinked as the bag landed in front of her, and she used her magic to open it up to look inside. Her breath hitched. "R-Read…!"

"Should be almost five hundred bits in there."

"I-I couldn't accept this…!"

"Well, you're gonna." Read grinned. "Hate me for being generous, but we're not bad off here, Trixie. If you're going to try starting a life somewhere away from this place, you'll need money to start. Sure, you'd find a place with Tyr, but you'll need to care for Audio. And if I remember what I read in the papers, the man has at least six kids."

"…I see…"

"But don't let that get you down. I have faith in you. And don't worry about paying me back—Rara's been selling especially well lately, and we've got plans for another gig soon."

Trixie nodded, smiling and wiping at her eyes. "You've been nothing but kind, Read. I really thank you."

The stallion grinned. "I like being generous. Just never stop doing what you love.

"That's easy. And I will always remember the help and kindness you have given me." She lifted the bag up in her magic and began walking to the door, heading for her room. The illusionist paused in the doorway. "…You are counted among the few friends I truly have, Read Write."

She slipped into the back, to gather her things and prepare for her trip. Read stayed at the desk, a little smile on his lips as he stood there in silence. Almost unbidden, his eyes strayed to the little three bud flower in its little spot in the wood. To his mild surprise the three closed buds were glowing faintly, and in his mind he could hear faint music. He gently reached out to touch them, finding that there was a strange sort of warm comforting feeling that took hold of him.

And then suddenly information.

His mind seemed to work in overtime, like a song with the tempo ramped up. But what confused him the most was that it was music he recognized. Then an idea took hold. Slowly, surely, a grin touched at his face, before breaking out wide and true. "Tempo? You busy babe?"

A moment later, and his fiancé emerged from the back. "What's up? You look like you just figured something out."

"…I need you to break out your little black book. I just had a crazy idea that may just work."

Tempo stared at him like he was crazy. "What? What do you have in mind?"

Read shook his head. "Not yet, it's still forming. But I have a good idea we can make it work."

"…We're gonna have to call in a lot of favors, babe…"

The stallion's grin never faded, and he gently brushed his hoof over his flowers. "If my feeling is right, we might get even _more_ favors out of this."

"If you say so. I'll get to calling then. What do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell them that we've got something big planned and they need to meet us in Canterlot ASAP. This is going to be _epic_."

–x–

Grace looked up just as Aurora suddenly flew to the window. "They're back!" The filly declared happily. "Daddy's back!"

The knight glanced over at the window, noting that yes indeed, the Ranger was coming. However, something piqued her interest almost immediately. For one, the Ranger was covered in snow. Secondly, the alien ship was flying a bit erratically. Grace knew Tyr was a very good pilot, and Charlie was still in the Crystal City (somewhere, she had vanished and nopony knew where she had gone)… so who was flying? "Something doesn't seem right," She said aloud, catching Aurora's attention.

The violet filly glanced over at her, a frown creasing her brow. "What? What do you mean, Grace?"

"You know your father. Does he fly like that?"

Aurora turned back to the window. "…No."

"Dad's not on the ship," Cori, who was also with them, whispered.

The other filly turned to look at her sister sharply, but didn't say a word. Luna had appeared and she was already headed out the door with Bright Soul on her heels. Aurora spared her Changeling sibling one last glance before galloping after her mother.

When the little trio reached the airship dock, they found Aleron, both other Princesses, and the other knights waiting on them. Not to mention a collection of Crystal Guards. "What is going on?" Luna demanded almost immediately.

"We're not sure," Cadance murmured, looking up at where the Ranger was approaching. As the group watched, it twitched a bit as it came in for the landing. It also made a _very_ harsh noise as it scraped across the platform.

"Oh, come on!" Aurora clapped her hooves to her ears, blocking out the noise.

The Ranger slid to a stop. A moment later and out tumbled the battered—yet still alive—remainder of the expedition group. Luna's eyes scanned over this quickly, before noting that Chrys had not come out. The moment she noticed that, a tall, lanky figure emerged from the craft. It was the Changeling herself, but in a rough parody of her old human form. When she saw Luna's questioning gaze, she reverted back to her normal form. She shrugged. "Someone had to fly us back. I've watched Master enough to figure it out—"

"Where. Is. _Tyr_?"

Chrys winced at Luna's tone. "Master is… well, to allay your fears, he is still alive."

"That does not answer my question, Chrysalis. Where. Is. Tyr?"

"Out in the snow, or whatever!" Rainbow said harshly, shooting a glare over at Shining. "Prince here decided it was a better idea to come running back here!"

"Even though we saw what happened to Tyr!" Pinkie said, joining her flying friend. "He fell in that hole! And even Chrissy said he was okay!"

"What happened out there?" Cadance asked.

Applejack frowned. "We were attacked."

"Attacked?"

"We were," Twilight said with a nod. "Some stallion named Frost Storm attacked us with a small army of Ursa. Tyr and Sunset fought them off, but vanished afterward."

Celestia blinked. "Ursa? They still remain in this area?"

"We would never have known," Luna pointed out. "They obviously kept to themselves."

"They were huge!" Pinkie added.

"Also, I don't think they wanted to fight," Fluttershy said. When the princesses looked at her, she blanched a bit. "Ah… the… the stallion with them… he said they were under a mind control spell…"

Twilight nodded. "That and we found out there really is an artifact being used to control the storm. The stallion—Frost Storm—had it. He was using the mind control spell too!"

"So our enemy is one stallion," Luna said thoughtfully. "And my Beloved and Sunset fought him?"

Rainbow frowned. "Mostly fought the Ursa, but yeah."

"And then we were snowed in," Shining finished. "We didn't see what happened after that."

"We _know_ what happened," Rarity said sharply. It was obvious most of the group was upset with the young prince. "We saw the hole in the ground. It was your decision to leave."

Shining frowned. "…We know Tyr and Sunset are still alive. Chrysalis told us herself. She would know, wouldn't she?"

Chrys frowned. "I do know. But that does not excuse your hurried decision to escape that place without at least attempting to retrieve my master and Sunset Shimmer."

"That storm is coming _here_!" Shining countered, facing down the two mares. "We didn't have time to try and find Tyr!"

Celestia frowned. "The storm is coming here? How do you know?"

The white unicorn prince frowned, turning to his aunt. "Tyr sealed us in the cave we took refuge in when we first arrived. We were… incapacitated."

"The bad stallion threw some kind of grenade thing at us and it exploded!" Pinkie added. "I felt super weird afterwards!"

"It disabled our magic," Twilight said, shivering. "I've never seen anything like that…"

Celestia's face was suddenly set in a hard expression. "…Hm. A magic cancelling device, you say?"

"Um… yes? Do you know something about this stallion, Princess?"

"Not that one in particular. But… there was an attack on the castle where the aggressors used magic cancelling devices. They attempted to kill Hope."

There were a number of gasps all around. "They tried to kill Hope?" Rarity repeated, confused.

"Indeed.

"Why would anypony try that?" Pinkie asked, frowning. "Hope's super nice!"

Celestia gently shook her head. "We're not sure. But if they had the same device, then they no doubt belong to the same group."

"Then we have even more cause to worry," Cadance said.

Shining nodded, agreeing with his wife. However Luna was not done. The Princess of Dreams fixed her sister with a dark look. "So are we abandoning my husband out there?"

Celestia met her sister's gaze evenly. "I believe that out of all of us, Tyr is best suited to surviving out there and arriving just when we need him. I'd rather we secure ourselves here than go searching for Tyr when he truly does not need our help."

"Just know, Auntie," Aurora spoke up suddenly, catching everyone off guard by the seriousness of her voice. The young filly walked up to her aunt and stared directly into her eyes. "If my dad doesn't come back, if he's hurt because we didn't go out to get him… I'm holding you directly responsible."

The Solar Diarch had no response to that, instead simply nodding dumbly. Luna seemed both surprised and proud, before gently collecting her daughter. "Come, my little Crescent moon. We will wait for your father—I have faith in him to return."

"I have faith too," Aurora confirmed. "But I'd rather my dad was here _now_."

"You and I both, my little one. You and I both."

–x–

Sunset woke up to find the sun had already set and their fire was dying out. Tyr was leaned up against a massive wolf, asleep. Or at least… she thought he was asleep. As she watched him, she noticed that there was no movement from the man. He wasn't breathing. A panic gripped her then, and she quickly scurried over to his side of the fire. "T-Tyr? Are you…"

One breath.

She blinked, noting how soft and gentle that one breath was. Then, about a minute later, a second breath. AS she watched in rapt attention, Tyr's slow breath rate ramped up slowly to a more normal pace. His silver eyes opened then, tracking down to meet her blue ones. "…Something up, Sunset?" He asked softly.

She shuffled back, noting that the wolf he was lying against was also awake and looking at her. "Er… I was… I thought you weren't breathing…"

"Oh that? Ah. As an Ice Elemental, I've discovered I can slow my bodily functions to a crawl in order to preserve energy. Probably should have warned you, huh?"

"Would have been nice. I wouldn't have worked myself into a panic, for one."

"Sorry."

Sunset glanced over at the wolf. "Is that Fenrir?"

Tyr smiled softly. He turned enough to run his hand along the wolf spirit's fur. "Yeah. She does this for me if I ask."

"Must be comfy…"

"Come on over then," Tyr patted he tundra beside him. "Fen doesn't mind. Do you, Fen?"

The wolf sniffed dismissively, lying back down. Sunset judged from Tyr's smile that the Wolf Spirit had given her okay. She shuffled over, finding a spot to snuggle up against the wolf. "Jeez… she's warm."

Tyr smirked. "Just don't call her a pillow or anything."

"That would be demeaning." Sunset smiled and leaned against the huge wolf. "Thank you very much, Fenrir."

The wolf shrugged, or what seemed to look like a shrug. "Well, once we get up, I'll see if I can see the city from here. If not, Fen and I will probably find something to eat."

"Eat? What could you possibly find out here?"

"Fish, no doubt. Maybe even something worth hunting."

Sunset shivered at the word 'hunt', suddenly becoming aware of her own cravings. She'd never had _fish_ blood before, but it might sate her desire to bury her teeth into Tyr. Otherwise, being stuck out here would end terribly. She paused. "Hey, Tyr?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we just teleport back?"

Tyr glanced over at her with an inspecting look. "Are you able to?"

"Well… I'm a bit still weak from whatever that explosion was… but what about you?"

"I could, if I wasn't feeling so... off."

"Off?"

"Whatever that amulet or necklace that stallion has is draining the area around it of energy," Tyr said, placing a hand on the ground. "I should be able to get more energy from the ice and snow, but while that storm is raging, I don't trust my chances of ending up where we need to be."

"I… I guess that's fair."

Tyr gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. We've got each other's backs, right?"

Sunset returned his smile, albeit a little shaky. Hopefully the others found them quickly, or they found their way back. Otherwise, this was going to be difficult.

–x–

* * *

 **I won't spoil anything, but the next chapter is going to reveal some interesting things.  
**

 **But I'll keep my A/N short. Thanks for Reading, leave a Review or comment as you please, and don't hesitate to Return for the next chapter of Lunar Legacy.**

 **Until Next Time!**


	52. Chapter 52

**Hello as always, dear readers. I hope life is treating you all well, and you are content. I bring you another chapter, but before we get into that I have comments to respond to.**

 **Cadenceheart117: Apologies for misspelling your name, I've been thinking about Cadance in-story, and was in the mindset to use a instead of e. I'm not sure if Tyr's herd will increase (might be as simple as doing a coin flip sometime in the future) so there's no certainty's there. And on the note of my writing style... I look at it like going on a road trip. I have my destination in mind and certain stops I want to make along the way, but as I go about it, ideas come and go. I know where I want to be, but how I get there changes occasionally. That being said, there are a number of events that I planned on doing but didn't. This is why I think most writers do say their stories take on a life of their own.**

 **Kevin Lapse: Considering the events I'm putting into motion, most chapters will 'lead into' the next in that way. I will try not to end on very serious events.**

 **Well! Onto the Chapter, I say!**

* * *

Chapter 51: A Pack of Monsters

Sherry opened her eyes as the sound of hoofsteps echoed in the hall outside her cell. However, unlike any normal pony that would have jumped up to see who it was, she stayed curled up in her corner. Only her eyes gave away that she was awake and aware of her surroundings.

And absolutely livid.

"Eat," the cloaked and masked guard said, showing a tray containing a solitary sandwich into her cells. "Our leader wants you alive."

"I guess we have something in common, then," Sherry said darkly, but the guard was already stalking off to take Capstone his food. The young Alicorn scowled, but moved over to get her food. Seeing the roughly made sandwich, she sighed. "…I miss Aunt Pinkie's food…"

Silence was her companion as she ate. She kept silent again as the guard passed by to retrieve her tray. As angry and furious as she was at the treatment of her and her friends, what really made her upset was how she felt without her magic. Truth be told, it didn't bother her. Mainly because she had been born an Earth Pony. But the Rubrik had not glowed once since the restrictor ring had been placed on her. Which didn't make sense, but there was nothing she could really do.

"Princess?" Capstone's voice called out, catching her attention. It was scratchy and cracked, but it was his. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Capstone," Sherry smiled despite her frustration. Capstone was checking on her as often as he could, but not too often to be overbearing. It was comforting being reminded she wasn't alone. "The guards are treating us like we don't exist."

"Well, they've all but said we're hostages," the guard replied. "And with these restrictor rings, we can't really do anything."

"There's plenty we can do," the chocolate Alicorn countered. "We can survive. We can escape. We can, as long as you don't give up."

"Mr. J says there isn't a way off the island."

The voice that had replied to Sherry was not Capstone's. Instead it sounded a bit younger. Confused and intrigued, she moved over to the cell door. What she saw made her breath hitch in her throat. The unicorn stallion before her—although really he could no way be much older than her—was a startling red fur color with a mane the color of the sun. His eyes were surprisingly bright pink. "…Hi," She offered, confused.

The stallion was shorter than her, with a youthful look to his features. More of a colt than a stallion, Sherry thought. "Hi," He replied, more curious than anything. "I've never seen you before."

"I haven't been here long," Sherry replied. Adjusting to a more comfortable sitting position, she put on her best smile. "And I've never met you before. What's your name?"

"Solar Flare. Although a lot of the ponies here call me Flare. What's your name?"

"I'm Sherry. Nice to meet you, Flare."

The colt frowned a little, looking at her. "…Are you in trouble, Sherry? Mr. J says that ponies that are put down here did something bad."

The mare frowned slightly. The way Flare spoke reminded her of Hope as she was learning to talk. Almost like a child. "Well… we're not sure. My friends and I were going on a trip when we were kidnapped. We haven't done anything wrong, as far as I know."

"That doesn't sound right. Why would Mr. J tell me you were bad then?"

"I don't know this 'Mr. J', Flare. Who is he?"

"He's the boss!" Flare said happily, smiling brightly.

Sherry tilted her head to the side. "The boss?"

"The boss!"

"Is he your boss?"

"Well…" Flare frowned slightly. "Not really, but he always tells me that I'm supposed to do big things for him. I don't know what he means."

Sherry fell silent for a bit. Then, her mind caught onto a particular bit on information. "Wait. Flare… you said we were on an island?"

"Mmhm!" He grinned widely. "Mr. J calls it the Thunder Isles. I dunno why though."

There was a slamming noise from outside in the hall, and Flare quickly turned to look. "Solar Flare, what are you doing down here?"

"Mr. J!" Flare hopped up, just as another stallion walked up to him. Sherry felt her blood run cold.

"…Jury Review," The young Alicorn hissed.

The former council-pony glanced over at her. "Ah, Princess Sherry. I should have known Solar Flare would have caught your attention, and vice versa."

Flare glanced back over at Sherry, before letting out a gasp. "She's got wings too?"

"Too…?" Sherry looked back at the colt, gasping when she saw that yes indeed, Flare also had wings in addition to his horn. He was an Alicorn as well. "What? How? How in the…?"

Jury Review smiled evilly. "We have ways, just like you, Princess. Come along, Solar Flare." He pulled the colt close and led him away.

Sherry sat in silence. For a long time. Jury Review had openly admitted to tampering with life itself for what? Some kind of bid at royalty? Then that would explain why she had been kidnaped—both her mother and aunt were in the Crystal Empire with Cadance and Shining Armor. Only Hope remained in Canterlot. That meant she was the only one in a real position to be captured. And the one with a strong enough relation to all the major players in Equestrian politics, and even to the newest major figure in the land—her dad. So she was a bargaining chip, but why take her blood? No doubt it had something to do with that male Alicorn, Solar Flare. She groaned, leaning up against the wall. She detested intrigue. Political maneuvering was bothersome enough when it wasn't on a nationwide scale. Not for the first time since she got here, she growled—more to herself than anypony in general—one sentence full of impotent anger and defiance.

"I hate this place."

–x–

Sunset was beginning to hate the cold. Tyr was inured to it, but she was not. That meant he could go wandering about the snowy landscape with barely any worries, while she huddled in his cloak beside a dying fire. Despite the man's worries that he cloak would not keep her warm, it seemed to have an 'equalizing' spell cast on it. It kept the wearer at a somewhat bearable temperature. Sunset hadn't told him that, mainly because she was shivering for a whole different reason. The blood withdrawals were beginning to get worse, and trying to suck fish blood while Tyr was barely a few feet away was impossible. The man and his wolf were skilled trackers, and noting escaped their gaze.

So here she was, curled in a corner of the cave they were sheltering in, pulling the cloak about her and cursing that Tyr had cooked all their fish to eat. Not that she could really be mad, as she hadn't told him. Best she could do is try and sleep, and hope that Tyr found a way back to the Crystal City. She didn't even have enough energy to restart the fire.

She had just settled down to try and sleep once again, when she hear the sound of paws padding on stone. Were Tyr and Fenrir already back? No point in greeting them—they'd no doubt assume she was asleep and leave her alone. She kept her face directed to the far wall and her eyes closed. But as she listened, she only heard paws on the stone, no footsteps. Fenrir wouldn't come back alone, would she?

"There was more than one here… Did they leave their friend?"

Sunset's eyes snapped open wide, but she did not turn. That female voice was decidedly higher than Fenrir's was. More padding about.

"Oh? This one is still alive… or…?"

A paw gently touched Sunset's back, and she recoiled almost instinctively, tossing herself into a seated position with her back against the wall. She found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes surrounded by white fur. Considering she was unable to process what she was seeing, she screamed.

The figure in front of her cried out in response, jumping away as well. With the newly found distance, Sunset took a moment to look over her 'guest'. She found herself facing down what almost looked to be a slimmer and more toned Diamond Dog, although instead of the gangly, top heavy appearance those creatures had, this canine specimen was far more pleasant to look at. Far more resembling of a human, the female wolf still bore the defining characteristics of her species—long snout, the hint of fangs behind the lips, and short yet sharp claws on each digit. To Sunset's minor surprise, the wolf girl (because who else could have possibly spoken?) was wearing a long almost dress like tunic tied at the waist with a belt. A hood covered the top of her head, only allowing her eyes and part of her face to be seen.

"You're alive," The wolf girl said warily, backing up. "I… was not sure…"

Sunset swallowed heavily. Two things were going on in her mind right now—panic at being faced with a predator, and desire to leap from her spot to bury her fangs in the throat of the wolf. She chose a third option. "You… Who are you, and how did you find me?"

The wolf backed up a step, eyes tracking up to the top of Sunset's head. She gripped a small knife in one paw. "…I… You're a magus."

"Huh?"

"You… you use magic?"

Sunset noted that the wolf seemed wary of her horn, no doubt having some sort of bad experience when it came to magic. "I won't cast any spells at you, I'm just… curious."

The wolf didn't come any closer, but did lower her guard a little. "…I am called Noelle. I…I saw the tracks leaving the cave and I came to investigate. I did not expect to find a pony here. Are you alone?"

"I… I had two friends with me," Sunset said. "Those were their tracks you no doubt saw."

"One walks on two legs, while the other on four. Although occasionally those tracks disappear. Does that friend of yours fly?"

Fenrir liked sitting on Tyr's shoulder in her smaller form, Sunset thought. "…Not exactly."

"Magic then?"

"You could say that."

Noelle frowned slightly. "…You didn't give your name, pony. Fair is fair."

Sunset nodded, seeing the sense in that. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. I don't think I've ever met a… whatever you are before."

"I am of the Wulfen," Noelle explained. "We roam these lands north of the Crystal City."

"No pony has ever met one of you before…"

"We keep to ourselves. The few encounters my race has had with yours has not… ended well."

Sunset made a face. "Well, that's not too surprising. If your first reaction to me screaming hadn't been to back up, I would have probably hit you with something."

Noelle backed up one more step. "I suppose I should count myself lucky then."

The flame haired mare opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly Noelle spun on the spot, knife flashing in the dim light. However, as fast as she was, Fenrir was faster. The wolf spirit was in her true form in a split second, frost axe at the younger wolf's throat. Her grin was savage and gleeful. "Hello, my daughter. Quick on the draw—but never faster than I."

Behind the two wolves came Tyr, clad in his night black cloak. He seemed relatively amused. "Didn't know you had kids, Fen."

Fenrir pressed closer to Noelle, smile widening even more. "All wolves are mine, in a way. You know me now, cub?"

The snow white wolf gaped slightly. "F… Fang-Mother…?"

Sunset blinked. "Fang-Mother?"

The Chaos Spirit grinned. She let Noelle go, and the Wulfen bowed her head in reverence. "All wolves know me, although many by different names. I am a myth, a legend, a concept made manifest. I'm as much a part of them as they are a part of me."

"So what's your name?" Tyr asked, eyes focused on the quiet Wulfen. At the sound of his voice, Noelle glanced up at him. A bit of surprise caught at her face, and she sniffed a little.

"You… you smell like one of my kin…" She said softly, almost shyly.

"I'm a bit of a wolf myself," Tyr explained.

The Wulfen glanced between Tyr and Fenrir, the latter of which had moved over to hang on his shoulder. "You are the chosen of the Fang-Mother."

"You could say that," Tyr replied, glancing at Fenrir. Then, he raised one eyebrow towards the white wolf. "And your kin?"

The Wulfen nodded. "My name is Noelle, of the Wulfen Tribe. We live out here in the tundra."

Tyr had a tiny frown on his face, the small movements of his eyes indicating that he was just beginning to notice the appearance of this Wulfen. Considering the tunic-dress Noelle was wearing was not very thick, Tyr could pretty much see her fur through it. She seemed to notice as well, and a dark color rose up into her cheeks. Tyr coughed. "Well. Since you and your clan live in this area, could you direct us towards the Crystal City? We're trying to get back there."

"The Crystal City?" Noelle frowned. "If you've been travelling the way I think you have, you are going in the wrong direction."

"Of course." Tyr sighed and sat down beside the remnants of their fire. He gave Sunset a small smile. "Sorry, Sunset. Should have known better than trying to find a place I've only been to once in a sea of snow…"

Sunset shook her head. "Not your fault. I haven't been much help anyways…"

Noelle sniffed slightly, edging towards Sunset. "This pony… does she belong to you?"

"What?"

Tyr chuckled. "No, Sunset is my friend. I don't own her."

Noelle's gaze turned to him, a frown on her face. "Just a friend? You are friends with the ponies?"

"I am. Is that so strange?"

"The ponies have not been friends to wolves for a long time. But that is a tale for another time. My village is not far—I can take you there."

"Your village?" Sunset seemed surprised.

"Yes. I am a tracker—I was looking for prey to hunt when I saw your tracks. However…" She frowned, glancing back over at Sunset. "The other Wulfen will be very wary of her—as I said, our dealings with ponies have been less than cordial. She will be seen as a threat especially because she can use magic."

Tyr frowned. "You've got my word that Sunset won't harm anyone."

"I doubt I'm in any condition to do anything anyway," Sunset countered, but she sighed. "I won't cast any magic. As long as no one tries to kill or eat me, that is."

Noelle nodded. "I can speak to my clan's Alpha that she is protected by the chosen of the Fang-Mother."

Fenrir grinned. "You're allowed to call me Fenrir, child. I do not care much for titles."

"…Very well, Lady Fenrir." There was a noticeable shift in the air when Noelle said that, as if the threat of death receded suddenly. The Wulfen seemed to not notice. "Shall we go to my village now?"

Tyr nodded. "Lead the way."

–v–

The Wulfen village was in a secluded area, with a single entrance into the cove-like location it sat in. Tyr's eyes traced over what looked to be tanned-hide huts and houses, noting the different locations that Wulfen guards were situated. The clan inhabiting this area seemed somewhat large, with a number of non-guard Wulfen roaming about in their day to day lives. "It's almost like a pony town," Sunset said, keeping close to Tyr as they approached the front gate. She seemed a little put off by the fur and leather clothing the Wulfen wore, but said nothing.

The two guards at the gate braced themselves, pointing spears at them. "Halt! Identify yourselves!"

Noelle moved forward, holding up a paw. She pulled down her hoof to reveal her face."Noelle, daughter of Chief Kor. I have returned from my tracking mission, unfortunately empty handed."

The guard that had spoken drew back in surprise, before glancing at his companion. He took a singular step back, one paw coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. "…Noelle…We had forgotten you were on a tracking mission…"

That seemed to confuse the white Wulfen, and she looked between the guards rapidly. "Has… has something happened in my absence?"

Tyr frowned. "You've been away for a long time?"

Noelle glanced back at the man. "All trackers prepare to be gone from the village for long periods of time. I was only gone a couple of weeks… what happened?"

She directed this demand back to the guard, who faltered slightly. "Well… you remember your father, Chief Kor was injured during the last Ursa attack…"

"Yes, and?" She scowled. "He was recovering."

The guard swallowed heavily. "Nero… he challenged your father for the position of Alpha of the clan. And your father lost."

Noelle gaped. "He… while he was injured? Why would he…?"

"You know the way of wolves, child," Fenrir said. She frowned as the two guards gaped at her. "Like it or no, we tend to go after weakened prey."

"…I suppose I can understand that. But my father—!"

"Is dead," the guard said softly. Noelle gasped softly. The guard continued, although it looked like it made him uncomfortable. "As per the rules of our pack, Nero is our new Alpha. I'm… sorry."

"No, that's… that's how it's supposed to be…" Tyr noted the tiny tears beginning to form at the corners of the white Wulfen's eyes. "I… I…"

Tyr cleared his throat. "Excuse me please. My friend here and I were looking for help getting back to the Crystal City. Is there anything you can do to help us?"

"The Crystal City?" The guards shared a look. "We know how to get there, but considering the storm…"

"It would be best if you stayed here for the time being," the other said.

Tyr and Sunset shared a short look, and it told the man everything he needed to know. The mare had it bad—she looked like she hadn't slept, and tinges of red were creeping into her eyes. "…That would be a good idea. Sleeping in a warm place would be good."

"I understand. I will direct you to a proper place."

"And we'd like food as well," Fenrir said. She grinned. "Preferably meat, of some kind."

"That can be arranged, Fang-Mother. Please, follow me."

"Fenrir is fine," the wolf spirit replied cordially, following as Tyr, Sunset and Noelle entered the camp.

Almost immediately, Tyr felt a heavy weight on his heart. There was a pervasive unease about the village, and it was almost physical in its weight. The Wulfen were not confident about something, and it showed. Although there were quite a few amazed looks at the unusual group passing through town, none stopped them or spoke to them. "Seems a spellcaster is the least of their worries at the moment," Sunset murmured.

"Seems so," Tyr remarked.

None of the little group spoke, at least until they were stopped by a group of guards. Their leader, a gray wolf with piercing blue eyes, stepped forward. "…Noelle."

The white Wulfen frowned. "Tonto? What… what is going on?"

"The Alpha has instructed me to bring our guests to him," Tonto said, sparing a glance at Tyr, Sunset and Fenrir. "He… desires to meet them."

"They've just come in from out in the tundra!" Noelle protested. "Can they have at least a little time—!"

"This was an order," The other wolf replied softly. The tone of his voice cut Noelle off, and she stopped short. "…I'm sorry, Noelle, but this is how it is…"

Tyr placed a hand on the white wolf's shoulder. "It's fine, Noelle. We can go now."

The Wulfen sighed, but nodded. Tonto and his guards escorted them to the largest of the structures, which no doubt was where the Alpha of the Wulfen clan was situated. The number of guards only increased as they approached. "This is slowly looking more and more liked a bad idea," Sunset murmured, looking around worriedly.

"We'll be fine," Tyr assured her. Noting the looks the guards were giving them, he frowned. "…Most likely."

The inside of the Alpha tent was unsurprisingly spacious, with a large fire in the center and a generous number of chairs spaced about. Several were decorated with various bone trinkets and even a couple of skulls. Seated in the largest and most decorated chair was a large black Wulfen, impressive even despite the simple clothing he wore. Atop his head was a circlet of sorts, and he sported a long scar across one eye. "Welcome, honored guests," the Wulfen greeted them in a deep, yet smooth voice. "Welcome to our village."

Noelle tensed beside Tyr, something he took to mean they were face to face with the new Alpha of the Clan, Nero. He cleared his throat softly and stepped forward. "Greetings. My name is Tyr Winter. And these are my companions, Fenrir and Sunset Shimmer."

Nero leaned forward in his seat. "Oh? The Fang-Mother and one of the ponies? And you have the smell of a wolf about you, Tyr Winter."

"I'm a bit of a wolf myself," Tyr replied smoothly. He nodded towards Fenrir. "A blessing of sorts from her."

"I see. Well, you do keep interesting company. A pony is one of your companions?"

"A friend as well. We've had to work together while we were out in the tundra."

Nero nodded. "I see. Mutual assistance. How long were you planning to keep her around?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed at that, as he felt Sunset do a double take beside him. However, he kept his tone cordial. "What do you mean by that?"

"Obviously you don't plan to eat her, or else you would have done so already. So is your alliance with the ponies one of convenience?"

"Not in the slightest. I'm not the kind of man to use another just for my own personal gain."

"I see. Well, I simply wished to greet our new guests… and welcome back Noelle." Nero's muzzle twisted into a sly smile. "I had hoped nothing had occurred while you were out tracking."

"Unfortunately I wasn't able to find anything, Alpha," Noelle put as much venom as she could into the title, scowling at the bigger Wulfen. "It seems the mammoths have moved on from their usual area."

"How unfortunate. However, we have enough food to last us for now."

Noelle nodded stiffly. "I suppose… that's a good thing."

Nero smirked. "Well! I believe having this short meeting has been good for us all. Tonto? Give our guests a tour of the village while we prepare a place to stay for them. We will send them food and… other gifts for the honor of hosting our Fang-Mother."

Fenrir smiled savagely. "I suppose I can appreciate your hospitality then."

With a gesture from his Alpha, Tonto led them out of the Alpha tent. Just as they reached the door, Nero called after them. "Noelle. I need to speak to you."

The female Wulfen froze, before stiffly turning. "What? Why?"

Nero glowered at her from his seat. "…Come here."

Noelle scowled, but spared Tyr an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I will check in on you later."

Tyr smiled back. "I appreciate that. Fen, Sunset, come on."

The pony and wolf spirit agreed, following him as he joined the group of guards outside. Tyr spared one last glance back as Noelle reentered the tent. [All is not well amongst these wolves] Fenrir thought, hooking an arm into Tyr's.

[I feel it too] Tyr thought back, frowning. [But we're not going to find out anything by asking]

[So our other senses will have to do] Fenrir finished. [Oh, if only all our problems were as simple as killing someone…]

–x–

"Alright, Legacy Brigade!" Aurora said, the other children looking up at the sound of her voice. She grinned. "We've been given a very important job while Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor are dealing with the storm!"

Aleron frowned. "Ro… what are you even doing?"

"A rousing speech to the troops, what else?"

"…Whatever. Continue."

Aurora frowned at him, but it didn't last long. "Right! We've got a very important task—!"

"You said that already," Vibrant pointed out.

"I know—stop interrupting!" She scowled. "I was in the middle of a big thing!"

Ancè giggled softly. "Let her finish, Vibrant. That way we can get to the point of the matter."

"I just wanna know where 'Legacy Brigade' came from," Golden Grove murmured.

Cori, beside her, smiled softly. "Aurora heard about Sweetie Bell and the other's group, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and she thought up a name of her own. She really wanted to use it, I guess."

"Oh."

Aurora cleared her throat again. "Okay! Once again… we've got a big job to do! Watching the baby!"

"We knew that," Jubilee pointed out.

"Yeah but… I was trying to… Oh, forget it." Aurora huffed and sat back down. "Can't do anything with you guys…"

Aleron smiled softly and rubbed her back. "I think you were at least doing a good job."

"Meh."

"So is Princess Cadance really that busy with the storm?" Vibrant asked. He frowned. "It's just a big storm and all, right? I'm sure my mom could handle it in ten seconds flat if she tried!"

"I don't think it's that easy," Aleron countered. When Vibrant shot him a glare, he shook his head. "I don't doubt your mom is impressive, but I think that storm is outside of her abilities."

"How do you figure?"

"My dad couldn't handle it," Aurora pointed out softly. "And ice is his Element and all. That storm's too big for any Pegasii to affect as well."

"I hope your dad is okay," Goldie offered softly.

Aleron smiled softly. "He'll be fine. We know our dad can handle himself out there."

"Dad's super awesome and strong!" Jubilee declared. "Nothing can beat him!"

Bramley snorted. "I doubt he's stronger than my Uncle Big Mac."

"I bet he is!"

"Let's not start fighting," Ancè said, moving to diffuse the situation. "Truth be told, I've seen Mr. Macintosh do some truly incredible feats of strength, and our father is no doubt skilled in his own right. But they are both good at different things."

Both Bramley and Jubilee shared one last look, before both nodding. "Very well done," Aleron told his sister amusedly.

Ancè gave him a smile and a little giggle. "This is not the first time this has happened."

"I can imagine."

Vibrant suddenly groaned and tossed himself back onto his back. "This is so boring! Princess Cadance put the baby down for a nap, so why do we have to sit here outside the room?"

Aleron frowned. "Actually, she asked Cori and Goldie to watch the baby. The rest of us chose to hang out with them."

"I wasn't going to leave my adorable little sister and her best friend to watch a baby alone!" Aurora said, flying over to hug Cori.

The Changeling noted the emphasis Aurora put on the word 'best' and blushed heavily. "You didn't have to…"

"But I must!"

Goldie giggled. "You two are so silly!"

"It's mostly her," Cori mumbled, embarrassed by Aurora's loving nuzzling. "I love her, though."

Aurora grinned. "Yay!"

Aleron shook his head, going back to his book. As he was turning away, he noted Evie was writing somewhat rapidly in her notebook. From his angle, he could see she was drawing a number of diagrams and designs. She seemed very focused, so he didn't say anything. Although… seeing the way she chewed on her bottom lip while she was that focused was quite cute. Suddenly her eyes flicked up towards him, a little surprise at meeting his gaze. "H-Huh?"

"N-Nothing," Aleron muttered, looking away quickly. That's when he noticed the door behind him was slightly open. "…Wait. Did someone come through here?"

Vibrant leaned up to look at him. "What? The door's open? You not close it behind you, Bram?"

Bramley frowned. "I did…"

Cori blinked several times, before gasping and jumping up. She rushed over to the door across from the open one, finding it open as well. She opened it wide. "…Oh no."

The other kids started at that. Goldie sat up, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"The baby is gone!"

"WHAT!?" Everyone reacted at once.

Aleron gaped. "But… how? Did she go out the window, or…?"

"The windows are still closed," Vibrant said, shooting over to check out said windows. "How in the world could a baby sneak past us?"

"This is one impressive kid," Aleron murmured, looking around the room. "We must have been so caught up in what we were doing that we missed her…"

"We've gotta find her!" Goldie wailed. "We're gonna be in so much trouble if Princess Cadance finds out!"

Jubilee gasped. "I don't wanna get in trouble!"

Aurora put a hoof on the distressed filly's back. "Calm down, girls. We can handle this."

"Love to hear your plan for this one," Vibrant muttered. "We're dealing with a ninja foal here. She could be anywhere!"

"That just means we have to look everywhere." Aleron said, shutting his book. "She can't have gotten far just crawling, so let's find her before she starts flying around."

Aurora nodded. "Come on, Legacy Brigade! We've got a baby to find!"

"I still don't get why we're a 'brigade' of all things…" Vibrant muttered, following after Aurora and the others as they charged out into the halls.

The group of children rushed down the hall, but didn't get very far before they ran into both Celestia and Luna. "Oh? Where are you all running off to, little ones?" Celestia asked, both sisters pausing upon seeing the group.

"Aunty!" Aurora gaped. "W-What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for Valor," Luna pointed out. "From what we have heard, he took off not too long ago, and none have seen him since."

"We're not particularly worried," Celestia said, shrugging slightly. "He is very attached to his owner, and no doubt has gone flying off after him. Would that we could follow, but he took off so suddenly before any of us noticed."

Aleron frowned. "That is true—we could have followed him, found dad quicker."

"Speaking of following someone, you all seem to be in a hurry," Luna said, giving her children a critical gaze. "Is something the matter?"

Aurora and Aleron shared a look, knowing that anything they said could easily tip their mother off to what was going on. But before either could react, Jubilee bounced forward. "Coco misplaced her journal and we're all helping her find it!" She told the Princess of Dreams, bright smile plastered on her face.

"Oh?" Luna glanced over at the young Changeling. "Is that so?"

Surprisingly, the little filly wasn't caught off guard. "Um… I was writing about the city, and I think I may have left it somewhere…" Cori offered, blushing.

Luna nodded. "I see. Something to show your father when he returns?"

"O-Oh! Yes."

The two Princesses both smiled. "A very wonderful notion, Cordelia. Your father will no doubt enjoy it."

"Indeed," Celestia agreed. "Just do not cause a ruckus about the castle, little ones."

The group of children nodded, letting the two sisters pass by. Once the two Alicorns were out of sight and earshot, Aurora let out a heavy sigh. "Jeez… good save, Jubilee."

The pink filly frowned, staring at her sister for a moment. "It's okay… but I don't like lying, okay Roro?"

"…I get it, Jubilee. I'm sorry. But we really need to get going."

"And where would that be?" An amused voice asked. The group turned to find Etch watching them from the nearby corner. She smiled. "I hear something is going on with you all?"

"Um… N-Nothing…"

Etch laughed softly. "I'd advise against lying to me, kids. I'm really good at reading ponies."

Aurora sighed. "Fine… We're searching for Princess Cadance's baby. She's… gotten away from us."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh," Aleron sighed. "You mind helping us?"

Etch nodded. "Not at all, little Prince. I can gather Carver and the other Shapers to help as well."

Cori spoke up, a little nervously. "W-We don't want to make a big deal about it…"

"No worries, little one. We Shapers can be very hard to find if we choose."

The search was on then, with Etch joining the twins as the group split up to search the castle. They moved about with Etch at the lead, since she was much better at staying inconspicuous than the twins. However, they had no luck. "I hope the others did better than us," Aleron muttered.

That hope was dashed when all the kids met up at the base of the castle, just in front of the Crystal Heart. "No luck?" Ancè asked, she Jubilee and Carver coming over to meet them.

"Nothing," Aurora grimaced. "This is not good."

Carver sighed. "The rest of the Vanguard are still looking, but we don't have that many…"

"Looking for what, pray tell?" They all jumped, finding a very interested Chrysalis sitting on a bench nearby. Beside her was Pinkie Pie, happily licking a cone of ice cream. She tilted her head to the side curiously. "What are you all flustered about?"

"AURORA!" A loud voice boomed. The filly in question cried out loudly, attaching to hr brother in shock. Their attention was quickly grabbed by the missing foal flying towards them, followed closely by Goldie, Cori, and Bramley. "Catch her!"

"Oh dear," Etch said, just as the foal shot past her. Aleron was quicker on the uptake, gently shoving his sister off to make an attempt at catching the foal. But the baby was getting progressively cleverer with each attempt, keeping just out of range of them. She even seemed to be quite entertained by their failures. "This certainly is not going well…"

"The child would make an effective spy or scout if she were older," Carver agreed, coming over. "At this age, she is simply a demon."

"Too true."

The rest of the kids had arrived by then, and Pinkie finally looked up from her sweet treat. "Hey! Isn't that Cadance's baby?"

That caught the attention of the little foal, and she spotted the slightly melted ice cream in Pinkie's hooves. Obviously wanting it, she started to fly that way. Before she could get any closer, Aurora dived out from her blind spot and caught her. "Got her!"

Unable to reach the thing she wanted, the foal tried to pull free of Aurora's grasp. But the older Alicorn was much stronger, and held her in place. Frustrated and caught, the foal did the one other thing she could think to do.

Cry.

"Oh, nine hells!" Chrysalis covered her ears with her hooves as the baby screamed, the tone, pitch and volume rendering every other pony in earshot to do the same. "Someone stop that infernal noise!"

"Stop—!" Aurora began, but Pinkie was already moving. She hopped over and stuck her ice cream cone into the face of the baby, stopping the cry almost immediately. Since she could simply lean out and lick the ice cream, she was content. "…Oh."

"Babies are easy!" Pinkie giggled. "All she wanted was something sweet!"

"Well… I guess that makes sense."

Carver raised a hoof. "Excuse me. But… is that large crystal supposed to crack like that?"

All eyes went to the Crystal Heart, which indeed had a singular, long crack stretched across its surface. As they watched it, it continued to crack, and crack, and crack… and then it shattered into pure dust. Etch stared at the small pile of powder. "…Oh dear. That couldn't possibly be good."

She was proven right when every Crystal Pony in eyesight began crying out in a panic. Chrys sighed, placing a hoof against her forehead. "This is why we don't leave you kids alone for too long…"

–x–

Tyr patted the fur bed in the tent-like house they had been given to stay in for the night. "Well, if anything, this beats sleeping on the hard ground," He muttered. The tour of the village had been uneventful—most Wulfen were wary of him, which as an unknown he expected. They were similarly wary of Sunset, but she had been in a sour mood all day and ignored anything around her. Even when an odd feeling of wrong shot through the air, she had barely reacted. None of the Wulfen noticed, so Tyr didn't say anything.

But now night had fallen, and dinner had been served. Sunset was busy watching Fenrir devour a haunch of what they had been told was mammoth. She shivered slightly atop her own bed. "I guess you're right…" She muttered halfheartedly.

Both man and wolf spirit turned at that, frowning at her. "I know you are not one to eat meat, but they did provide berries and such," Fenrir said, narrowing her eyes at the pony. "You must certainly be hungry."

"Well… yeah, but…" She sighed. "…I don't really feel well. I'm just going to sleep."

She rolled over onto her side, facing away from them. The man and spirit shared a short look, before returning to what they were doing. They continued on in silence, before Fenrir frowned, sniffing at the air. "…Someone approaches the tent, Alpha."

Tyr glanced over at the flap that served as their door, just in time to see a paw hook under it and pull it aside. Noelle was sitting there at the entrance, a strange look on her face. "Sir Tyr. My Alpha has instructed me to cater to your need while you stay here with us."

"We've already eaten… well, I have at least," Tyr muttered, glancing back as Fenrir continued digging into her food. "We don't need anything else at the moment…"

"…I have been told all your needs must be met."

Tyr frowned, before noting the emotions circling around the Wulfen like a small storm. Shame. Anger. "…You mean those needs."

"My… Alpha thought it would be good if you had someone to w-warm your bed." Her head went down even lower, shame filling her. Fenrir had slowed her ravenous eating to look at her kin, a scowl forming on her features. Even Sunset had turned back to look at Noelle in shock.

Tyr's expression darkened. "…Come inside."

Noelle dipped her head once before slipping inside. She made sure to secure the flap behind her. She sighed. "Although I—"

"You're taking the other bed," Tyr told her, pushing her gently towards it. When she looked at him in confusion, he smirked. "You obviously don't want to do this. Plus, I can tell your heart belongs to another."

The Wulfen gaped at him. "You… you can? How?"

"I'm an empath, or simply put I can sense emotions. Especially strong ones."

"I…"

"No worries," Tyr said, moving to a clear spot in the room. He sat down cross-legged in the empty space, folding his arms in his lap. He smiled softly. "I've been meaning to meditate for a bit. I'm pretty sure my wife is a little worried about me too."

Noelle blinked. "You're… you're married?"

"Happily. Although I'm currently in a herd, as well."

"With… ponies?"

"Yeah, although when I met them, they weren't ponies. I—well, it's a long story and I'm actually a bit tired. Fen, wake me if anything happens?"

"Course," The wolf spirit mumbled in between thick bites of meat. Tyr smiled, knowing that although sleeping let the Chaos Spirit regenerate energy, eating replenished her quite massive stores much quicker. From what he had been told while working for Jehu in the Library, Chaos Spirits attuned to concepts of violence or battle tended to have much larger stores of magic. Even though they tended to go through it much slower. "Best not keep her waiting."

Tyr smiled, closing his eyes and slipping into his Mindscape with the soft exhalation of breath. He was pleasantly surprised to immediately feel the prodding of his wife's mind against his. She hadn't attempted contact the past few days they had been missing, no doubt worrying over other things. With a small smile touching at his lips, he let her enter. But this time, he willed his mental world to… change, in a way. When Luna final fully materialized, she stared at him in shock. "Beloved, how did… how did you do this?"

Tyr grinned at the diminutive woman standing before him, looking in awe at her own hands and the black as the night sky dress she wore. "I have a perfect memory now, my dear," Tyr said, reaching out to take her hands. "Plus—this is my mind and all. I can shape this world to my whims."

"True but…" She shivered momentarily as Tyr leaned in to nibble at her neck. "No other save myself can c-change the appearance of a visitor."

"No other has to give permission," Tyr reminded her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. "I miss you."

She smiled softly, reaching up to touch his arms. "I am glad you are well, my Beloved. Your herd and I have been worried sick about you."

"I'm perfectly fine. Fen and I have been in worse situations. And we're in a safe place."

"Truly?" She pulled away from him to gaze into his eyes. Tyr momentarily lost himself in the cerulean pools that were Luna's eyes. Unless she could read mind or feel his emotions, the Lunar Princess could never truly know how much he loved her. She frowned, returning him to the moment. "You are far removed with no easy way to return. A massive storm approaches the city, and the Crystal Heart has shattered. Forgive me for my worry."

Tyr blinked. When he was near the relic, it seemed almost eternal. Especially since it bore some connection to the Lady of Time herself… "What happened?"

Luna sighed, reaching up with one pale hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "It seems our children were chasing Cadance's newborn through the city. The child's cries of frustration managed to shatter the Heart."

"…Huh. That's… actually amazing."

"Truly." Luna sighed, settling back into his embrace. "Is there a reason you haven't come back to us? I know you can, you teleported from Canterlot to Ponyville."

Tyr frowned slightly, fingering a lock of her hair. "That is a fact. But I'm weakened as long as that amulet is around. I'm more use out here, finding a way to get it from Frost Storm."

Luna frowned, although from the way she didn't react immediately, Tyr realized she had expected that sort of response. "I won't presume to order you around, Beloved, but do be careful. If you are certain you can get that amulet from him…"

"I'm a very tricky person, love," Tyr reminded her, kissing her forehead. "I'll find a way. Don't be too hard on the kids, will you?"

"I thought fathers were supposed to be the disciplinarians?" Luna countered, smirking. She giggled as Tyr brushed aside her hair to kiss her again.

"Mani…"

"I'll be gentle. It's not truly their fault the Heart shattered, but…"

"But?"

"…It's nothing. Shall I leave you to your thoughts?"

Tyr grinned, pulling her even closer. "Even if you left, you'd never be far out of my thoughts."

–x–

* * *

 **I suppose a tender moment between Tyr and Luna is a much nicer scene to end on. Sherry and her retainers are doing well, but not very well. She's also met the young Solar Flare, who has a very big part to play in the coming events.  
**

 **As per the usual, thanks for Reading, leave a Review or comment if you please, and Return for the next chapter. All is not well in the Wulfen Camp, and Tyr plans to find a way to fix it.**

 **But until then, time will tell. The Library accepts all, and will be waiting patiently.**

 **Until Next Time!**


	53. Chapter 53

**Greetings again, dear readers. My apologies for the VERY late post. A lot of stuff has come up, and I was unable to post last week due to lack of time (I never got time to sit down and edit) had several late nights (which cut into my normal writing time) and also just lack of enthusiasm. Not to say I'm not having fun writing this - far from it. I simply had the urge to work on a completely original story of mine that I've been meaning to work on for a while now. I kinda got really into it before I realized.**

 **I also appreciate the PM's and worry over my condition. I wasn't able to reply to them, but by the time you see these chapters, you'll have a reply. But onto the reviews I got:**

 **Kevin Lapse: I didn't die, but my internet did for a bit.**

 **Chaddmychal: It has been a while! Glad you're still enjoying the story, and I hope you eventually find a way to post your own.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I get what you're saying. The next few chapters to deal with this issue (Focus on the Crystal Empire area) will be a bit better in that regard. It's mostly because a lot of things that are important are happening at the same time, and at the time I couldn't figure out to show that, since I don't have a good point of reference for the two important groups. I also blame my hurried desire to reach Chapter 53, for a reason you'll figure out soon enough.**

 **But enough of my rambling. I owe you guys two chapters, and I'm able and ready to deliver. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 52: Nature is Not Kind

When Tyr woke up from his meditation state the next day, Noelle was gone. He didn't mind, having enjoyed a very refreshing dream with Luna. What did bother him was the hyperventilating Sunset across from him. She was feverish and panting, one hoof clasped to her throat as if she was having trouble breathing. "Sunset? Sunset, what's wrong?"

"She's been like this since I awoke," Fenrir pointed out, signaling Tyr she was awake by the door. The wolf spirit, in her smaller form, scowled. "Something is wrong with her."

"That much is obvious," Tyr snapped at her, his good mood evaporating in an instant. He moved over to Sunset, gently cupping her cheek with one hand. "Sunset? You okay in there?"

"No," She hissed, one hoof moving up to try and push his hand away. "Don't… Don't touch…"

"Sunset, tell me what's going on! I need to know how to help you!"

"…You can't… _shouldn't_ help me…"

The mare suddenly twitched, a pained groan escaping her. In that moment, Tyr's eyes spied the fangs jutting from the mare's jaws and he registered the _need_ coming from her. Ignoring the bristle of irritation from Fenrir, Tyr pulled his sleeve away and pushed his bare arm in front of Sunset's face. He pulled her into his lap to lift her head up a bit. "Drink," He ordered, using a bit of mental force to put emphasis on it.

Sunset must have been really craving blood at this point, because she bit into his offered arm without any hesitation. Tyr winced a bit, pain from the bite catching him off guard. Regardless, he stayed silent while Sunset drank, quietly contemplating the feeling of his blood being sucked out of him. A moment or so later, she pulled away. "Tyr… why…?" She whispered, staring at the two little holes she had left in his wrist. "Why would you…?"

"I'm your friend, right? I'm supposed to help you if I can."

"I never asked you to feed me!" Sunset shot back, trying to push him away. He didn't fight it, letting her scoot a few spots away. "You… you shouldn't have done that. I could have killed you!"

Tyr raised an eyebrow, sparing Fenrir a glance. "I don't think you would have managed."

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't have tried! I don't want to hurt you, Tyr!"

"It could have been useful to know you were a vampire before now," Tyr pointed out. When Sunset looked up at him, she saw a tiny frown on his face. "Knowing that now, I could have known you were that thirsty."

Sunset looked away. "I… I was handling it."

"How long have you gone without blood before?"

"Huh?"

"What's the longest time you've gone without blood?"

Sunset blushed lightly. "…Barely a week."

Fenrir snorted. "Wonderful. She might have gone on a blood rampage while we were here."

"Be quiet, Fen," Tyr admonished gently. He turned back to Sunset. "How are you feeling now?"

Sunset took a shaky breath. She was feeling much better now, that was sure. But she had to be careful—Tyr was still alive. Drinking the blood of someone that was still living could be addicting, she had been told. She'd start craving just his blood and his alone… "I'm going to be okay."

Tyr nodded. "That's good. I don't want you hurting yourself because you're trying to fight your nature."

She stared at him for a long time. He was smiling now, giving her a comforting look. "Why… why are you so comfortable with this? I thought you'd be more freaked out about me being a bloodsucker."

"I'm the Contractor of the Spirit of Carnage," Tyr reminded her, smirking and pulling her into a gentle hug. It was meant to reassure her, but it made her more aware of her desire for his blood. It wasn't as strong as earlier, however. "Bloodlust, blood-frenzy, and blood-cravings kinda come with the territory."

Sunset frowned. "But that doesn't explain why you're so chummy with me after I took a bite into your arm."

"I lived with a family of vampires before," Tyr said, sighing as he pulled his sleeve back down. "The oldest daughter of the family was… a close friend. Occasionally, if she felt a craving and couldn't get anything, I'd let her drink from me."

"O-Oh…" She looked back down at Tyr's arm, which was still in front of her. "You… you didn't mind?"

Tyr smiled. "Not really. She was gentler."

"Oh, I'm so sorry… I'm still relatively 'newborn', you know…"

"How old?"

"Um… probably only a couple years or so."

"Huh, so pretty young, according to the vampires I know." Tyr smirked.

Sunset blushed, turning her head away. "Well, I'm sorry I'm out of your 'age range' when it comes to leeches."

"I like to think I have a soft spot for my bloodsuckers," Tyr joked. "That isn't my neck, of course."

"Right…"

Tyr examined the mare in his arms, noting that despite her attempts at being standoffish, she tended to end up acting quite cute. "You need any more?" He asked.

Sunset stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head gently. "N-Not right now… but thank you for offering. I think I should be fine for now. If the cravings come back, I'll come to you."

"Good. We're in this together, right?"

"Right."

"Such a touching moment," Fenrir snorted, rolling her eyes.

Sunset frowned. "What's your problem? Got something against vampires?"

"I am the concept of carnage," the wolf reminded her, eyes narrowing. "But my primary form is that of a wolf. Many worlds have Lycans and Vampires at odds. Forgive my preference for my own kin."

"Lycans?" Sunset blinked. "You mean… Werewolves?"

"Precisely."

Tyr smiled. "Don't take it to heart, Sunset. Fenrir just prefers to be the one biting me."

Fenrir huffed. "I only bite you if you deserve it."

Sunset had resumed staring down at Tyr's arms. He was strong, that she knew, but not _how_ strong. She felt… secure. "Er… Tyr?"

"Hm?" He looked down at her, meeting her red eyes with his silver. "Something up?"

"…You're still holding me."

"…Oh. Right. Sorry about that." He let her go then, and she sat up on her own. He did reach out to steady her a bit. "You're sure you don't need any more?"

Sunset gave him a tiny smile. "I'm sure. Honestly, I'd rather not get an addiction for your blood."

"That is a thing, isn't it?"

"You taste like a cold sip of water," Sunset said softly, but Tyr's attention was drawn to outside, where a commotion seemed to be taking place.

Fenrir's ears perked up, as she turned to the flap of the door. "It couldn't be."

"Couldn't be what?" Sunset asked, only for a flurry of motion to blow the flap open. A blue blur slammed into Tyr, blue and white feathers flying about as Valor was reunited with his owner. "What in the name of the sun!?"

"Valor!" Tyr said, shocked and elated all at the same time. The Ice Phoenix trilled happily, nuzzling against him and cooing softly. "How the hell did you find us?"

"The bond between creatures of the ice goes deep, it seems," Fenrir said amusedly.

Tyr laughed softly as he stroked the blue-white bird's feathers. "I'm actually very glad you found us, Valor. I was actually starting to miss you."

The Phoenix cooed once more, before flapping up to perch himself on his shoulder. "Seems right at home," Sunset chuckled.

The moment was broken then as a trio of Wulfen Guards burst into the building. They paused as they saw the bird on Tyr's shoulder, drawing back in surprise. "Er… that creature belongs to you, Sir Tyr?" One guard asked.

"He does indeed," Tyr said, rooting in his cloak for his bag of seeds. He pulled it out and held it up for Valor to peck at. "Did something happen?"

"He… The herbalist said that she wanted the bird for…" The guard didn't finish, because Tyr's amused look had quickly turned into something that felt like it could kill. The guards drew back, ears falling flat against their skulls. "S-Since we now know the bird belongs to you, we will alert him of that fact. We will leave for now."

They beat a hasty retreat. Tyr's demeanor shifted back to his friendlier state. "Glad they got the message."

Sunset shivered. Tyr hadn't said a word, but he had expressed his feelings clearly to the Wulfen. Guess all that info about 'wolves communicating non-verbally' was the real deal. "You really intimidated them," She said with a little chuckle.

"Wolves always recognize those stronger than them," Fenrir pointed out. "Although I wonder why the current Alpha of this pack has not been contested yet."

Sunset frowned. "What? Why would they contest it? The strongest is the leader, right? And he fought the previous leader and won."

"But the previous leader was wounded," Tyr pointed out, stroking Valor's feathers. "Other wolves would have jumped at the opportunity to test this new Alpha's claim. Especially since he challenged a weakened enemy."

"A fair point. You think he's holding something over them?"

"There's something we don't know. Are you capable of using magic?"

Sunset frowned, before focusing and lighting up her horn. After a moment of concentration, she let go of the magic with a small sigh. "Nothing too strong. I… If you need me to be ready for something…"

Tyr smirked and pulled up his sleeve. "Go ahead."

Valor cooed a question, but Tyr pat his head to assure him it was alright. Sunset shuffled over to where he was seated, murmuring a soft thanks as she bit into his arm once more. While she drank, Tyr reached into his cloak and retrieved a small vial. "What's that?" Sunset asked, pulling her fangs free of his arm.

"Potion I made that accelerates the body's production of blood cells," Tyr said with a small chuckle. "Isabel taught me how to make them, and the ingredients are pretty common."

"Oh… Did she drink from you often?"

"Not at all. She taught me because we were working in a field hospital at the time. It'll last for a few minutes or so, so you're fine taking more."

"Mm." Was Sunset's reply as she went back to drinking. Tyr knocked back the sour tasting potion and set the vial on the bed. He'd need to clean it out before using it again. Sunset finished then, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "So? Why do you need me to be able to use magic?"

"I'm leaving you here today, and I'd like for you to be able to defend yourself if necessary. I'd take you with me but I'm sure the Wulfen don't trust you."

Sunset nodded. "I guess that makes sense. What are you doing to be doing?"

Tyr smiled. He set Valor on Sunset's head. "I'm going to do a little sniffing around, pardon the pun. Valor, watch over her for me, will ya?"

The ice phoenix trilled, standing up as straight as he could so as to look regal. Tyr gave him one last pat on the head before collecting Fenrir from her lazing about. "I'll stay here and try not to set anything on fire," Sunset called after him.

The Elemental didn't respond, instead just leaving the building and heading outside. Wulfen were going about their daily business, paying him little to no mind as he moved about the town. With Fenrir perched on his shoulder, he began to walk. The first thing he noticed with the unease that permeate the village. He had noticed it once before, when they had first arrived. Something was on the minds of the Wulfen, and it was heavy. But one particular emotion caught his attention as he strode down the path past the Alpha tent.

Curiosity.

A little pale gray Wulfen was sitting on the side of the path, big bright eyes watching him. "…Hello there," He offered.

"You smell like a wolf," the Wulfen child responded, her voice a little squeaky and rough. She scrunched up her nose. "But you don't look like a wolf."

"I've got the blood of a wolf," Tyr replied, crouching down to be on her level. "What's your name, cub?"

"Sapphire. What's yours?"

"My name is Tyr. A Pleasure to meet you, Sapphire. The little wolf on my shoulder is Fenrir. She likes to be small sometimes."

Sapphire's eyes widened at seeing Fenrir. "O-Oh… hello, Fang-Mother…"

Fenrir smirked. "No need for formalities, child. I don't have much use of them."

"If that's what you want…"

"What are you doing out here?" Tyr asked, frowning. "Waiting on someone?"

"My sister is trading for food," Sapphire said, pointing. Tyr followed her gesture to find a small marketplace across the way, where a number of Wulfen were trading for food, leather, and other materials and objects. Although it looked like a marketplace, no trade was uneven—the Wulfen traded for what they needed or for favors. Just as Sapphire pointed, Noelle came walking over, a bag in her arms.

"Oh, hello Sir Tyr," The Wulfen said. She gave Sapphire a critical look. "You're not bothering the Chosen of the Fang Mother, are you?"

"No!" Sapphire pouted. "He came over to say hi to me!"

Tyr chuckled. "Yeah, I came by. I have daughters of my own, so you can say I have a soft spot for girls."

Noelle's surprised look gave way to a small smile of understanding. "I see. What brings you out and about?"

"Just sating my own curiosity," Tyr said amiably. "Although I had a question."

"Ask away. I'll answer if I can."

Tyr looked around. "Why are all the Wulfen so… sad? It feels like something is hanging over their heads."

Noelle's mouth became a firm line. "I should have known you'd notice, especially after you told me about your ability to sense emotions…"

"So? Is it something you can't talk about?"

"Not exactly, but…" She glanced around, shifting closer to Tyr and lowering her voice. "Apparently the Alpha has entered into some sort of deal that will grant him power over the other Wulfen Clans."

"Other Clans?"

"There are four other clans besides ours," Noelle explained. "We are what one would call… friendly enemies. Since we all share a distaste for the Ursa, we cooperate against them. But having all the Wulfen in one place would no doubt overtax what little food we can gather."

Tyr nodded. "I see… but why does your brother need this 'power' or whatever he's bargaining for?"

"From what I've managed to get from the guards, he's taking every able bodied Wulfen from our clan to attack the Crystal Empire."

"An attack on the ponies?" Fenrir muttered. "Would that not be foolish? Nothing against the strength of my kin, but you would be hard pressed to fight against magic."

"Especially Shining's shield magic," Tyr added with a nod. The Prince of the Crystal Empire could no doubt hold up his barrier for days, even under stress. Reinforcements from Canterlot might not even be needed, given that three of Equestria's six princesses were present in the city. Then, a frown touched at his lips. "…Wait a second. Fen, who do we know that has a magi artifact that Shining's shield can barely stop?"

The wolf spirit blinked, staring at him in confusion for a moment before snarling out the name. "Frost Storm."

Noelle frowned. "I have never heard that name. Judging by how it sounds, it must be a Pony name."

"It is," Tyr said, his frown deepening. "He's partly the reason we're here. And he somehow managed to get a Wulfen clan to ally with him… If he can disrupt the shield and overwhelm Luna and the others, the Wulfen would be more than a match for the magic-less Crystal Guard."

Fenrir snorted. "A very clever trick."

"I would expect no less from my power obsessed brother," Noelle grumbled.

Both Tyr and Fenrir looked at the white Wulfen in surprise. "Nero is your brother?" Tyr asked.

"Nowi gets her color from our mom," Sapphire said with a small giggle. Noelle gave her sister a smile and a gentle pat on her head. There was love between these two siblings—something Tyr could not remember seeing between Noelle and Nero.

Fenrir glowered, seeming even more dangerous than normal despite her own size. "So, this Nero killed his own father to gain his position as Alpha? I find myself hating him _more_ now."

Tyr was quiet, thoughtful. It made sense on a level—wolves were opportunistic at heart, and only chose fights they knew they could win. Seeing a way to gain more power and territory would no doubt have been appealing. But enough to warrant killing your own father? And pulling away every bodied wolf for an attack on the Crystal Empire… if the other Wolf Clans found out, they'd come charging in without hesitation. "Your brother is aware that the town will be undefended?"

Noelle snorted. "He doesn't share his plans with me."

The man opened his mouth to reply when a sudden wave of fear rolled through the area. Noelle shivered, as did Sapphire. Only Tyr and Fenrir were unaffected, and that became obvious enough momentarily. Nero was approaching, flanked by two guards. Noelle and Sapphire moved closer to Tyr and slightly behind him, apparently finding security in the man's silent confidence. The black Wulfen seemed pleased by the looks of deference he was getting, especially from his sisters. But when his eyes met Tyr's, his smug smile vanished immediately. There was no fear, no trepidation in the man's eyes. Only a cold sense of displeasure and the air of a dangerous man. Tyr had pulled away all his obvious emotions and left ice in their place. And ice could not be intimidated. "…You are enjoying our village?" He said stiffly, obviously irritated.

"It's rather comfortable here. Although I'd rather everyone was happier."

Nero's frown deepened. "Happier? My people are forced to survive out in this wasteland because the Ponies and their magic forced us here. We are forced to pull what little we can from this place. How do you expect us to be 'happier'?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "I'm currently the Lord of a group of ponies who lived underground and survived off mushrooms and fungi. I once met a woman that was blind and living alone with barely any food to her name. And yet she shared everything she had with me and gave me the brightest smile I have ever seen. I swear by _Etro itself_ that people can be happy despite any hardship. Your focus on power blinds you to the feelings and needs of those around you."

Nero drew himself up as tall as he could, actually managing to pull out a few inches taller than the man. He snorted. "Do not presume to tell me how to lead my pack, little _cub_. I will not tolerate—!"

"You _will_ tolerate it," Tyr growled back, shutting up the wolf and making him back up a step. Every Wulfen within earshot had stopped in place, watching the confrontation with unease. Wolves were instinctually led to follow their Alpha, but here they saw another individual with the stance of a true Alpha. Noelle reached out to take hold of Tyr's shoulder, but he continued. "I am a guest here, and I do understand my position. But you have no power over me than that. So don't expect to see me sit here and watch you try to be a leader through intimidation. You're sure as hell not going to intimidate _me_."

"And what do you plan to do about it?" Nero smirked, holding out his arms. "This is _my_ pack, Tyr Winter. I am it's Alpha. You may have the support of the ponies, but how much does that protect you while you are out here?"

Tyr had a momentary thought towards Sunset's safety, but he knew she'd be fine. "I need no protection," He shot back.

"So how true is that...?" Nero said, an evil smirk beginning to grow on his face. He made a gesture, and his two guards hesitantly drew their weapons and stepped forward. All he got was an amused chuckle.

"Hiding behind others?" Tyr grinned savagely. "Not very befitting of an Alpha, is it?"

That made the Wulfen stop short. A startled gasp came from the crowd around them, but otherwise it was silent. The man grinned—he was well aware what his statement meant. Nero narrowed his eyes. "…Do you seek to challenge my claim as Alpha?"

Tyr smirked. "I suppose maybe I should. Because otherwise I'd hate to see you kill your own people."

Nero snarled. "Then you have your challenge, wolf-blood. No weapons—as is the way of our kind. Or are you afraid to rid yourself of your metal claws?"

The man frowned then, easily unstrapping Fimbulvinter and holding it out to Noelle. "Hold onto this for me, will you?"

Noelle nodded dumbly, taking the weapon from him. She almost dropped it, caught off guard by its weight. She stared at it in shock—no weapon the Wulfen made was ever this heavy. Slightly curious, she partly unsheathed it. The craftsmanship made her gasp. It was beautiful, even hidden. No doubt Tyr had to have some sort of amazing smith make him this.

Her attention was pulled away from the blade by the sudden appearance of Sunset at her side, Valor trilling brightly still perched on her head. "What's going on?" She asked, looking from Tyr to Noelle.

"I…" Noelle was at a loss for words for a moment. "It seems… it seems Tyr plans to challenge Nero for the position of Alpha."

"…What?" Then, more startled: "What!?"

A large area was cleared out, letting Tyr and Nero face off. The Wulfen was taller, bigger, and more muscular, easily surpassing Tyr in appearance. But the man was nonplussed, pulling off his cloak and handing it to Fenrir in her true form. "Try not to waste time, Alpha," She told him softly. "We do have a mission we were in the middle of."

Tyr rolled his shoulders, taking in a deep breath of the cold air. "I know. All those training sessions with Passion are about to pay off, huh?"

"She was one for unarmored combat," Fenrir said thoughtfully. She smiled then. "Make her proud."

"Are you going to take forever preparing?" Nero snarled. Tyr didn't say a word, but stepped forward into a ready stance. The black Wulfen snarled at him and leapt straight at him. The man didn't flinch, instead planting his feet and readying himself. Nero's claws slashed down towards his throat, but Tyr was much faster than he expected. The man stepped into the attack, batting away the claw and throwing a punch towards the Wulfen's chest.

The force behind the return blow was more than anyone expected. Nero was thrown away from Tyr with equal force to his leap. He crashed into a table, which splintered under the impact. If he was caught off guard, it didn't show. The black Wulfen was back on his feet and charging at Tyr without hesitation, and the fight was on in earnest. Nero was overwhelming with his size and ferocity, claws slashing for vital spots with each attack. However Tyr was more methodical, deflecting or easily slipping aside from each attack and hitting back with equal fervor.

Finding an opponent that could not be so easily overwhelmed, Nero drew back on his attack. Changing up his attack pattern, he began to circle his opponent in hopes of finding an opening. But instead Tyr went on the attack. He shot forward, planting one foot in the snow and throwing his entire body behind the strike. Nero grinned and simply moved his arms to block.

An upside to training with people much stronger than you meant you tended to get tough. Tyr had personally trained in hand to hand combat with the Spirit of Mayhem, and when you fight against a girl that head butts bullet trains, you get strong quickly.

The cry of pain that tore from Nero's throat as his arm was shattered by Tyr's strike. He pushed the man away, retreating a distance to nurse his injury. He turned a furious glare towards Tyr, but the man had vanished.

"Flesh tears and bone breaks," Tyr reminded him, suddenly appearing off to the side. Nero growled and swiped at him, only for the man to duck under the strike and hit the wolf hard in the side. More bones broke, and Nero staggered to the side. Three more strikes sailed in, destroying, breaking and shattering bones with each impact. Tyr was relentless, forcing the larger Wulfen onto the back foot and keeping him there. One strike hit him in the middle of his chest, forcing him to drop to one knee. "…Do you yield?" Tyr asked softly, pausing in his attack.

In a moment of pure rage, Nero exploded out of his defensive state, roaring and going in for a desperation attack. He would kill this man—this false wolf—and regain his honor in the eyes of his tribe. But Tyr had taken not a single injury during his fight, and had nothing keeping him from simply striking Nero down. Time seemed to slow—Tyr slipped to the side and hammered the heel of his palm into the same spot as before. This time, the blow shattered his collar bone and drove it into his heart. Nero gasped once, staggered backwards, and then collapsed on the spot.

There was silence in the area as all the Wulfen took in the sight of their leader, broken and defeated at Tyr's feet. One Wulfen dressed in what Tyr thought was a shaman's outfit walked over slowly, kneeling beside Nero's body. The growing pool of blood and the lack of movement proved Nero was dead. The man simply sighed and walked over to Fenrir. She handed him his cloak with a grin, pointing behind him. Tyr blinked, turned around, and found all the Wulfen kneeling before him. "…Not this again…" He groaned.

"You knew this was coming," Fenrir pointed out with a chuckle.

Noelle came over, timidly offering Fimbulvinter to him. She tried not to drop it due to its weight. "Y-Your blade, Alpha."

"Thanks," Tyr said, taking it and strapping the weapon back on. He glanced around to face the crowd of Wulfen, missing the shocked look on Noelle's face. "Please… no need to bow. I'm not that kind of guy."

"But you just bested Nero," One Wulfen Tyr recognized as Tonto said. "As per the rules of the tribe, of the Wulfen, you are now our new Alpha."

Sunset walked over to Tyr. "Seems you've become the lord of another group, huh?" She teased, playfully nudging him.

Tyr gave her a long suffering sigh. "Not what I intended originally, but…"

"We can use this to our advantage," Fenrir pointed out.

"How do you figure?" Sunset asked. "We're still behind an army of Ursa and a very powerful storm. What does one tribe of Wulfen help us with?"

"Not just one," Fenrir said, looking back to Tyr.

The man was smiling then. He turned to Noelle, who blinked. "Noelle?"

"Yes, Alpha?" The Wulfen started when he addressed her.

Tyr's smile was wide, and you could almost see the plan working in his mind. "Where's the next nearest Wulfen Tribe, and how fast can we get there?"

–x–

"I am able to walk about the city on my own," Chrys said shortly. She glanced over at Luna, who simply gave her a small smile. "What do you find so funny?"

"That you seem so adverse to spending time with me," Luna said, moving closer to nuzzle her. "Do you truly not like my company?"

Chrys blushed slightly, turning her head away. "I never… I never said that. I just do not need a chaperone."

"I am not your chaperone. I am your herd-mate, and your friend. I wanted to spend the day with you."

"…you don't mind me?"

"Have I ever?"

"Well no, but…"

Luna sighed. She stopped walking, tugging on Chrys to get her to face her. "Chrysalis. We've known one another for a long time, no?"

"Yes."

"So why would I not enjoy your company?" Luna smiled. "You were my first friend besides Tyr and my sister, and truly the first member of our 'herd'. I thought you loved me…"

"I do—!" Chrys caught herself as she spoke up in surprise, seeing the smug look on Luna's face. She blushed. "…So I do. What of it?"

"I simply wanted to spend some time with you. Given that we are without Tyr, we have only each other to keep us company. As you are the closest to me out of the others, I find spending time with you is easier."

"So you do not like spending time with Rarity or Pinkie?"

Luna frowned. She gestured for them to keep walking, which Chrys agreed to. "I never said that. Rarity is polite and very classy, but she reminds me of the nobles in Canterlot. I know she is better than that, but I cannot get rid of that image in my mind. Pinkie is… well meaning, but her constant energy is occasionally grating on the nerves."

Chrys snorted. "That, I can agree with. If anything, she pours enough love off to feed me for days."

"Too true. Is that why you spend more time with the children?"

"I suppose you could assume that. They, at least, have a reason to act childish."

Luna giggled. "I see."

Chrys glanced over at the Princess of Dreams. She seemed happier than usual—more upbeat and cheerful. "Are you feeling alright, Luna? It is not often I see you this… cheery."

"I have been keeping in touch with Tyr these past nights," the Alicorn replied. When Chrys gave her a questioning look, she rolled her eyes. "We can commune through our dreams, remember? I have been checking up with him whenever I am able—it seems he's quite busy out there."

"He hasn't done the same for me!" Chrys complained.

[You haven't been listening] came the whisper of a thought. Chrys perked up immediately, getting another giggle from Luna.

"Seems your connection is weaker via distance," The mare said thoughtfully.

[I'm so sorry Master!] Chrys thought worriedly. [I did not mean to ignore you…]

[You weren't] she could hear the amusement in Tyr's thoughts, despite their faintness. [I was attempting to get to you a while ago, but considering I can barely hear you, it's no doubt the same for you]

Chrys smiled. [I am simply happy to know you have not forgotten me]

[How could I forget my favorite pet?]

Luna smiled as she saw the happy smile grow on Chrys's face. "Seems you've been placed at ease."

Chrys nodded. "Knowing my Master is safe and has not forgotten me is the most I could ever want."

"I can understand that feeling. Once I knew he was whole and mostly unharmed, I was very relieved. Although I wish he would simply come back."

"Likewise."

They continued walking, finding themselves able to make much more pleasant conversation. A few of the Crystal Ponies watched Chrys suspiciously, but because Luna was with her they didn't stare for long. They had bigger worries—no one was sure how to fix the Crystal Heart, and Twilight and her friends were doing everything in their power to keep the spirits of the Crystal Ponies high. Ace and the other nights were attempting to limit the amount of information getting out to the general public. The rest of the guard were securing the city, although that didn't include the three or four guards following Luna and Chrys somewhat discreetly behind them, although they tried not to pay them any mind. They were sitting in an outdoor café drinking tea when a shocked voice called out to them from behind. "Princess? Chrysalis?"

Both mares turned to find a very elated Trixie standing behind them, Audio clinging to her cloak. "Why, if it isn't the illusionist," Chrys said, a moment before the pale blue unicorn trotted over to them. "It has been some time."

"Trixie is—!" She caught herself, before clearing her throat. " _I_ am very happy to see you both again."

"Likewise," Luna said with a nod. She glanced over at Audio. "This is your daughter?"

"Er, yes she is… This is Audio."

"Hello," Audio offered, milky eyes turning to where their voices came from.

Trixie glanced from them to her daughter. "Er, she's…"

"No need to worry," Chrys said, noting the worry on the other mare's face. When she was given a confused look in response, the Changeling simply chuckled. "Tyr told us about his… time in Los Pegasus."

"O-Oh…" Trixie's face fell slightly, but she forced herself to smile. "I'm really grateful to him, and I was hoping to see him…"

Chrys rolled her eyes. "You've come at a bad time. My Master is busy traipsing about the countryside fighting wolves and bears. He may not return for some time."

Trixie looked sad. "Oh… I see. I… that's quite inconvenient…"

Luna frowned slightly. "What did you want to speak to my husband about?"

"Well… I…" Before she could continue, the air suddenly grew heavier. Heavy like magic was coursing through it. All three mares turned, confusion on their faces. And then a voice boomed from everywhere at once.

"PONIES OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE," The voice declared. Every pony in the area turned to look at the sky, confusion and worry on all their faces. The guards that had been following Luna and Chrysalis emerged from their hiding places, trained well enough to know that protecting the Princess was a priority instead of hiding. Whatever this voice was, it was something they didn't recognize. The voice continued. "I AM FROST STORM, RADIANT OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE SUN. I BRING THE WILL OF THE ONE TRUE RULER OF EQUESTRIA!"

"What does this pony want?" Chrys muttered. "One true ruler? What does that even mean?"

Luna's face was hard. "I had heard… whispers of a cult that believed that Celestia was the only princess needed in Equestria. That I, Sherry and Hope were… unneeded."

Trixie blinked. "And not Princess Cadance?"

"She has been here, in the Crystal Empire. No doubt they did not see her as a threat…"

Frost Storm's voice boomed once more. "THE FALSE PRINCESSES WILL FALL. YOUR CRYSTAL HEART WILL NOT PROTECT YOU—YOU WILL DROWN IN THIS STORM!"

"Does he have to be so loud?" Audio squeaked, covering her ears and pushing her face into her mother's side.

The other mares were not in any position to reply, as a number of eyes turned to Luna. The Midnight Princess scowled, before trotting off towards the city limits. "Follow me!" She ordered, the Crystal Guards and Chrysalis obeying immediately. Trixie followed a moment after, gently pulling Audio along. It wasn't a very far walk, but they found the Princess, her Changeling, and the Guards all standing in the middle of the main street. All around them were panicking Crystal Ponies, all rushing to get to their homes or somewhere else safe. Before them, on a small rise outside the city, was a singular pony with a small army of armored Ursa.

"Uh oh," Trixie whispered.

Frost Storm, upon noticing he had royal attention, grinned. He raised his amulet into the air, bidding the storm to descend upon the city. His intentions were clear—the Crystal Empire would be shrouded in snow once more. Luna scowled, her horn lighting up. "No doubt my sister and I can hold the storm at bay with Cadance and Shining Armor's help," She muttered, even as the tell-tale pink barrier began falling over the city. "But Shining Armor's stamina will not hold forever, and the very essence of this storm will sap the will to resist from us all."

"Then what do we do, Princess?" one of the Guards asked worriedly.

The dark blue Alicorn glanced back, meeting the small frown on Chrysalis's face. "The only thing we can do at this point. We hope my husband truly knows what he's doing."

–x–

"Seems the stage is set," Harmony murmured to herself, leaning forward slightly in her hidden spot atop the Crystal Spire. As she was hidden amongst the crystals of the Spire, she hadn't bothered to become a pony again—just as well, it let her absentmindedly run her hands through her long hair. The Overseer of Time watched the pink bubble falling over the city with indifference. "Try as they might, that's not going to do much. Tyr is sorta the lynchpin of this whole thing, after all…"

"Playing chess again, dear sister?" Genesis's amused voice asked. Harmony turned slightly to see the green portal opening behind her, letting her nature loving sister exit. Genesis was tall, very tall, with multiple thick braids of her green hair falling about her shoulders and down her back. She wore a simple earth brown dress decorated with flowers and smelling like nature itself. Harmony's eyes were drawn to her sister's feet, which were bare. Of course.

She turned back, watching the white envelop the pink. "I don't play chess with them, I simply watch. It is my job, after all."

Genesis giggled softly, moving over to plant her nine-foot frame beside her sister's barely five foot self. Petals scattered about her as she sat. Harmony stared enviously at her sister's unnecessarily large chest and height. Genesis laughed brightly, bouncing as she did so. "I know. I simply tease—you love life too much to play with it."

Harmony shot her sister a look. "We are _Caretakers_ , sister. Life is not a toy."

"I know!" The green woman pouted. "I never said I did it! I was merely stating a fact!"

"I know, I know. But our long lives may start to lead to us feeling like we owe the mortal races nothing—that we are gods to them."

Genesis was quiet, no witty retort or giggle inducing comment to reply to her sister. Although she was the 'oldest' of the Caretaker sisters, the Verdant Lady knew that Harmony had experienced many more lifetimes as the Keeper of Time. She had seen much more than Genesis could ever imagine. She sighed. "You know I'd be a terrible god, Harmony."

The blue haired woman smirked. "I dunno. Goddess of Life and Nature? It's not that bad. Plus, you're already huge and all."

"Oh stop!" Genesis smiled, happy her little sister was cheering up. She turned to look down at the city, which looked to be in a sort of panic. From here, they could see the four uniformed Royal Knights at the front of the Spire, trying to placate the growing mass of ponies crying out to their Princesses. She hmm'd softly, tilting her head to the side and scattering more petals. "They're quite in a bad way, aren't they?"

Harmony sighed, dusting the petals out of her hair. "Panic and worry are natural when you live in a world where these sorts of things usually herald the end of the world."

"IF the world was ending, Termie would be back," Genesis said with a huff.

There was a soft whisper of energy behind them, and out of a black inky darkness walked a slender woman in gothic Lolita style dress. Her ash gray wispy hair immediately identified her as Terminus. "What about me?" She asked softly, smoothing out her dress with her gloved hands.

Genesis stared at her in shock. "Oh dear. Is this plane ending?"

"What?" The pale woman frowned. "Of course not. I simply came back to see what you two were up to…is the sky whiter than normal?"

"Some zealot has a magic amulet that lets him control the storm, and a magic circlet that he's put a mind control spell into that lets him control the Ursa," Genesis said.

Terminus moved to Harmony's other side, smoothing out her dress as she sat down. "It's always the zealots, hm? What does this one want?"

"Something about one true ruler or something like that," Harmony replied lazily, waving a hand. "Same song and dance every time…"

"You think mortals would learn suddenly changing the status quo never goes over full well," Terminus huffed. "But then again, that's the cycle of things, no?"

"I suppose," Harmony muttered.

Genesis wiggled her toes, giggling softly. "I don't think we have any need to worry. Harmony's Chosen will no doubt struggle his way through. Either way, we can step in if necessary!"

Terminus frowned, leaning forward to look at the eldest Caretaker. "Why so much interest in this world, sister? There are many Planes going through life and death situations all the time. Why are we so interested in this one?"

Genesis looked to Harmony. The middle Caretaker was silent for a long time. Then, her pure blue eyes looked up at her older sister. "Genny… Can't you feel it?"

"Feel…?" The huge woman frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You were asleep for a long time, so I know it won't come immediately, but… just… _feel_ this world."

Genesis and Terminus shared a look, before the oldest Caretaker held a hand up and closed her eyes. She began humming a little song under her breath, in tune with nature about her. The entire Crystal Spire resonated with her voice, working as a tuning fork to help her get in tune with the entire plane.

Standing above a bloodied Wulfen twice his size, Tyr glanced off into the distance. "That sound…" He murmured.

"The Verdant Lady sings," Fenrir whispered, reaching up to cover her ears. "And all Creation hears."

In one of the sound rooms in his shop, Read Write sat up straight, yanking off his headphones. Beside him, Tempo started. "Baby? What is it?"

"That sound…" Read muttered, frowning.

"What sound? I didn't hear anything…"

Read didn't reply, turning his eyes to where the front of the shop was, and where the flower was in the counter. If he could see it, he'd see the buds were vibrating. What he _heard_ was the voice of nature itself, as if it came from his mind. Instead of answering his fiancé, he slapped his headphones back on and began hurriedly searching through his music, trying to find something, _anything_ , that could recreate that sound.

In her quarters in Wolfhome, Zecora paused slightly, cup of tea close to her lips. She heard Anansi chuckling madly at the now flowering Sycamora, but her eyes were fixed on the herbs she had just recently collected, all of them blooming. "…Hm."

Back on the Crystal Spire, Genesis suddenly pulled her hand away, mouth snapping shut. She gasped quietly, hands shooting up to her mouth. "No. No, this… this isn't…"

"It is," Harmony said.

Terminus looked between her sisters. "What? What is it?"

"This world is _pure_ ," Genesis whispered, tears touching at her eyes. "It… it is pure. The song… even now it is strong."

"This world has been protected by a spell that hides it from the outside," Harmony explained. "Order and Chaos have actually stayed in balance. _I've never had to intervene._ "

Terminus frowned, although this time she seemed very worried. "Then… won't all this business with Tyr upset that?"

Genesis shook her head, getting more petals in Harmony's hair. The other Caretaker shot her sister a dirty look, but the giant woman continued. "This place will never be imbalanced, Termie. It balances itself out. The Plane itself… the Song simply adds anything new to it, and makes it part of itself. This is a pure Song here!"

"So nothing short of Genesis altering the Life Song itself or something like Jehu losing his temper would change that."

Terminus frowned, looking back down at the crowd. Twilight and her friends had come out to help the Knights calm the crowd. "So we are spectators?"

"For now, at least." Harmony sighed. Her eyes were fixed out towards the snow, as if she was watching Tyr's focused progress. "…As much as I don't like it, we watch for now."

"Good thing I have popcorn!" Genesis said happily, producing a giant tub of the said food.

"And here I was trying to end on a serious note," Harmony said, rolling her eyes as Terminus giggled softly beside her.

–x–

* * *

 **When a Caretaker does something, people and ponies notice. Oh, and I love my mental image of Genesis being a gentle green giant.**


	54. Chapter 54

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 53: To Pull Down the Sky

"Why can't we find _anything_!?" Rainbow groaned, setting her face on the desk in front of her. "We've been through like every book in the library, and nothing tells us what to do if the Crystal Heart breaks!"

The other members of the Elements of Harmony spared her a sympathetic glanced as they all settled back for a much needed break. After searching through almost every book associated with the Crystal Heart, the six mares were tired. Very tired. "Why doesn't anything tell us about how the Heart was made?" Twilight murmured, flipping through more pages. "There has to be something!"

"Maybe they only found it," Pinkie pointed out, balancing a stack of books on her head. "And it's been like, always here!"

Rarity nodded. "That would make sense, darling. Perhaps it was simply found by the Crystal Ponies? From what we've read, it's been around even before Sombra."

"But there are no records before that?" Twilight asserted. "That just seems impossible!"

"Guess we better start bundling up then," Applejack muttered, shoving away a book. "Cause we're about ta get a lot of snow."

"There has to be something we can do!"

The others were silent. They'd been through every book imaginable, and found nothing. Fluttershy didn't say anything, instead getting up to go check on the kids. As she peeked around the corner, she was happy to see all nine children either reading, sleeping, or just sitting around quietly. Golden Grove noticed her mother and waved. "Are you all okay in here?" Fluttershy asked, walking over.

"Bored," Vibrant muttered.

Aleron glanced to where his sister was asleep against him. "We're making due," He told Fluttershy. "Any luck in there?"

"Well, we're… um… making progress?" She gave him a weak smile.

There was a small commotion behind them, and Fluttershy moved around to see what was going on. Starlight was back, with a unicorn stallion in tow. "What's going on?" Fluttershy asked softly, rejoining her friends.

"I think I found a way to repair the Heart," Starlight said proudly. And then, her proud smile gave way to a nervous one. "Or at least, found _somepony_ who can repair it."

"Is this your friend?" Twilight asked her student, glancing at the stallion. She was returned a very exaggerated bow where the stallion almost lost his glasses.

"A p-pleasure to meet you, Princess," He said, a little nervously. The other mares giggled at his nervousness. "My name is Sunburst."

The violet Alicorn smiled. "No need to stand on formalities. Starlight says you can help us?"

"Yes, I… I studied a lot when it came to the Crystal Heart. There's a spell that we can use—it's actually part of the Crystalling ceremony."

The mood in the library brightened. "You can? Oh that's wonderful! We need to do it right away—!"

"Actually," Sunburst cut her off. He glanced over at Starlight, who gave him a small nod and smile. "I'll need Starlight to help me. The spell needed is really complicated, and I'll need her help."

"Er… okay, what does the spell need—?"

Twilight's eager question was cut off by a deafening explosion outside. "What in the name of the Princesses was that?" Applejack remarked, grabbing at her hat. The force of the explosion had shaken even the library, knocking a few of the books to the ground.

"Kids, are you alright?" Fluttershy asked, going back to where the kids were. They were all awake now, all looking around in shock.

"I reckon we're all okay," Bramley said.

"What the buck was that?" Vibrant asked, wide-eyed.

Fluttershy frowned. "Vibrant Spark! Language!"

"Oop, Sorry Auntie Fluttershy."

"We're okay," Evie said, shoving Vibrant over onto the floor. "What happened?"

"Not sure," Twilight said. "We're going to go see! Kids, stay here."

The adult mares plus one stallion quickly rushed outside, immediately spotting the plume of smoke rolling out of the Spire. "Oh my goodness!" Rarity breathed. "What _happened_!?"

There was the sound of something breaking, and then suddenly the pink barrier holding out the cold fell. Almost immediately, the city was blanketed in white, the storm spreading a thick white haze into the streets. "That's… that's not good, is it?" Rainbow muttered.

"Shining!" Twilight yelled, galloping towards the Spire. Her friends shared one look before galloping after her. When they reached the front of the Spire, they found Serenity and the Vanguard working with the Crystal Guard to help get civilians out of the Spire. "Serenity? What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure," The Stone pony said, glancing their way. "When the explosion happened, we were taking a moment to meditate. Considering the situation, we thought it best we were ready… for anything."

Twilight nearly teleported in front of the Seer. "Where is my brother? Is he okay? Did something happen?"

To her credit, Serenity was not caught off guard by the fervor in her voice. "I believe the prince, his wife and their child were still in the Spire…"

Rainbow frowned. "We gotta go in there and get him then!"

Serenity opened her mouth to reply, only for a number of ponies around them to cry out in surprise. The Elements of Harmony and Serenity all looked in the direction they saw them pointing, spotting a rather large red dragon flying over towards them. The guards moved to intercept, but Serenity held up a hoof. "Hold. I do believe that is Lady Charlie coming to assist."

The bright red dragon flew to the smoking hole and attached herself to the wall with her claws. The guards began to protest, but Charlie simply ignored them and stuck her head and neck into the hole. "How is she hanging there like that?" Applejack asked.

"I think she's digging her claws into the crystal," Serenity offered.

A moment later, and Charlie pulled her head out of the hole, Cadance and her baby perched on the back of her neck. Considering Charlie was the size of a rather large vehicle, she simply lowered her head to where they could be safely helped to the ground. "Princess!" Several guards moved over, trying their best to move her away from the potentially dangerous dragon. Charlie simply snorted at them.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Cadance said, waving them off. She turned to Charlie, only hesitating a moment at her appearance. "Shining is still inside. Could you…?"

Charlie nodded slightly, sticking her head back in the hole. While she was searching, Luna, Chrysalis and Celestia arrived, the latter two looking confused at the goings on. However the questions they had died on their lips as they noticed the big red dragon rooting around in the Crystal Spire like a child digging around in a cookie jar. A minute or so more of searching, and then the red dragon pulled her head back out, with an unconscious Shining hanging from her mouth. She set him gently on the ground before turning back into her human form. Shivering slightly even in her thick coat, she sighed. "He's still alive," She pointed out as the guards rushed over. "Just knocked out."

"What happened up there, Princess?" Applejack asked, moving over to where Cadance was comforting her baby.

The Princess of Love glanced her way before shaking her head. "I… Shining and I were discussing names for the baby, and one of the servants… one of the servants was a Changeling with some kind of magical bomb. Shiny managed to put a shield around me and the baby just before…"

She trailed off, not because of the hock, but because every pony's eyes had gone to Chrysalis when they heard there was a Changeling involved. The former Queen blinked several times, before backing up a step as the Crystal Guards advanced on her. "I had nothing to do with this—why would you ever suspect me?"

"You _are_ former Queen of the Changelings," One of the Crystal Guards stepped forward, a frown on her face. "You would be first suspect."

"Why would I do that? What would I have to gain?" Chrysalis was almost snarling at the guard. "I've been under watch and guard the whole time I was here. I was on a _leash_!"

Luna narrowed her eyes as she placed a hoof gently on Chrys's back. "Chrys had nothing to do with this. She was with me all day, and there is no way she would have sent an assassin after Cadance and Shining Armor."

"That still doesn't explain the fact that it was a _Changeling_ that attacked us!"

"Stand down, Captain Jade," Cadance said, finally regaining her composure. "The Changeling that attacked us were not the same as the ones from Chrysalis's hive. This one had red eyes and wings. And it… it looked more feral."

Chrys blinked. "Red? Then they must have been from a different hive."

"How many hives actually exist?" Twilight asked.

"I do not know," Chrys replied sadly. "The Hives tried to have as little contact with one another, since we were always rivals for food."

"Considering how far you got alone, I shudder to think what you would have accomplished with another Hive," Celestia murmured.

"Considering each Hive had their own Queen, I doubt we would have truly been able to cooperate," Chrys replied dryly. "I may have been ruthless, but I never attempted to kill anypony."

Applejack looked thoughtful. "That's true, I reckon. On top of that… Chrysalis ain't lying. She didn't have anything ta do with this."

"So who attacked us?" Rainbow demanded.

Serenity raised a hoof. "Perhaps our friend from outside is involved in some way?"

As if to remind them all that he was still there, Frost Storm's voice echoed in the haze. "YOUR SHIELD HAS FALLEN! PREPARE YOURSELVES, FALSE PRINCESSES!"

"I do believe he intends to charge in," Serenity said thoughtfully.

Carver and Etch came over joining the group. "We've stabilized the entryway into the Spire, Seer. We can meet the enemy before they enter the city."

"Defensive fortifications should be enough to ward them off for a short time," Etch added. "Numbers will be an issue, but we can force them to focus on us."

Cadance frowned. "The Crystal Guard will help you. That should even things out."

Carver nodded. "That will be greatly appreciated. Harrier!"

The scout appeared then, saluting her superior officer. "Yes ma'am?"

"Help direct the Crystal Guard to our position. Don't be slow."

"Of course, Mentor."

Carver smiled slightly at that, before turning to the rest of the Shapers. She drew herself up straight, cleared her throat, and called out in a strong and firm voice: "Vanguard! On me!"

–x–

"We're never getting out of here."

Sherry's eyes snapped open at the sound of Capstone's despairing voice. Her eyes went to the metal grate serving as the door to her cell. "Cap… Capstone? What are you talking about?"

The guard let out a shuddering sigh. "No one knows we're here, Princess. Mayweather might still be grounded for all we know, and there isn't a rescue on the way. We're—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Sherry shot back harshly. She couldn't let Capstone lose faith. Not now. "Don't you _dare_."

"…Princess…"

"We're going to get out of here, with or without help."

"But Princess…"

"Do you trust me?"

"…What?"

"Do. You. Trust. Me."

Capstone was silent for a long minute. "…I trust you Princess. But do you have a plan?"

Sherry frowned slightly. "…Two. I hope not to use the second. Obi, are you awake?"

"I am, Princess Sherry," The Shaper's voice filtered back to them. "What do you need?"

"What can you reach in your cell?" Sherry asked, getting up onto all four hooves. Moving would let her think a little better, and a little easier. Eating less than she normally did was getting to her now.

There was a short silence as Obsidian moved about in her cell, the soft clinking of her chains the only sound. "I think… I can only reach the chains holding me."

"That's what I wanted to hear." Sherry's mind was working quickly now, and an idea

"Huh?"

"Are you familiar with metals, Obi?"

One could hear the hesitation and confusion in the Shaper's voice. "Um… yes? I took a smelting class once, and I helped in the mines a few times…"

"So you know that metal is a mineral."

"That's easy," Obsidian said, still confused. "Natural metals like iron and copper are minerals. But what does that have to do with getting out of here?"

Sherry smiled. "What else is made up of minerals?"

More silence. Then, an almost liquid sound came from Obsidian's cell. "…Seems I am still learning from you, Princess." The Shaper appeared a moment or two later, metal casing her hoof. She grinned at Sherry's cell door.

"You did it," Sherry breathed, watching in awe as Obsidian reached up to touch the metal bars with her hoof. She frowned momentarily, before the metal began to warp and sort of turned slowly into liquid.

"It feels like touching water," Obsidian explained, her hoof partially sinking into the material. She frowned slightly, moving it around a little bit. "I wonder… is this was Lord Tyr feels when he manipulates ice…"

The sound of a gate being opened caught their attention, all of them turning to look. One of the white cloaked guards was standing there, confusion on his face. "What the… the prisoners are escaping!"

"Obi, hurry!" Sherry said, grabbing at the bars. "Hurry and get me out of this cell and take off the—!"

She didn't get to finish, as a bright lance of light shot down the hallway barely missing Obsidian by an inch. She cried out in shock, ducking back away from Sherry's cell and leaving it partly melted through. More guards rushed into the hall, spells shooting down at Obsidian. The Shaper managed to recover in time, using her new control over metal to form a crude shield. The spells fired at her deflected off the smooth exterior and into the walls. However each hit left dents in the shield, and drove the Shaper away.

"Obi!" Capstone called out, but there was nothing he could do from inside his cell. "Run!"

Sherry winced as each spell hit the metal shield and drove the poor filly backwards. Trapped in her cell with no way to help, she felt useless. Helpless. If it wasn't for the restrictor ring, she could…

Capstone saw and felt the sudden buildup of magical energy coming from Sherry's cell. Terror gripped him "Princess? Princess, wait! You can't use magic with a restrictor ring on! It'll just backfire!"

The fight in the hall slowed to a stop as all of them turned to look at Sherry. She was standing back away from the bars of her cell, sparks flying off her horn as she attempted to form a spell, any kind of spell. When it met the restrictor ring, it shorted out, but the amount of magical energy she was trying to raise. Anger and not getting her spell to work made her charge more energy, which kept smashing up against the wall that was the restrictor ring. But Sherry was her father's daughter—

She didn't give up.

Capstone had seen unicorns fight against the nullifying magic of the rings before. It never amounted to much except exhaustion. But that was a normal unicorn. Alicorns has much more magical power to draw on. The moment the thought crossed his mind, he saw a crack appear on the ring. "…Oh no."

He barely managed to throw himself to the furthest corner of his cell before the ring shattered into dust and the dungeon exploded.

–x–

"Ursa are very tough," Carver said thoughtfully, kicking a large stone into the mass of Ursa charging at them. The projectile smashed into their ranks, but the large majority of them got back up after the impact. "…Being told to not kill them does bother some."

The Shapers had proven their skill in erecting fortifications, throwing up a small fortress like building in a matter of an hour. It covered the main entrance into the Crystal City, giving a space to get reinforcements. The Crystal Guards covered the lower level, spears and crossbows diverting the Ursa into the heavier firepower provided by the Stone Ponies on the upper levels. From there, they constantly bombarded the Ursa forces with rocks, letting the Crystal Guards focus on keeping the enemy at bay. The four Royal Knights were below as well, Grace healing the wounded while the other three helped the Crystal Guard. "I agree, but I get the feeling one doesn't argue with Miss Fluttershy," Etch pointed out.

"True."

They heard hoofsteps behind them, seeing Captain Jade tromping up the steps towards the battlements. "Are we going to be able to hold them off?" the guard captain demanded.

Both Carver and Etch shared a look. Although they served under a relatively relaxed Lord, they understood how to respect the chain of command. But with the way Shaper levels of leadership worked, both of them would easily outrank the obviously young captain. Though neither would bring it up. "Stone Ponies are masters of defensive battles," Carver said, taking an unspoken cue from Etch to handle things. The other Shaper went back to pulling up stones and hurling them into the Ursa army.

"That doesn't answer my question," Jade replied shortly.

"In a roundabout way, it does."

Etch stifled a laugh that sounded almost like a snort. Jade glared at her back. "How long can we hold out against the Ursa?"

"Considering we'd need to stop and rest," Carver began, but suddenly the white haze of the blizzard picked up. "…Or, he could just make it so we can't see."

Jade rushed to the battlements, but it was true—she could barely see out past her own muzzle. "How are we supposed to fight something we can't even see?"

"It is, as they say, a double edged sword," Etch said, walked back over to them. "The Ursa cannot see either. However… We can."

"What?"

Carver smiled. "Try to keep up. Vanguard, on me!"

The other Stone Ponies were there in a second, joining Etch and Carver as they charged down and out of the fortress. Jade gaped. "What—what!? What are you doing!? I thought you were _defensive_ specialists!"

"There's a reason we're called the Vanguard, Captain Jade." Etch, Carver and the other Shapers formed up into a tight wedge formation with Carver at the head. At her command, they formed a literal wedge of stone and began pushing it forward, smashing aside the attacking Ursa. Jade watched in shock, before regaining her wits. The Shapers weren't just charging forward, they were taking advantage of the fact that the Ursa could not coordinate in the storm to charge straight into the heart of the enemy army. Right towards the pony known as Frost Storm. She grit her teeth. "Crystal Guard! After that wedge!"

Frost Storm blinked in surprise at the wedge that was approaching, now joined by a group of Crystal Guards. "What the… You stupid Ursa! Get them!"

The wedge opened up, the walls of stone flying off to level the surrounding Ursa. Carver and Etch charged out, pulling up spikes of stone and hurling them at Frost Storm. The stallion cried out in surprise, only for the largest of the Ursa to step into the way with a tower shield. "He's a big one," Carver muttered with a scowl.

"You defend the false princesses?" Frost Storm demanded. "You will fail like the rest!"

The Stone Ponies weren't much for banter in a fight, but the two senior Shapers paused at his words. For a moment Frost Storm thought they were caught off guard by his declaration, but then he noticed their eyes weren't fixed on him. They were looking past him. He turned, seeing a group of Wulfen cresting a rise behind them. "Wolves…" Etch whispered, backing up a step.

"Seems my reinforcements are here," Frost Storm said with a happy smile. He took a step forward, only to pause when more Wulfen passed over the top of the snow bank. A lot more. Instead of the few dozen he had expected, almost four hundred Wulfen appeared on the ridge. Then, something rose above the small army of wolves. A banner, specifically of a gray wolf on a field of argent. "…That banner…"

A shrill cry pierced the air, and a blue bird lifted above the army of wolves. Tyr, Sunset and Fenrir emerged at the head of the army. "Seems we're just in time," Tyr said, obviously amused.

"The barrier is down," Sunset murmured thoughtfully, looking over the city. "Something happened to Shining Armor…"

"No doubt. But let's deal with our friend down there. Fen? Would you like to do the honors?"

The Wolf Spirit grinned, changing her shape into that of her wolf form. She craned her neck back and howled. The sound was picked up by all the other Wulfen, who joined into the sorrowful, emotional sound. Even knowing this army was technically on their side, Carver and Etch shivered at the sound, as did all the other ponies nearby. The sound of predators preparing for a hunt was never a comforting sound. With the howl as a signal, the wolf army charged down into the milling Ursa. Without a mental command, the Ursa surrounding Frost Storm were simply standing around. "W-What—move, you stupid bears!"

The Ursa turned to face the threat, but a massive fireball smashed into the center of their formation, scattering them. Sunset continued tossing fire into the group while Tyr and Fenrir forced their way right towards Frost Storm. The stallion was so caught off guard that he didn't realize what was happening until Tyr was almost on top of him. His horn started to glow.

Tyr gritted his teeth, knowing that surprise was his one advantage at the moment. Time seemed to slow—his fingers reaching for the amulet, and Frost Storm trying to get away. His fingers curled around the stone like object at the center of the amulet just as Frost Storm managed to pull away. The moment his hand closed around the small marble of ice, time seemed to stop. The entire area seemed to flow into him, giving him a feeling as though he was connected to all the wind, the snow, the ice and the _sound_ of the land around him.

He was part of the storm, and it was part of him.

Being disconnected from the amulet seemed to spark some kind of reaction, as Tyr was suddenly knocked backwards by an explosion of magical force. Frost Storm was sent flying into the snow as well. "What the… what in the name of the sun…!?"

Valor cried out once, swooping down and snagging the circlet off the stunned pony's head. He flew it to Sunset, who caught it with her magic. "Good boy! Now all I have to do is…" She trailed off, looking over at Tyr. The man had gotten back up, but only to a kneeling position. His eyes were pure blue and were radiating power. "What in the world…?"

"You are not going to stop me!" Frost Storm cried, scrambling to his feet. All around them the Ursa and Wulfen were fighting, even without his mind control amulet. But he only had eyes for Tyr. The stallion drew a knife, moving as quickly as he could towards the oblivious Tyr.

Sunset blinked once in surprise. This guy was dedicated, if nothing else. Normally she wouldn't have been worried about Tyr being able to fight off a unicorn with a knife, but considering he seemed dead to the world, he wouldn't have a chance. Fenrir was busy fighting an Ursa three times her size. That left her. Tossing herself forward, she tackled Frost Storm, knocking him into the snow.

"Get off me!" The stallion growled, trying to shake her loose. A hoof struck Sunset in the cheek, but she shook it off and kept him pinned. She grappled for the knife, but only managed to knock it loose into the snow. The two unicorns continued to struggle, each trying to get the upper hand on the other.

Tyr was numb to all of this. The only sound that filled his ears was the sound of the raging storm around him, and the only thing he could see were millions of threads of power, whipping about like grass in the wind. And in his hands was the core, the center of these threads. No matter how wild they got, or how far out they stretched, they all came back to the gem. Although it wasn't a gem. Not in the literal sense. But it was just what Tyr needed. Reaching out with his mental hands, he gathered the threads to him, pulling them back to their core. And they came easily, to his surprise. It was as if they wanted to be gathered, had been trying to do just that but without the center, the main point, nothing would work. Now, it was like putting puzzle pieces together.

Tyr's powers flowed outwards without him even realizing. Using them, he began to collar the threads, gathering them about the core. The analogy from before was very apt—he felt like he was assembling a puzzle. Nudging pieces one way, tying them in other places… he wasn't aware of it, but the storm around him was shrinking, calming down to a point where it was only around him. He was beginning to sweat now, the exertion taking its toll. But in his hands, another storm was taking shape.

Focused.

Strong.

 _Breathing_.

Outside of him, all had gone still. The Ursa and Wulfen had stopped fighting, all watching the display in awe. Sunset still had Frost Storm pinned, but she was watching in shock as well. Tyr staggered to his knees, his tentative grasp of the force Suddenly, Fenrir bolted past, joining Tyr. She pressed up against his back, a physical display of adding her power to his. Tyr's control over the storm returned. Seeing the moment of weakness, Frost Storm broke free of Sunset, scrambling for the knife. With everyone watching Tyr, no one saw the vampire leap through the air, land on the stallion's back, and sink her fangs into his throat.

Tyr gathered the final threads to him, and then all was still. He had closed his eyes somewhere during the whole thing, and he finally opened them. There wasn't a gathering of ice or snow or anything in his arms. The weight in his hands was a living breathing thing. A woman lay in his arms, dark red-gold hair framing her light brown skin. The pale blue dress she wore glittered softly, a large fractal snowflake design set in white near the shoulder. As Tyr's eyes opened wider, the woman's eyes fluttered open. Pure silver met his gaze. "…Snowflake?" She asked softly, one small hand reaching up to touch his face. The feel of her skin against his sent a shock through Tyr's body.

Her voice was like the whisper of wind across the snow. But Tyr didn't hesitate at all in his answer. "Mom."

Aleksandra Winter's face lit up slowly, going from a look of confusion to wonder. She straightened up, Tyr's arms helping her get into a seated position. "By the Dream… I… I can't believe…"

Tears were forming in her eyes, and Tyr felt some coming to him as well. "You… but how…"

"You brought me back," Aleksandra said with a bright smile. "My little boy brought me back. Well, I guess I can't call you little any more, huh?" Her hand never left his face, but it did trace down to his chin. "You look so much like your father."

Tyr had no words. Here was his mother, right here in front of him, living and breathing just like him. HE had brought her back. From where, he wasn't sure. But she was back. He had… a mother again. "Mom…"

She gently extracted herself from his embrace, moving to stand beside him. She looked around, noting the massive clear space around her son. She turned to remark as much to Tyr, but found him slumped back against the large wolf behind him, completely exhausted. "Oh… you tired yourself out, huh? Poor baby." She giggled softly, reaching out to touch his face once more.

A noise caught Aleksandra's attention then, and she turned to see the chieftain of the Ursa approaching, the massive bear warrior hefting a massive mace. When the woman's eyes fixed on him, the Ursa stopped. "You're not getting anywhere close to him," Aleksandra said softly, straightening up. She glanced over, spotting Sunset watching with a confused look. "Ah. You, with the fire hair—mind watching my son while I deal with this?"

Sunset blinked. "Uh… yeah, sure. Wait—your _son_!?"

The small woman blinked. "What? He wasn't that big when I gave birth to him."

"That's not what I… but…"

"It'll make sense later." Aleksandra grinned, turning to the Ursa. Cold air circled about her as she lifted her hands, her silver eyes beginning to glow with power. She lifted a few inches into the air, squalls of energy circling her body. "For now, I need to… stretch my legs a bit. So to speak."

–x–

Sherry had the distinct feeling of weightlessness. Not like floating in some kind of liquid or air, but like she wasn't even solid. All she remembered was the explosion…

Her eyes snapped open, finding a strange scene unfolding before her. She looked like she was inside of a massive, complicated clock. Or more like the inside of a massive clock connected to a dozen other clocks. Gears clicked along at a constant pace, giving the whole thing the impression of movement. She glanced down, finding herself in her human form once more. "Where… Where am I?"

She was standing on a platform, both connected and disconnected from the machinery around her. There were walkways leading in all directions through the machinery. Steeling herself, she began to walk.

Sherry had only been walking for about a minute or so when something shot past her field of view. She turned quickly, only finding shadows. "I hope I'm not going crazy," She murmured, tucking a strand of her messy hair behind an ear.

The shadow shot past again. Sherry frowned, and quickly followed after. She couldn't be going crazy. Probably the back blast from her magic breaking the restrictor ring knocked her into a coma or something. But everything felt so real—the metal beneath her bare feet, the sound of the turning gears… If it was something made by her mind, then it was a very elaborate construction. Especially with whatever that was running about in here.

She emerged from between two large gears to find what looked to be a hole of some kind. "Oh, this is certainly not good."

[How deep does this go?]

Sherry blinked, looking around. She had heard someone speaking just then, but from where? As far as she could tell, she was the only one here. She glanced back at the hole, frowning. She wanted—no, she had to know.

[What are you willing to sacrifice?] The voice in her mind asked. [How precious is this to you?]

"Sacrifice?" Sherry frowned. "Take it then. What you're asking… is easily given." She stared down into the void, wondering what was truly down there.

[Don't you know when you stare into the Abyss… the Abyss stares back?]

"…huh?" Hands snaked around Sherry's neck and stomach, almost like a lover's caress. She looked down to find beautiful hands made of understanding itself, nails like small dark stars, and skin made of the fabric of life. Hair made up of confusion tickled at her cheek.

"Take care of my child, little star," The Goddess Etro whispered with a voice made up of madness. Slowly, one hand reached up to touch Sherry's head and pull a tiny sphere of light from her forehead. "And thank you for the meal." Sherry had barely opened her mouth to cry out in terror when she was shoved into the abyss below.

–x–

Genesis cried out, clutching at her chest. Both Harmony and Terminus started at that, both moving over to help their sister. "Genny, what's wrong? What happened?" Harmony demanded, placing a hand on her sister's arm.

"What has you so terrified?" Terminus asked, eyes wide. Genesis was the happiest of the three sisters, always having a smile and a laugh no matter what. To see her so scared…"

"Etro…" Genesis whispered, eyes wide.

The other two froze. The name of the only other entity that could truly be called a 'god' in the multiverse sent chills down their spines. "What… what did she do?" Terminus asked.

Genesis was both ecstatic and horrified. "She… gave birth to a new Chaos Spirit."

–x–

For the second time in one day, Zecora paused with a cup of tea half way to her mouth. This time, she was staring at the upside down pile of scribbles that used to be Anansi. The Chaos Spirit was attempting to pull himself back together, mumbling something about 'irritating newborns' and 'damn Etro not giving any warning as usual'. Zecora sipped at her tea. "…Hm."

–x–

Capstone recoiled in terror as Sherry bolted upright, screaming as if she had been stabbed. "Princess! Princess calm down! You're okay!"

Sherry stared at him for a long minute, as if not believing he was there. "Cap…Capstone?"

The young man in front of her let out a shaky sigh. Capstone was human now, or at least a cross between a human and a pony. Everything from the waist up was human like, with his legs being more like the hind legs of a pony, just changed to fit better with a human body. His skin (or was it fur? It was most definitely fur) was the same color his coat had been, and his pony-like ears perked up at seeing her lucid. "Thank the Princesses you're alright. I thought for a second you were gone…"

"…Gone?"

"You blew up your own horn, Princess." He gestured to the top of his head, where a horn the color of his fur poked out from under his hair. "Although… looks like your Rubrik decided to fix that for you."

Sherry blinked, reaching up to the top of her head. She did have a horn there, which felt just like the rough, rock-like exterior of the Rubrik. "…Oh. What… what happened after that?"

Capstone pointed. "That."

She turned to the side, gasping slightly as she saw where they were. They were outside, which was good, but they were in sight range of a massive crater carved in the side of a castle. No doubt it was the castle they had previously been incarcerated in. "Did… Did I do that?"

"You did indeed, Princess," A softer voice replied. Sherry turned around to see a short girl in a thin and short dress approached them. Judging by her slightly rough appearance and short black hair, Sherry figured she was Obsidian. The former Stone Pony frowned and looked down at her hands. "Could you… could you explain how we're uh… like your father?"

Sherry held up her chocolate colored hands, looking at them as if she had never seen them before. "We're… human. Ish. Sort of. I don't… when did this happen?"

"Right after your horn exploded and took a third of the castle with it, I heard what sounded like a baby crying," Capstone said, folding his arms. "When the light finally faded, we were in a crater and… I guess human. The cells were blown open so I got you out while Obi got some supplies."

He gestured to a pair of packs nestled against a large stone. Sherry nodded, glad that he had been so resourceful. "I… thank you both. I don't know what really happened, really."

Capstone sighed. "Unfortunate, I guess. I was hoping you could explain… that."

She frowned at him, before realizing he was pointing at her lap. She looked down to find a peculiar sight there. In her lap was a tiny little girl, no bigger than her own hand. She had raven hair and a slight figure, and— "C-Cloth!" Sherry stammered, covering the waif with her hands.

"Cloth?"

"She's naked!"

Capstone blinked, before apparently realizing what was wrong. He blushed heavily and walked over to the pack, retrieving what looked to be a shirt and handing it to Sherry. The girl quickly fashioned a makeshift dress for the tiny girl. Thankfully, her magic still worked, although it had lost its vibrant pink glow and was not a much darker violet. By the time she was finished, she had woken up the little waif. Tiny, glittering violet eyes blinked up at her. " _Whu a'a xuia?_ " She asked in a tiny, curious voice.

Sherry gave her a small smile. "I'm Sherry. What's your name?"

The tiny girl scrunched up her face in thought. Then, she looked back up at Sherry. " _I gun's ha'a a nana_."

"Um… Princess?" Obi spoke up. "What is she saying?"

"What is she…?" Sherry blinked. "You can't understand her?"

Capstone frowned. "Not in the slightest. It's like she's speaking a whole new language."

"I… see…" Sherry glanced down at the tiny girl. She frowned, before tugging on her hand and pointing to her forehead. Sherry leaned down, just far enough for the tiny girl to leap up and press her forehead to hers. "Ah!"

The waif blinked a few times, before shaking her head. "Is… is this better?" She asked cutely.

"Did she… did she just learn our language from doing that?" Capstone asked.

"I can learn anything," The little girl said. She turned back to Sherry. "I still… I still need a name."

Sherry frowned, but a name came to her mind as if it was whispered directly to her. "I think I'll call you… Alice." She smiled. "I'll have to make you a better dress, though."

Alice, as she was now named, smiled. "Teach me lots of things, Sherry."

"Of course, Curiosity." Sherry blinked several times. Apparently, the trading of information worked both ways. "…You're… you're a Chaos Spirit?"

"I think. Maybe. That is my Concept though." She tilted her head cutely to one side. "So what do we do now?"

Sherry looked around at the little group. Obsidian was scuffed up, but otherwise completely fine. Capstone had found armor or something like it, leading her to believe that their human forms weren't the only thing that had changed about the world now. And lastly, the tiny Concept of Curiosity, Alice. A very confusing entity that was now climbing her way up to Sherry's shoulder. "Well… I guess we better get away from here. If we can find a way off this island, we need to find it. Are you two with me?"

"Of course," Obsidian said with a nod.

Capstone gave her a small smile. "You don't even have to ask."

–x–

"Baby, do you hear… music?"

Read frowned slightly, reaching up to pull off his headsets. He had been simply enjoying the view (Tempo was quite attractive, even in human form) when she had spoken. He pulled off his headsets. "What do you… oh."

There was faint music wafting through the building, an upbeat tune that sounded… pretty good, if Read had to admit. But the shop was closed for the day, so there was no one but them inside. "Where is that coming from?"

Read simply got up, setting his headphones around his neck as he walked out of the kitchen. Tempo followed him. They exited out into the front of the shop, finding a very peculiar sight. Three tiny fairy like creatures were perched on top of the front desk, singing three part harmony while kicking their feet over the edge of the counter. One of them had bright, golden hair that fell down to her waist in elegant curls. Atop her head was a tiny pink crown. The second had pale violet hair done up in a bob style. And the last had raven black hair, tied back in a ponytail with a blue bow larger than her own head. Around them, physical manifestations of their music danced and played with bright lights and movements. "…Whoa."

That got the three fairies attention, and they all hopped up onto the counter to face him. Three happy voices cried out. "Maestro!"

"Maestro?" Read blinked. "…Me?"

"Yes!" The golden haired one fluttered forward a few inches. She was wearing a colorful dress that flowed about her ankles and glittered like stained glass. "Of course you are, Maestro! The Verdant Lady chose you, after all!"

The violet haired one walked over and bopped the first on the head. Read figured she was the serious one, given the professional looking suit with a pink tie she wore. "Stop getting ahead of yourself. We still need to introduce ourselves."

Tempo walked up next to Read, folding her arms over her chest. "As much as I'd like to ask what's going on, I doubt I'm going to get a real answer…"

"My name is Alta," the violet haired fairy said with a little bow. "Nice to finally meet you, Maestro."

"I'm Soprano," The golden haired one said in her bright and cheery voice. "But you can call me Sophia!"

"Tena," The black haired one said softly, bowing deeply. Her voice was just as low as her name suggested, but still very gentle ad pleasant to the ear. She wore a flowery kimono, giving her the feel of a very proper lady. "That is my name. A pleasure, Maestro."

Read blinked several times. "Uh… Hi. I'm Read Write, and this is my fiancé Even Tempo. Nice to… meet you?"

"Hi," Tempo said nervously. "You all are… tiny."

"That is true," Alta said thoughtfully. "But that is by design, not choice."

"How does that… work?"

Sophia frowned. "How else do ya figure we'd be able to whisper words of wisdom without being seen?"

Alta bopped her again. "She doesn't know who—or what we are, Sophie."

"Oh."

Read frowned. "Could you… explain that part to me?"

"Of course, Maestro," Alta said with a nod. The other two fairies moved to stand beside her. They all bowed low together. "We are known as the Muses, or the Spirits of Inspiration. Lady Genesis wished us to Contract with you."

"She did?"

"She did. Although in the end that is your choice. We won't force you."

"It would be super cool!" Sophie added.

The man frowned, folding his arms. "…well, is there a downside to this 'Contract'?"

Alta shook her head. "We are a Spirit of Order, Maestro. We have no… terrible downsides, but we do have one."

"We make it so you hear music all the time!" Sophia said.

Tempo smiled and nudged Read. "That's not so bad, right?"

"Truly, the only other downside I can think of is putting up with my airheaded sister here." Alta gestured with a thumb towards Sophie, who pouted.

"I'm not that bad!" Sophie complained. She looked over at Tena, who had taken a seat on a book nearby. "Am I, Tena?"

Tena seemed thoughtful, touching her chin with a finger. "Well… you do have your… sillier moments, I must admit."

"Aw!"

Alta rolled her eyes and adjusted her glasses. "So will you accept our Contract? To be honest… we'd all love to make music with you. We've listened to your work, and we really like it."

"I really like some of the bass lines," Tena offered, blushing lightly.

"I'm a fan of vocals!" Sophie giggled.

Read blinked several times. He remembered the meeting with Genesis, and when she planted the flower in his counter. There was nothing there now, but the flower designs on the three Spirit's clothing proved that's where they came from. "Not to say I'm not accepting, but… what happens if I choose not to Contract with you?"

Alta looked like she had expected the question, but she still looked a little sad despite keeping a small smile on her face. "Without a Contractor, we'd have to go home to Etro. We're young spirits, so I do not know for sure how long it would be before we were given another chance at finding a Contractor that matches up with our Concept. No doubt we'd drift for several centuries."

Tena walked over and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. She then looked up at Read. "I understand your hesitation, Maestro. Binding your soul to Spirits you hardly know would be… questionable. But believe us—we mean you no harm. All we would love to do is help you make music."

Sophia looked like she'd cry. Read decided to clear up the misunderstanding. He knelt down so he was eye level with the three fairies. "Hey, I never said I wouldn't accept. I just wanted to know everything."

"R-Really?" Sophie sniffed.

Read gently rubbed her head with a finger. "Really. I'd love some adorable little assistants like you helping me out."

Alta brightened, although she seemed a bit hesitant to seem eager. "So… So you'll accept the contract?"

"Yeah, I'll accept. Hearing music 24/7 is pretty much what I do anyways. And you three have wonderful singing voices, so it'll be fun working with you three."

The three fairies shared a happy look with one another, before flying up to Read's face. "That would be very welcome, Maestro!" They said happily.

Tempo watched as her fiancé laughed as the three fairies began talking over each other. Alta seemed very business-like as she began writing something down in a notebook, while Tena and Sophia contented themselves with sitting on his shoulders and humming a tune. A tune, which she realized in surprise, was the song that Read was always working on. But with different tones and inflections that only voice could provide.

She smiled. As hesitant as she was to the idea of having kids of her own, it was nice seeing Read with such a smile on his face. Whatever this 'Contract' meant or whatever Order Spirits were didn't really matter at the moment, did it? They had a trip to prepare for, didn't the?

–x–

Trixie sighed, watching the storm dissipate from the safety of the city square. All the Princesses had expended their energy to keep the populace safe. Beside her, Audio suddenly stirred. "Hm? What's wrong, dear? Are you hurt?"

"No, it's just…" Audio rubbed at her eyes. "My eyes hurt all of a sudden…"

"They hurt?"

"Yeah. Princess Celestia is so bright…"

Trixie blinked, following her daughter's gaze towards where Princess Celestia was consulting with Twilight. "…What?"

Both mare and filly looked at each other for a long minute. Trixie found herself staring into two bright and curious green eyes. "…You can see."

Audio blinked twice. "…I can… see?"

Silence. And then they were embracing, Trixie claiming that a miracle had happened. Audio simply enjoyed being able to see her mother's pale blue fur and sending up a quiet thank you to Lady Genesis. She couldn't have possibly known the Verdant Lady herself was watching from the Crystal Spire above, a bright smile on her face at the sight.

* * *

 **And there we have it - I know a few of you may have had your suspicions about the Amulet Frost Storm had, and here's the conclusion. He had a compressed core of Elemental Magic, and the 'storm' he was controlling was the vestiges of Aleksandra's power. Now she's back and Tyr's family has grown by one more member. She'll give a full explanation in the next chapter, which is going to focus on the aftermath of the storm.  
**

 **A note on Etro, she's both a place and an entity. As the only true 'god' in my multiverse, she's outside the realm of understanding and making sense. She's technically the 'mother' of the Chaos and Order Spirits, and tends to inject herself randomly into things for... amusement? If anything, she's not evil, although she isn't good either. Perhaps she's found something interesting about Sherry? Something interesting worth giving her a newborn Spirit? And what did she take?**

 **And lastly, the flowers have bloomed, revealing the Spirit(s) of Inspiration. Read Write is now 'technically' an Order Mage. Take from that what you will, for I won't be telling much.**

 **As Usual, I thank you for Reading, Reviewing and Returning. Hopefully you can for give my lateness, and I will be doing my best to return to schedule. at worst, look for updates on Saturday - those days are a bit freer for me.**

 **PM me if you have questions, and don't be shy! The Library accepts all.**

 **Until Next Time!**


	55. Chapter 55

**Greetings again, dear Readers. I've been a bit busy with work, and my schedule is becoming a tiny bit more constricted. I'll be putting out chapters as quickly as I can, but in order to not ruin my quality or drive myself ragged trying to keep up a pace I can't do effectively. I'll do my best to keep posting on the weekends, however.**

 **Wolf31: Chaos is a crazy thing. Technically, Inspiration functions as _one_ spirit, but it is true. Not just Sherry; all the Equestrians are now half centaurs (legs, but not the body). I have a lot I can add, and I even have a tentative plotline for a third storyline, if I decide to go that far. That's in the far future, so who knows?**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Life catches up sometimes. And I'm glad for your patience! Tyr has a habit of ousting corrupt leaders (it runs in the family) and Sunset could only hide it for so long. Alice is indeed a reference to Alice in Wonderland, although she's sort of a mashup between American McGee's and the original. Read has entered into the Order/Chaos spectrum, and Audio has been blessed! Sherry unfortunately will be separated for a while longer, and her crew hasn't made it back to Canterlot. Repairs on a flying ship do take some time.**

 **cadenceheart117: Oh yes. Aleksandra is back. And Maestro is more of a title Inspiration gave their Contractor. They are slightly inspired by the Greek Muses, but I didn't want to use the actual Greek Muses because there were... a lo of them. Soprano, Alta, and Tena seemed like more... adorable names. Genesis and her sisters are Caretakers: as I think I brought up before they are close to being gods in the multiverse. They oversee the functionality of the Planes and usher them through three stages: Creation, Balance, and then Death. They embody concepts, but aren't like the spirits.**

 **On the note of an 'evil' Chaos user, most Chaos Mages tend to fall on the Chaotic Neutral side of alignment, although they are out there. Fenrir (as Carnage) is on the darker side of that color gray, with Alice (Curiosity) on the lighter half. However, there are 'evil' chaos entities, one of which is actually working behind the scenes at the moment. Vanna has already met it.**

 **Aleksandra is going to be fun to write. Big time.**

 **Sherry's horn will be a difficult thing to work with, but she'll get there. I won't give anything away just yet. :D**

 **Chaddmychal: Aleksandra is here, and now she gets to baby her almost forty year old son. She will have much fun.**

 **But I'm going on! There's a chapter to be had!**

* * *

Chapter 54: Sagely Advice

Many of the Equestrians got used to having humanoid bodies relatively quickly. Many had the experience of being in a different world, but the others seemed to catch on quickly. It seemed almost as if a spell had been cast over them, granting them the muscle memory needed to function in a humanoid body without worrying about learning. No one really questioned how all of them ended up with clothes, or how all their clothes were suddenly applicable to a human body.

That being said, pony or human, none of Tyr's herd was prepared to deal with the critical gaze being levelled on them by one particular Aleksandra Winter.

"So you all are my son's 'friends', hm?" She asked, crossing her legs as she and the four mares sat outside Tyr's hospital room. The man had stayed asleep after bringing his mother back, and had stayed that way for almost two days. It had been explained that he had used a lot of mana to accomplish the feat he did, and that sleeping would restore it quicker. He was in no danger, Grace had assured them all herself. But that hadn't stopped Aleksandra from stealing a chair, posting herself outside his room and simply… sitting there.

Luna had been the one to assert that, as his herd, they had the right to go see him. That there was no need to be wary of the small woman. She had said as much when they approached her. But now here they sat, in a stunned silence at the presence this woman had. She wasn't even trying to seem intimidating, and even Luna couldn't find words to start the conversation. Finally, Rarity took the initiative, clearing her throat to get Aleksandra's attention. "That is… somewhat true," She said in answer to the question the Elemental woman had left hanging in the air.

That seemed to be just what Aleksandra wanted to hear as she let out a heavy and relieved sigh. "Oh good! Thank the Ice, I thought I'd be out here all week. I sat out here thinking it would be the best way to meet those my son was close to…"

The four mares shared a look. "Hold on, Miss Winter… You mean to tell us you _wanted_ us to approach you?"

"Well… yeah," the small woman shrugged. "I figured that since Tyr was in the hospital, all his loved ones would want to come see him and make sure he was okay. So I sat out here to see who would come up. But…"

"You looked kinda… scary," Pinkie pointed out.

Aleksandra blinked, surprised. "Really? I hadn't intended to. Sorry about that."

Luna blinked, before glancing back at the other three mares. They shared her confused look. They had all believed that Aleksandra was warding others away from her son, given the only one that had actually gotten in since Tyr had been admitted was Grace. "You… you simply wanted to meet us?"

"Of course! I mean, I want to know the kind of people—or ponies, whatever—that my son had befriended and maybe even fallen in love with.

"So why seem so against others coming to see Tyr?" Rarity asked.

Aleksandra smiled. "I was… kinda antisocial. For a long time. I was afraid it had passed on to him. This tells me that I was wrong." Her smile became a little more reserved. "It tells me too that… he's well loved."

The four mares blushed at that. "Your son is a very… loving individual."

"I can imagine!" She grinned.

Luna nodded. She touched one hand to the other, where she had moved her ring after having a proper hand to wear it on. "I could choose no other to give my heart to."

That got Aleksandra's attention. "Oh? I have a daughter in law?"

"Do we not count?" Pinkie whispered, looking to Rarity and Chrys.

Rarity frowned slightly. "We never did actually 'marry' Tyr, to be honest."

"And I'm a pet," Chrys said with a tiny, satisfied smile. "A very loved pet, but a pet nonetheless."

Pinkie tilted her head. "…We're a weird family."

Rarity rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Yes. Yes we are."

Aleksandra frowned, almost like a pout. She was focused on Luna, so she missed the conversation the others were having. "So I do have a daughter in law!"

"Yes, you do."

"This is wonderful!" She smiled warmly. "If you don't mind me saying, you're very beautiful! My son has good taste, it seems."

Luna blushed and smiled. She had pegged Tyr's mother wrong—she wasn't imposing or anything like that. She was just like her—a bit nervous about meeting people she didn't know. Plus, meeting her son after almost thirty-five years no doubt had her at a loss. "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Winter. Your son is very kind, and very selfless."

"That doesn't surprise me." Aleksandra stuck out her tongue. "And call me Aleksa. Calling me 'Miss Winter' makes me feel like a spinster."

"Very well, Aleksa."

"Better! Oh, you could even call me mom if you wanted!"

"I think I may not be comfortable with that just yet…"

Aleksa giggled, before suddenly pausing and glancing at the door. Pinkie frowned at the motion. "Is something wrong?"

The Elemental smiled, standing up. "Snowflake's awake. You all should go in and see him."

"That would be wonderful," Rarity said, smiling. "Also… Kids? Come meet your grandmother."

Aleksa's eyes opened wide as Tyr's five kids rounded the corner, a little embarrassed at being found out by Rarity. Much like the adults, they had humanoid bodies, just a bit less developed. Rarity was a spitting image of her mother, as was Jubilee. Aurora and Aleron took after their parents very well, and even Cori showed some mixture of her parents. "Hi," Aurora offered. Aleron waved as well, he and his twin sister coming ahead of the others.

"I'm a grandma," Aleksa said with the beginnings of a squeal in her voice. "I'm actually a _grandma!_ "

The four mares slipped into the room, leaving the happy elemental to gush over her grandchildren. They found a peculiar sight inside. Tyr was sitting up in bed, a much more mature Valor perched on one arm and Fenrir curled up in his lap. He glanced over at the door when they came in. "Hey girls. Everything okay?"

"We should be asking you that," Rarity said, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a stern gaze. "We were worried about you!"

"I was fine out there!" Tyr countered, jerking his arm slightly. Valor took the cue and flew to the foot of the bed, where he perched on the crystal bar there. "Besides, All I was doing was establishing myself as the undisputed Alpha of every Wulfen in the Northern Expanse. Then getting them together to come save the Crystal Empire."

Pinkie bounced over to the side of the bed and tossed herself beside him. "I'm happy you're awake, Honey!"

"I'm happy I'm awake too," Tyr said, patting her head. "Although I'm not one to complain, but what did I miss that gave you all human-like forms?"

Luna frowned at that, moving to sit on his other side. Valor hopped over closer to her and she gently ran her fingers through his feathers. "We aren't really sure ourselves, Beloved. There was a massive flash of light off in the distance, and next thing we know, we were like this."

Chrys giggled and sat beside Pinkie. "You aren't upset, are you, Master?"

"I just said I wasn't complaining," Tyr said, poking her cheek. "Although… As sad as it sounds, I missed human women."

"Oh? We didn't satisfy you as ponies, Master?"

"I never said that." Tyr narrowed his eyes, pulling Pinkie up to his side. His hand slipped around her to grab at her chest. "You can't honestly believe I didn't miss doing this, did you?" He asked as Pinkie let out a soft moan.

"H-Honey…!" She mewled softly, nuzzling up against him.

Rarity blushed heavily. "We should not um… 'get into it' with your mother outside…"

Tyr shifted his grip on Pinkie to just be around her waist and gave the girls a sheepish grin. "I do believe I have reason to blame Vanna for it."

"We will have plenty of time to… reacquaint ourselves later," Luna assured him.

"Fair enough. I'll attempt to keep the lechery to a minimum."

Chrys purred gently, pressing against his arm. "You know I never mind, no matter the situation…"

"Stop. How long have I been out?"

"No longer than a day, my love," Rarity assured him. "Valor and Fenrir have been your only company."

Pinkie blushed a little. We… we kinda thought your mom was scary."

To their collective surprise, Tyr didn't laugh or assure them they had nothing to worry about. Instead, he seemed more thoughtful than anything. "Well, I can't argue with that. I guess the fact that I know she's my mother and would never do anything to hurt me kinda supersedes that fact."

"I suppose so," Rarity admitted. She glanced down at Tyr's lap, currently occupied by a very still Fenrir. "Is she… alright?"

Tyr gave her a small, sad smile. "She used her own mana to augment mine while I was… reforming my mother. It obviously took a lot out of her, and she's obviously still recovering. I honestly do miss her dry and sarcastic wit, but I'd rather she be at full strength than forcing it. I care about her too much to put her through that kind of stress." He gently rubbed at Fenrir's head, noting the tiny twitch of her ears when his fingers touched at a particularly nice spot. Tyr smiled, continuing to scratch there.

"Well, I cannot fault you for enjoying her company," Luna said, smiling softly. "She had a… tendency to grow on you after a while."

"No kidding!" Pinkie agreed.

There was a commotion at the door, and Aurora and Aleron suddenly bursting in. "You never told us Grandma was here!" The more excitable of the two cried. Tyr took a moment to look over his children. They were vaguely as he remembered, save for Aurora's more lanky and spry physique and Aleron's more average build. Not surprisingly, their default choice of clothing was a long sleeved sweater and shorts, and Aleron wore a sweater vest and what looked to be dress pants.

A moment after their arrival Aleksandra burst into the room, Jubilee hanging from her neck and the other two fillies close behind. She pointed her finger at her son accusingly. "You didn't tell me I had grandkids!"

Tyr gave her a flat look. "I'll remember to inform you of all this information when I'm next in an exhaustion induced coma."

"You better!" She faked like she was mad at him, but then she grinned widely. "I have such cute grandkids!"

Pinkie and the other mares had moved aside to let Aurora leap into her father's arms. He planted a little kiss on her forehead, getting a giggle from her. "Yeah, they are pretty adorable, aren't they?"

Aurora giggled. Then, a thought seemed to catch hold of her, and she pushed away from him. "I'm supposed to be mad at you!" She said pointedly.

Tyr played dumb. "Oh? What has upset you so, my daughter?" He asked in a grave tone.

Her angry visage almost cracked for a moment, as all the others in the room were smiling or suppressing laughter. Even Aleron had a tiny smirk on his face. Aurora managed to replace her scowl. "You said it would be just another mission! Then I find out that Shining Armor and everybody—!"

" _Prince_ Shining Armor," Ancè couldn't help herself from correcting. Tyr gave her a tiny, if exasperated smile. Like mother like daughter, he thought.

Aurora shot her half-sister a dirty look. "He wouldn't have been much of a prince if something had happened to dad."

Aleksa grinned. "Just as ruthless as any granddaughter of mine should be."

"You should not talk so easily about harming your uncle," Luna admonished.

Aurora opened her mouth to retort, but Tyr put a hand on her head. When she looked at him, he gave her a small smile. "I appreciate that you were willing to ah… 'show Shining how upset you were', but I don't want you threatening people, honey."

She seemed a bit chastened by that, at least until Luna leaned in close. "But your parents _may_ just look the other way if you do it in defense of your siblings."

Her daughter gave her a small smile, but nodded her head. Tyr gave her an encouraging pat on the head before looking back up at his family. "So! Who wants to fill me in on what happened while I was out?"

Pinkie, as expected, eagerly jumped to the task. After Tyr had passed out, Aleksandra had gone off to fight the Ursa Chieftain. The fight had been short, as Aleksandra had vastly more power and skill than the Ursa. So overwhelming was her victory that the Ursa had—to a bear—surrendered to her. With her newfound authority over the Ursa, she ordered them to cease hostilities with the Wulfen. A sort of uneasy truce was established, and all the fighting ceased.

Celestia and the rest of the royals were quite surprised (not counting their surprise from suddenly being humanoid) to find out the source of the storm was a small woman with a very possessive attachment to Tyr. They were all admittedly wary of Aleksandra, and since she had put herself outside of Tyr's hospital door, most were too wary to approach her.

"Except for that Grace girl," Aleksa pointed out, apparently letting Ancè play around in her hair. The Elemental grinned. "She asked who I was, what I was doing, and then once I told her she just went on inside. I like her."

"Grace is very matter of fact when it comes to her friends," Luna said thoughtfully. "When she found out it was you in here, she immediately put herself in charge of your wellbeing."

Tyr made a mental note to give Grace a hug next time he saw her. "What happened after that?"

"Well, something had to be done about the Wulfen," Rarity pointed out. "Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were… less than thrilled about the sudden appearance of so many wolves and bears outside their city, but they have handled the situation splendidly. They've given them the space around the city to set up a temporary village of sorts."

"I think that little assistant of yours helped out," Aleksa said.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Serenity?"

"Not the name I was told. Noelle or something pretty like that?"

"I don't think she counts as my assistant. But I guess since she was with me while I tossed all the other Wulfen Clan Alphas around, they see her as sort of my second in command."

Chrys chuckled softly. "Did you take another mate while you were away, Master?"

That got the other three interested. Luna tried—and failed—to keep herself from looking slightly jealous. "Is this true, Beloved?"

Valor trilled amusingly from his perch, making Tyr shoot him a death glare. "No, I didn't. Noelle has a mate of her own. I think."

"Valor seems a little… smarter?" Pinkie peered at the bird, who made a show of preening himself.

Aleksa raised an eyebrow. "No doubt he absorbed part of my magic. Phoenixes tend to do stuff like that, especially if the element matches."

The Ice Phoenix cooed, getting his feathers stroked by Cori. Tyr smirked. "Well, whatever the reason, he's looking good. So back to the whole Wulfen/Ursa situation…"

"It's stable for now," Luna admitted. "But you'll no doubt need to make your presence known."

Tyr let out a soft sigh. "Right… Is it wrong for me to just want to lay here in silence for a bit?"

"Not at all. We can leave if you wish."

"No, that's not what I meant." Tyr reached up to touch her face, smiling when she reached up to rest hers over his. "I just don't want to deal with any work right now."

Pinkie giggled. "I know that feeling!"

"Then we should let you rest for now," Luna said, planting a little kiss on Tyr's forehead. She made to pull back, but Tyr caught her arm and pulled her back down for a generous kiss on the lips. When they broke apart, Luna's face was flushed. "…You always have to surprise me."

"You enjoy it," Tyr countered, and his reward was a little giggle.

"No doubt."

"I wanna stay with dad!" Aurora pouted, still seated on the bed beside him.

Tyr simply chuckled and pulled his daughter close. "You and the others can stay then—I've been meaning to spend more time with you all anyway."

"Although sitting in a hospital bed is far from optimal," Aleron said wryly, getting his hair mussed up in response.

Aleksa cleared her throat. "I was actually meaning to speak with you, Luna. If you don't mind. You three, as well." She gestured to Rarity, Chrys and Pinkie.

Tyr noted the tiny wince Luna gave at that, but his wife recovered splendidly. "Very well."

"I'll come back later to talk to you, young man," Aleksa said, wagging a finger at Tyr. He rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face.

"I'll be looking forward to it. Don't be too hard, alright?"

"Hey, I didn't get to be a mom for almost thirty-five years! Forgive me if I'd like to revel in it."

Tyr simply laughed, and waved a hand. "Go ahead and have your girl talk."

Aleksa and the four mares left then, returning to their place in the hall. Pinkie paused just one moment to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek before following after. Aleksa had an odd look on her face when she joined the others in the hall. The Elemental woman folded her arms, that imposing, no-nonsense look on her face once more. "…You all aren't just 'friends' with my son, are you?"

The four mares froze, quickly looking towards each other. Aleksa didn't let them answer, instead raising a hand. "I can tell, you know. The pink one kissed him, and you—" She pointed at Chrys. "—Called him 'Master'. Care to explain?"

Luna bit her lip. "Well…"

"On top of that, I thought I had two grandkids. Not five."

"Ooh," Rarity cringed. "We… probably should have seen that coming."

"We might as well just get it out there," Chrys muttered. She glanced over at Aleksa. "We're in a herd—well, I'm technically his pet, but I like to think that counts."

"So a polygamous relationship, hm?" Aleksa asked.

"We all love him in our own ways, and he loves us back," Rarity said hurriedly.

The Elemental frowned slightly. "And you all are happy with that?"

"It was… something to get used to at first," Luna admitted, glancing over at Rarity. "We have grown to… care for one another as Tyr cares for us."

Pinkie tapped her pointer fingers together, glancing over at Aleksa. "Um… Are you… not happy about it?"

Aleksa blinked. "Not happy about it?" She grinned. "I'm ecstatic! Knowing my son has so many beautiful women that love him… That makes me very happy."

The mares blinked. "So, it doesn't bother you?"

"Not in the slightest. I dunno if Tyr ever told you, but Dreamers are pretty okay with polygamy. Mainly cause it's harder to stay with one partner than you think." Aleksa sighed. "I was… criticized by many in the world Lysander and I lived in for never taking another husband, or even a wife."

"They thought less of you for it?" Luna asked, incredulous.

Aleksa shrugged. "You have to understand, Dreamers are almost expected to gather large groups about themselves. Not just friends and family, but those that want to abuse their powers. So we naturally attract good attention to ourselves. As a sort of… protective measure."

Rarity raised a delicate eyebrow. "Protective?"

"…I'm actually kinda hungry. Mind if we get something to eat?"

"I know a good place!" Pinkie said with a grin. "Follow me!"

She began skipping off, while the other three followed at a more subdued pace. They stayed silent up until they left the hospital and exited outside. Snow still laid on the ground, but the general atmosphere was still cheery. Not to mention the sky was pure and eerily still. Luna glanced back at Aleksa. "Your doing?"

"The storm was all me," Aleksa said, without having to ask what she meant. As if to further prove the statement, she ran a hand through her hair and flicked the ends—the tips changed into snow for a moment before reforming. "If this city gets clear weather for a few days, I don't think anyone will be too bothered."

"I share that sentiment."

"So are you going to explain your point from earlier?" Chrys asked. "Or should we wait for you to eat?"

"I can walk and talk," Aleksa said. She let out a soft sigh. "I suppose the first thing I should do is explain about the trait that all Dreamers have. We have a tendency to cause others to gravitate towards us—like we're a strong magnet. That doesn't mean we make others fall in love with us or something, but we draw friends easily."

"Tyr was very personable and easy to get along with when we first met him," Rarity admitted.

Aleksa nodded. "It's nothing sinister or evil, but it ensures that Dreamers won't have to face the future alone. Not all of us are strong like Tyr and I. Many of them are no stronger than your average human being, and require allies."

"So like… bodyguards?" Rarity asked.

"You could see it that way," Aleksa admitted. "I knew several Dreamers who gathered strong warriors to them simply as a sort of protection. Others—like myself and Tyr—gather those close to us that provide us with something we ourselves lack."

Pinkie led them to a surprisingly nice looking restaurant and took them to a table. Luna turned her attention to Aleksa, a small frown on her face. "Something you lack?"

Aleksa nodded, crossing her legs as she sat down across from the Lunar Princess. "Consider this—each of you is nothing like each other, right?"

"I suppose that is true," Chrys murmured. "When you think about it. Luna is not only a very powerful unicorn, but she's also royalty. Pinkie is an exceptional cook, and a wellspring of happiness. Rarity is well knowledgeable when it comes to upper class nobles and is an accomplished seamstress."

"And Chrissy is an Empath and super sneaky!" Pinkie agreed with a grin.

Aleksa smiled. "Very notable skills, to be sure. Ah—before I continue, should we order?"

"I'm fine," Chrysalis said as the other women picked up menus. "Master fed me already."

When Aleksa raised an eyebrow, Luna moved to explain. "Chrysalis is something called a 'Changeling'. She feeds off emotions, primarily love. Tyr loves her, as do we all."

"I see," Aleksa murmured, looking down to the menu. "Hrm… all vegetarian."

"Will that be a problem?"

"No, I can deal. But… considering I haven't actually eaten in almost thirty years…" She turned a sheepish look towards Luna.

The Princess smirked and help up a hand. "Do not worry—I am a Princess after all. Treating my husband's mother to a long awaited meal would be my pleasure."

"Not just that, but I do intend to eat… a lot."

"How much is a lot?"

They found out not too long later, as an impromptu eating contest emerged between Aleksa and Pinkie. Both proved to be voracious eaters, Pinkie simply by nature and Aleksa by her need to fuel her body. Luna, Rarity and Chrys watched in mute shock, watching the other two women put away almost four times as much food as them each. Many of the patrons of the restaurant paused in what they were doing to watch as well. The waiters and waitresses kept bringing more food for the two, and began to seem worried when they showed no signs of stopping. "For someone with such a small frame, you do eat quite a lot," Rarity remarked at some point.

Aleksa paused in shoveling her eighth double sized sandwich into her mouth. "Well, I explained my situation. I do kinda eat this much normally anyway though…"

"…A terrifying prospect."

"Blame Elemental metabolism," She said with a shrug. "Using our powers take a lot out of us, so we eat. No doubt Snowflake will need a big meal himself."

Pinkie paused as well. "You call Tyr Snowflake?"

"Mmhm! It was the nickname Lysander always called me, and I meant to give it to him once he was born." She grinned. "I guess I finally get to get some mileage out of it, huh?"

"I think it's adorable!"

"I suppose he had to get the nicknaming thing from somewhere," Chrys muttered.

Aleksa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? My son has nicknames for you all too?"

"He calls me Sunshine!" Pinkie told her.

Luna smiled softly. "He calls me Mani."

"Like the moon," Aleksa nodded. She glanced over at Rarity. "What about you?"

Rarity blushed slightly. "Well… He… he calls me his Gemstone." Her face flushed even deeper, and she avoided her gaze.

Aleksa didn't prod, but she did glance over at Chrys. "And you?"

"His pet," Chrys said matter of factly, but she still blushed anyway.

The Elemental woman sniffed softly. "Well, we see who the submissive two in this herd are," She said with a little chuckle. "Guess that's why you have collars?"

Both Chrys and Rarity blushed heavily, looking away. Luna chuckled, and Pinkie giggled madly. Aleksa grinned, but went back to eating. After a few moments, Rarity spoke again. "Er… on that earlier subject, Miss Aleksa… Dreamers gather people around them?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, Tyr found something that he needed from each of you. From Rarity, he found a generous spirit that he can love and a woman that obviously keeps him well dressed."

"I doubt Tyr courted me for just my fashion sense," Rarity said, with a frown.

"I did not mean that. You also let him express his flattering side." Aleksa gave her a gentle smile. "On top of that, you no doubt have a very economical mindset."

"Oh… well, I do own my own business…"

"What about me?" Pinkie asked eagerly.

Aleksa smiled. "You're the cheery one. Whenever Snowflake is at his lowest, you're there to cheer him up."

"Of course! I'm the Element of Laughter after all!"

"But at the same time, you fulfill his need to be nurturing. When you are in pain as well, you know you can go to him for help. He told you as much, didn't he?"

Pinkie's breath hitched, and her normally cheery smile vanished and was replaced by a look of pure shock. She glanced down at her plate, mumbled something about 'needing a hug', and swiftly walked off. "Pinkie-winkle…?" Rarity began, but Aleksa put a hand on her arm.

"She's fine. She's just going to see him." She smiled, which seemed to put the other woman at ease.

"I suppose we let her have this one," Chrys murmured.

Luna glanced back over at Aleksa. "So. What does that make me?"

"I suppose since you're a Princess, Tyr sees someone who can help him when it comes to leadership," Aleksa said with a shrug. "Plus… I have a feeling you're the one he's willing to fight and die for. And he's willing to save you from yourself."

The Princess of Dreams paused in whatever response she had ready, mouth forming into a hard line. "…You speak like you know about these things."

"You'd be surprised what someone like me can simply glean from looking and listening," Aleksa said sagely, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Chrys frowned. "So where does that leave me? You've said something for each of the others, so what about me?"

The Elemental was quiet, silver eyes focused on the Changeling. Chrys couldn't help but squirm slightly—it was obvious where Tyr had gotten his eyes from. Their unnerving similarity to his mother's showed in this moment. After a long minute, she spoke. "You're the one he trusts explicitly. You could never betray him, and you'd never even consider it. And you provide that security. And then from him you get one thing you want and need—love."

Chrys sat back, her displeasure evident. "…As true as that may be, I don't believe that you gathered all that from just looking at us."

"The way you act helps," Aleksa provided with a small smile. "That and I can see the way he looks at each of you. Plus, the fact that Dreamers that are related can share glimpses of their memories helps too."

"So all of that was just knowledge you gained from sharing with Tyr?" Rarity asked.

Aleksa giggled. "I was an anthropologist a long time ago. Sharing memories with Tyr requires a specific spell, and we haven't done that. Everything I said was just based on my deductions."

"I see…"

"Don't give me those looks," Aleksa winced. "I'd hate to make you all mad at me… sorry. I'm really bad at this sort of thing…"

The three other women shared a look. "Bad at what, exactly?"

"Social interactions. Knowing what to say to people. Keeping my foot out of my mouth." She scowled. "Lys was always the better talker. Came with the position, after all."

Luna blinked. "Position? What position did Tyr's father hold?"

Aleksa glanced over at her, a bit of surprise on her face. "Snowflake never told you? Lysander's full title was Emperor Lysander Aquillo. He was the Emperor of a rather large empire."

The three mares stared at he in shock, but it was another voice that spoke up wasn't any of theirs. Trixie's terrified and confused voice spoke the words they were all thinking. "Tyr is _ROYALTY!?_ " She squeaked.

–x–

It was always interesting to have all of his kids in one place. From the excitable Aurora and Jubilee to the calm Ancè and the matter of fact Aleron. Cori chimed in occasionally, but she seemed more content to watch all her siblings express their love. Or maybe it was the fact that she managed to claim the spot in his lap once he set Fenrir on a pillow nearby. Aurora launched into an epic retelling of their chase of the newly christened Flurry Heart with a few minor embellishments that her sisters and brother chose to correct. Tyr had smiled at this—his kids were close and that made him happy. He was content to tease Aurora and occasionally allow his free hand to stroke Fenrir's nonresponsive back. He hoped that she at least was aware of the gesture.

That had been a few hours ago. The kids had left a while ago, and now Tyr was simply enjoying the peace and quiet. Well, the peace and quiet along with the gentle breaths coming from the half covered form of Pinkie beside him. She had stormed in a few minutes ago, declared that he had to 'cuddle' with her, and the rest was up to the storyteller. But he didn't mind—he had told her to come to him if she ever needed her.

A knock on the door broke him from his self-reflection, and he looked up in time to see Grace enter. A single eyebrow raised at seeing Pinkie in his bed. "I suppose I can't exactly be surprised, hm?"

"Pinkie is a creature all her own," Tyr chuckled, reaching over to brush a strand of pink hair out of Pinkie's face. "Something up, Grace?"

"Checking in on my patient," She said, walking over. Her horn and hand lit up to pull a chair away from the wall for her to sit in. "Feeling better?"

"I'm pretty good now," Tyr replied with nod. "The sleep helped, although now I'm super hungry."

Grace smiled. "Then you should eat. Although considering your cook is snuggled up against your arm…"

Pinkie stirred then, one hand reaching up to rub at her eyes. "Why does that make me feel so tired…?" She murmured, sitting up. Tyr fought the urge to grin—Grace was sitting just off to the side.

But it was Grace who replied. "I've almost got scientific evidence that sex overloads the body with endorphins and whatnot. Tends to burn out your system, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it…" She trailed off, those big blue eyes swiveling around to see Grace sitting there. "…Grace?"

"Hi."

The reaction was very pronounced, even for Pinkie. A shade of red much like Grace's hair took over her face, and with a terrified squeak she ducked back under the blanket right into Tyr's crotch. A second squeak marked her immediate exit, as she rolled out of the bed, snagged Tyr's cloak from its folded spot on in a chair nearby, and curled into a ball under it. "Gracewhendidyougetinherepleasedontlookatmedidyouseeanything!?"

"Hm. Well, I came in just a moment ago, and I'm a doctor so I don't think you have anything I haven't seen before."

"Ooh…"

"She was just coming in to check on me," Tyr assured her, pulling the blanket back over himself.

Grace nodded. "And I see I didn't have much to worry about. How's Fenrir?"

"Still asleep," Tyr admitted sadly. "I can still feel her there, but she's not waking up anytime soon."

"You sound upset."

Truly, Tyr was. Fenrir had become such a constant to him, that not having her around seemed really disheartening. Especially since he really wasn't sure what was wrong. Fenrir had drained herself during battles before, but never to the point of essentially being in a coma. "…I'm slightly worried. I know she'll pull out of it, but I can't help but worry."

Grace nodded. "I know what you mean. But you'll have to worry later. Serenity was asking for you."

"Ah, I see. Give me a bit to get dressed?"

"Well, I'd rather you not go roaming about naked, so go ahead. I'll wait outside for you two."

She got up and headed outside, leaving Tyr and Pinkie alone in the room. When the door closed behind his red-haired adoptive sister, he glanced over to where Pinkie was still curled up. "Sunshine? You okay?"

Pinkie sniffled. "…Is she gone?"

"Yeah, she's gone."

"…S-Sorry…"

"Sorry?" He shifted over to the side of bed so he could look at her. "What are you sorry for?"

"You needed to rest, and I came in here and bothered you…"

Tyr smiled softly. "You're never a bother, Sunshine. I call you that because it always makes me happy to see you."

"…Really?"

He leaned down to plant a kiss on her pink hair. "Really. I didn't tell you no when you came in here, did I?"

"Well, no but…"

"Not butts. Get your clothes on, and let's go see what Serenity is up to. Unless you don't want to spend time with me?"

"Of course I want to spend time with you!" Pinkie protested immediately, but was met immediately by a kiss. She blushed again as Tyr smiled at her. "…I'll get dressed."

"Good girl."

They got dressed quickly, Tyr tucking the still sleeping Fenrir into his cloak pocket as usual before they left the room. Grace joined them, although thankfully she didn't tease them or say anything. She simply gave Tyr a little smirk and started walking.

She led them out of the hospital and towards the Crystal Barracks, coming across a few of the Crystal Guards. Seeing the Crystal Ponies had been one thing for Tyr, but as they were human now, he had to get used to seeing humanoid creatures with crystalline features. They saluted Grace as they went by, and gave Tyr incredulous looks as he followed after with Pinkie on his arm. Despite how silly she acted, Pinkie was actually very pretty, and her straight hair actually suited her when there wasn't a manic grin associated with it. They entered the barracks and followed Grace what looked to be a training yard.

"Again!"

A very authoritative voice caught their attention, their prelude to the scene that greeted them. It took a second for Tyr to recognize his right hand mare in the yard. Carver was facing down one of the Crystal Guards, a short sword in her hands. She had a number of scuffs and bruises, while the Guard seemed much better off. Tyr spotted Serenity sitting off to one side with the other Shapers. He took a moment to admire how adorable a small woman with waist length dreads looked before placing a hand on her head. "What's going on, Serenity?"

It was a testament to how calm the mare naturally was that she didn't jump or anything. She simply turned to look up at him with a small smile. "I am glad to see you awake once more, Lord Tyr. We worried for your health."

"I'm good now, although Fenrir is still recovering."

"That is a shame. Carver is participating in some sort of test. I believe the notion was: the Stonekin are unable to fight against actual trained guards."

"Well, I'm sure that's certainly not fair since she—" Tyr paused, noting something just as Carver prepared to fight again. "Hold!"

The two combatants and everyone else in the yard turned at the sound of his voice, watching as the Lord of Wolfhome stalked across the yard over to Carver. Despite her obvious discomfort, she drew up straight and tucked an errant strand of hair away from her face. "My Lord," She said crisply. The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips, betraying her happiness at seeing him.

Tyr smirked. "How's it going?" He asked softly once he was no more than an arms-length away from her.

She glanced back at the Crystal Guard, who was waiting somewhat impatiently. "I suppose it's fair to say terribly. Blades are not my thing, so it seems."

"That's because you're playing to his strengths."

"I don't think I can really help that." Carver huffed, unintentionally causing her hair to fall back in front of her face. "…Wonderful."

Tyr smirked, reaching into his cloak. "Turn around for me." She did so obediently, although she was trying to see what he was doing. He pulled out a hair tie and with a gentle motion gathered up her hair. With obvious practice coming to show in his skills, he tied her hair into a ponytail that kept any errant strands out of her face. "How's that?"

"Much better. Why do you carry those around?"

"I have five daughters, Carver. These sort of things are the signs of a dedicated father."

The Shaper smirked slightly. "I suppose."

"So back to the matter at hand. Don't fight him on his terms. Fight to win—play dirty if you need to. Honor doesn't keep you alive."

The smirk grew. "Never play fair?"

"All's fair in love and war." He grinned. "Use your strength."

Carver nodded, turning away to face her opponent once more. Tyr smiled, turning and walking back over to the crowd of spectators to rejoin Pinkie, Serenity and Grace. Once he was there the two combatants faced off once more. The Crystal Guard didn't hesitate, bearing down on the smaller mare with a smirk of superiority on his face. Instead of backing up to make space or trying to attack back, Carver did something only a few individuals in the room expected.

She stood her ground.

Metal clanged against metal, and the Crystal Guard looked surprised. Carver had simply raised her weapon to intercept his strike, and had not budged. Not even an inch. "What in the name of the Crystal Heart…?"

"This is nothing compared to holding up boulders," Carver told him with a grin. With barely shifting her feet, she suddenly pushed back, tossing the Crystal Guard onto his back. "And you sir, have no balance."

The guard grimaced. "Why you—!"

Carver held up a hand, staying the obvious counterattack. "I'm going to call it your victory. I have no skill with a blade, and you obviously won't be able to beat me in a contest of strength. Fair?"

"I suggest you take it," Etch called out. "Carver's got ridiculous endurance."

The guard seemed to consider this for a moment before simply nodding. "Fine. Whatever then."

He stalked off, leaving Carver to rejoin the other Shapers. Harrier handed her cloak to her, and the senior Shaper nodded in thanks. Tyr looked over them for a moment. While Ponies, the Stonekin had been by and large smaller than your average pony. Now, in a roughly human form, they were collectively all barely over five feet tall. Not that it made them any weaker.

"Oh, Snowflake!" Aleksa's voice called out. "There you are!"

Tyr turned just in time for his mother to charge into him and wrap her arms about his waist. "Er… you were looking for me, mom?"

"Well, yes. You weren't in your room in the hospital, so we had to come find you. I had a rather interesting talk with Luna and Rarity about your father."

"About my father?"

"She told us a very shocking yet interesting fact, Beloved," Luna said, coming over with Chrys and Rarity and joining them. Tyr frowned a bit at the expression on his wife's face. It was a mixture of confusion and irritation, as if she was made at him for doing something. Although he had no idea what he could have done to make her upset.

"And… that would be…?"

"You seem to be royalty, Master," Chrys added, folding her arms. "The son of an Emperor, no less."

Tyr blinked. "…What."

Aleksa gave him a sheepish smile. "Your dad overthrew a corrupt dictator and was put into power in his place. He actually turned the country around for the better. I was an Empress for a while!" She grinned at that last statement.

"I didn't even realize…"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know, Beloved?"

Tyr shook his head. "No. I dunno if I ever told you, but the memories I have of my father are mostly connected to my Mother."

"That's because your father wasn't a Dreamer," Aleksa pointed out, finally letting Tyr go. "He was Awakened, which means you'd get his muscle memory, not full images. My memories would be the only ones to pass on."

"So Tyr truly is royalty?" Trixie asked, surprising Tyr since he hadn't realized she was there. "That is… that is very surprising."

"Whatever happened?" Luna asked. She glanced around, noting that the only person that seemed to be paying any attention was Serenity. "We were led to believe Tyr's father perished defending you."

"He did," Aleksa said sadly. She smiled a tiny, saddened smile. "I'm not sure what happened, to be honest. I was busy fleeing the Erasers."

Pinkie blinked. "Erasers?"

"The ones who wanted me dead," Tyr said softly, placing a hand on Pinkie's head.

"O-oh…"

"The Erasers are all gone," Aleksa said softly. A feral sort of grin touched at her lips. "I killed all of them. It's what they deserve for threatening my family."

All eyes went to Tyr. It was starting to make sense why the Spirit of Carnage enjoyed his company so much. He seemed to have gotten his more… vicious nature from Aleksa. He blinked. "What? Why's everyone looking at me?"

"No doubt they're wondering just what traits you got from your mother," Serenity sad sagely.

"Nothing but the best ones!" Aleksa said happily.

Luna cleared her throat. "That being said… Tyr, Pinkie? We need you to come with us. A… her meeting, of sorts."

Tyr was vaguely aware of a number of eyes swiveling to look at him. There was a short wave of surprise, followed by jealousy. He cleared his throat, pulling Pinkie along with him as he moved to leave. "Alright fine. Herd meeting it is then."

Aleksa giggled as she watched her son and his women walk off. "Have fun, sweetie!"

"Something tells me that isn't going to be much fun," Grace murmured, noting the worried look on Trixie's face. "More additions?"

"I think Tyr can handle it," Aleksa said with a smile.

"You're fine with him having so many… lovers?"

Aleksa glanced over at the redhead. "Before I got married, I had plenty of lovers. Well, at least until they found out I was wanted in several countries for being an Ice Elemental and the Legendary White Storm. After I got married, Lys was all I needed. But he was awesome."

"Huh. So Tyr is…?"

"I call him blessed." Aleksa smiled softly. "And very lucky he's so loved."

Grace nodded. "I suppose that's fair. So you've seen herds before?"

"We called them harems. Largest I've ever seen was one man and ten women," Aleksa said, shrugging. "Heard they had some crazy orgies."

"…You don't have a filter, do you?"

"No I do not. That's what I had Lys for."

Grace grinned. "I think we'll get along just fine, Aleksa."

–x–

With no other real place to have a private conversation, they met back in Tyr's hotel room. Tyr sat on the bed, Fenrir out in his lap. Around him were the members of his herd, plus one nervous looking Trixie. No one had said anything yet, but judging from the look on the illusionist's face, he knew exactly what this was all about. And he didn't know whether to be flattered or exasperated. "So… is anyone going to start?" Tyr asked, glancing from Trixie to Luna.

"I could!" Pinkie raised her hand.

Tyr chuckled, patting his energetic Element of Laughter on the head. "You have no idea what's going on, Sunshine."

"Oh. That's right." Pinkie folded her arms and nodded as if she had just realized that very fact herself.

"So… who's going to explain?" Tyr asked, looking around.

Luna bit her lip, looking around. "Well… since no one else is going to, I might as well. Beloved, Trixie has… she has…"

"I can speak for myself," Trixie said a surprising amount of firmness in her voice. She looked directly at Tyr when she spoke, but when she made to continue, she faltered a bit. "I… I find myself unable to truly have any meaningful… relationships with males as of late."

Rarity frowned at that. "I thought you were friends with Read Write, Coloratura's soundpony… er, person."

Trixie nodded slightly. "I see him as a friend, but… any other male that comes close… I do not mean to brag, but some consider Trixie relatively attractive. I was hit on several times during my stay with Read Write and Even Tempo."

Chrys sniffed. "I would imagine that their advances were not welcome?"

"Hardly. As much as I try to keep myself calm, I tend to… react violently?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…How violently?"

Trixie blushed, tapping her fingers together. "Er… I blasted one into a wall?"

"…Ah."

"But!" Trixie sat up straight. "I think… I think it won't be so bad… with… you?"

All eyes went to Tyr. He let out a soft sigh. "And the rest of you? How are you feeling about this?"

"I'm of the opinion that whatever you decide is fine," Chrys said, nodding to Tyr. "You are the head of this herd, after all."

"I have to admit, I am a little concerned," Rarity pointed out. "Trixie, do you feel safe with Tyr?"

The pale blue woman glanced over at Tyr, who was watching her with barely any emotion on his face. He did smirk slightly, but betrayed nothing else. "I cannot think of a time where I have ever been afraid or felt unsafe around Tyr. I know he is very dangerous, but…"

"It's a safe kind of dangerous," Pinkie finished for her, leaning up against Tyr. She grinned. "He's so dangerous but you know he's like a big fluffy doggy on the inside!"

"Another wolf joke," Tyr muttered, grinning and wrapping an arm around Pinkie. "Can't say I didn't see that coming."

"I have to agree with Pinkie, darling," Rarity said with a little smile. "We all know you are very capable of… violent action, but you are controlled and we know you would never hurt any of us if you had a choice."

Tyr gave her a thankful smile, before turning to Luna. The Princess of Dreams seemed to be measuring her thoughts, sparing him a glance before sighing. "I have to say, Beloved, when I married you I didn't realize I would be sharing your love with so many other women."

The man winced slightly. "Sorry love…"

"No, I am not upset." She gave him a warm smile then. "I have been spending time with the others, and it is… enjoyable having such a large family. Although I have to warn you, our numbers are growing very large."

"That's what I'm worried about," Pinkie said, turning to look Tyr in the eyes. "You always try to put us first, but what about you, Honey? We don't want it to seem like you're straining yourself to try and love us all."

"Pinkie has a point," Chrys said, moving to where she could wrap her arms around Tyr's neck and nuzzle against his cheek. She seemed a little worried, but was doing her best to not show it. "You feed me, and then you have to share your affections between Luna, Rarity and Pinkie. Could you handle another?"

Luna chuckled. "Lady Aleksa believes he could handle two more."

"So did Cadance," Tyr grumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. "She seemed adamant to get me with Applejack and Fluttershy…"

"You almost had Fluttershy," Chrys said dryly.

Trixie gaped. "What? You asked Fluttershy to join your herd?"

"No, she asked me," Tyr replied almost automatically. Then, he winced. "…Saying it that way makes it sound worse…"

"Were you trying to claim all of the Elements of Harmony!?"

"That would require stealing Twilight from Flash and Rainbow Dash from Ace," Chrys said. She giggled. "As much as I suggested before…"

Tyr sighed. "Shut up, Chrissy."

"Yes sir," She continued giggling, but went mostly silent.

"You never did answer Chrissy's question," Pinkie pointed out, poking Tyr in the arm. " _Could_ you handle another mare?"

"I like to think so, but we'd never know," Tyr admitted. He gave Trixie a small smile. "Well, unless we go through with it."

"We'd all help you, Honey. You know that."

Tyr kissed her forehead. "And I know that. Thank you, Sunshine."

"Of course!"

Luna glanced over to Trixie. "Joining this herd will mean you are not only with Tyr, but you are also joining with all of us. I can't begin to assume your preferences, but we are all… er, 'with' one another. Is that what you want?"

The illusionist looked around the room. All were looking at her expectantly, but none were judging—even if she said no, they'd still treat her as a friend. And if she said yes… she'd have a family, something she hadn't had in a very long time, not counting when Audio was born. She realized what she wanted then in that moment—not a stallion or man to love her, or someone to protect her, but she wanted the warmth that came with having a family around her. Trixie didn't realize that her emotions showed so easily on her face until Chrys spoke up again. "I think she's made her decision," the Changeling said.

Tyr glanced over at her, before looking back at Trixie. "What are you deciding? Whatever you choose, we'll respect it."

Nods all around. But Trixie had already decided—she just had to say it out loud. With a little hint of nervousness creeping into her voice, she looked up at Tyr. "Er… will I have to change my name?"

"Only if you want," Rarity said thoughtfully. "Hm… I haven't thought about that. Rarity Winter… doesn't sound so bad."

"Pinkamena Diane Winter!" Pinkie chimed in, giggling. "I like it!"

Luna simply smiled. Chrys muttered something about 'having to use her nickname to sound even relatively normal'. Trixie nodded. "I see. I would… I would really like to join your herd."

Tyr gave her a little smile. "Well then. Welcome to the family, Trixie."

"Now to test if you feel safe with Honey!" Pinkie jumped up, grabbing Chrys's hands and dragging her away from Tyr. Ignoring the Changeling's cries and protests, she all but kicked her out before turning and grabbing Rarity and Luna and shuffling them out as well. "Have a good night!"

The door shut. Both Trixie and Tyr blinked as they heard the door lock from outside. It wasn't even that late in the day. "Er… what?"

–x–

* * *

 **Pinkie Pie the matchmaker. She's like Momo from To-Love-Ru now, lol.  
**

 **And Aleksandra is okay with the herd! If only because she's relieved that Tyr isn't isolated like she once was. All a good mother wants is to know her son is loved and cared for. And now, Tyr may even get another, depending on how the night with Trixie goes.**

 **As always, thanks for Reading, leave a Review if you please, and Return for the next chapter! I'll do my best to get it up in a timely manner, but I appreciate all the patience and support!**

 **Until next time, the Library will be Waiting.**


	56. Chapter 56

**Hello and apologies, dear readers. The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I've been busy studying and working, so I haven't been able to sit down and really edit my chapters. I haven't stopped-far from it. I enjoy writing too much for that. I've kept up with the chapters, and I'm at least two chapters ahead of what I'm posting tonight. I got two chapters ready, and I felt like I owed it to my readers to come back strong. And I haven't forgotten about my reviews either!**

 **Kevin Lapse: Just like Light of the Moon, I do have a planned ending for Lunar Legacy. That being said, there might be a third story after this one. Perhaps.  
**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: The Equestrians are now biped, with hooves for feet and fur. I was finding it hard to actually put a name to what they are now. I think I've settled on 'hybrid'. Tyr's father was the kinda person to right a wrong when he saw it. Corrupt Emperor? Not gonna last long. And Fenrir's completely out of it. She is (for lack of a better phrase) dead to the world. She'll have a bit of catching up to do.**

 **Chaddmychal: Only Chrys is really being 'fed'. Tyr's girls are getting to the point where they're loving each other, so it takes less work from him to keep them all happy. They still want their own private time with him, and haven't yet told him they have a schedule.**

 **BLleeTGK: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed Light of the Moon, and I'm even happier you stuck around and are keeping up with Lunar Legacy. Apologies for the clifhanger, but life shouldered its way in and took up my time. I'm back at it though, and I hope the wait wasn't too bad.**

 **Kevin Lapse: I appreciate the concern and your patience. I haven't given up (I enjoy writing too much). I've been busy, as you probably figured, and I'm hoping my new schedule will lend itself to more editing and writing time. Even if I don't post every week, I'm still hard at it.**

 **But I've taken enough time. Towards a glorious return!**

* * *

Chapter 55: Discontent

A shadow stole through the darkness enveloping the hotel. It had a particular purpose, keeping out of sight as they made their way through the floors. After a moment of sticking to the shadows and navigating the halls, the shadow reached the floor where the Elements of Harmony and their group resided. There was a momentary pause outside of the door leading into Princess Luna's room. There were four voices faintly murmuring to each other inside. Judging from the quiet gasps and moans, one of the voices—a very proper one, if the shadow could be bothered to think about it—seemed to be getting the worst of it. Depending on how you looked at it.

The shadow didn't pause at any other doors, ignoring the sleeping Elements of Harmony in lieu of her true target. Within a short time, the shadow paused just outside of the coldest door. The lock was picked almost instantly, and the shadow slipped inside with barely a noise.

Tyr was sleeping peacefully, Trixie curled up against his side with one arm draped over his stomach and her mist-white hair scattered about her head. She was sleeping just as soundly, head tucked up against his shoulder and his arm wrapped around hers. It was such a peaceful sight, but the shadow had to break up the little moment. Moving over to Tyr's side of the bed, the shadow loomed over like a shroud over the sleeping man. A single glint of metal caught the light—the needle part of a syringe. "I'm sorry if this hurts, but sleep is good for you," The shadow murmured, almost as if explaining it to itself.

Then another light emerged in the darkness, two silver orbs against the blackness. They snapped towards the shadow. His voice was a dark growl. " _Avatar_."

The shadow let out a feminine squeak as the room lit up with silver light, a massive arm made of ice and magic smashing her into the wall and pinning her there. The hood on her cloak was tossed aside, revealing a woman that could almost be considered Trixie's younger sister. Bright green eyes stared in horror at the impassive mien of the ice construct's helmet formed above, the essence of Tyr's will made manifest. Hearing the impact, Trixie jerked awake. "T-Tyr!? What's going on!?"

Tyr got up slowly, facing down the would be assassin. He frowned. "Last time someone tried to kill me in my sleep, they did a much better job of it. Who the hell are you, and why are you trying to kill me?"

"I-I wasn't trying to kill you!" The girl said hurriedly. "Please don't kill me!"

"Give me a reason not to then," Tyr replied evenly. His frown deepened. "And be quick about it."

"It's a sleeping agent! It was supposed to be harmless and just make it so you wouldn't wake up for a few days!"

"Harmless, she says…" Tyr replied, just before the door to his room burst open and Luna, Chrysalis and Aleksa rushed in. Worry was on all their faces, but when they saw the situation, the worry was replaced with shock.

"Are you alright, beloved?" Luna asked carefully, looking from him to the woman pinned to the wall. "…Who is that?"

Tyr shrugged. "I haven't got that far yet. She was attempting to stick me with this—" He picked up the fallen syringe, finding about half of the liquid still inside. "She claims it was a sleeping agent."

"Be careful with that, Master," Chrys murmured. "I would hate for you to stick yourself."

"Ice caps," Tyr reminded her with a little chuckle. He encased the tip of the syringe in ice and set it aside. "Well, this is certainly… unexpected. Chrissy, go grab Twilight and the others. Wake Carver and the other Shapers as well—we don't know if anyone else is out and about tonight."

"Of course, Master," She said, turning and leaving the room.

Luna moved over to Tyr, looking at the captive on the wall. "…Do you have a name?"

"C-Cienna…" the captive squeaked, trying to avoid her angry gaze. "M-My name is Cienna…"

"And why were you trying to kill my husband?"

"I wasn't trying to kill him!"

Aleksa had moved over beside her son, sniffing lightly at the syringe. "It smells… odd. Familiar almost, but I can't place it."

Tyr sniffed as well, wishing momentarily he had Fenrir's more accurate nose. The smell made him scowl, but he easily remembered where he had smelled it before. "It smells like Magebane," He murmured thoughtfully.

"Magebane! That's what it smells like!"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Magebane? What is that?"

"A very powerful anti-magic poison," Aleksa said matter-of-factly. "Disconnects mages from the source of their powers and leaves them helpless."

"I've been exposed to it before," Tyr pointed out, moving over to his cloak. He pulled out his star bag and pulled out an empty vial. He emptied the contents of the syringe into it. "Although I'm waiting on Twilight before I make any more deductions."

They didn't have to wait too long, as Twilight and the rest of the Elements of Harmony showed up no more than a minute later, drawn by the commotion. "This better be good, Tyr, because I was having a really good dream," Rainbow was saying as she and the other girls came in. Most of them were modestly dressed for sleep, all except for Rainbow who was pretty much in her underwear.

"I'd like to know what this is all about too, if you don't mind Tyr," Twilight agreed. She noted the pinned woman against the wall with mild surprise. "Er… especially since you've pinned Trixie's clone to the wall."

"Didn't think she had a clone," Applejack murmured sleepily.

Fluttershy was the most awake of the group, which showed as she pointed out the one thing the others had missed. "Why is Trixie in your bed, Tyr?"

"I WAS sleeping," Trixie muttered ruefully, blushing slightly as a number of eyes went to her. "…Tyr makes quite the comfortable pillow."

Rainbow actually was too tired to poke fun at that one. "So? Who's the chick stuck to the wall?"

"She says her name is Cienna," Tyr responded. He gestured to the small cup of liquid. "She was trying to stick me with a syringe with this in it. Mind checking it?"

"I suppose…" Twilight moved through the room carefully, pausing just shy of Tyr and Aleksa and adjusting her glasses. "I have a spell that can tell me what's in it, but you might want to back up a step or two."

The two elementals did just that, giving Twilight plenty of space. The Alicorn yawned lightly before focusing on the small container with her magic. It glowed bright violet for a moment, before she jerked back in shock. "…There's a chemical in here that functions as a powerful paralytic. If you had been injected with this, you'd probably be in some serious muscular distress."

Tyr's eyes went to Cienna, who flailed weakly against her prison but quickly remembered there was nothing she could do to get free. "I didn't know! I was only told it was a sleeping drug!"

"Is she telling the truth?" Aleksa asked.

Applejack frowned. "I can't say she's lying. Probably really believed it woulda just put ya ta sleep, Tyr."

The pinned girl nodded quickly. "I did! I did!"

"You better have," Aleksa said sharply, suddenly appearing in front of the terrified girl. The look on her face could have frozen someone solid. "Otherwise I will rip your heart out and _show_ _it to you_."

Cienna made a tiny squeaking noise. Tyr placed a hand on his mother's shoulder, feeling the ripple of irritation coming off of her. "It's alright mom."

"…I guess."

Tyr turned back to Cienna. She was a bit calmer now, but still looking at him fearfully. "…Alright then. I'm going to let you down. But if you make any move to escape or anything we consider hostile, my mom gets to take a shot at you."

"And I don't miss," Aleksa growled.

Cienna nodded. Tyr waved one hand, dismissing his Avatar and dropping her to the floor. She winced at the impact, before scooting up against the wall. "T-T-Thank you, Sir Tyr."

Tyr opened his mouth to speak, but closed it immediately. He stalked over to where he was leaning over the girl. All eyes were on him. Seizing on some notion the others didn't, he quickly pulled a small pouch of something out of his star-bag, dipped two fingers into it, and drew a symbol on Cienna's forehead. Twilight frowned. "Tyr, what is that—?"

She didn't get to finish, as suddenly green fire erupted around Cienna. Everyone gasped as the former Trixie-clone was replaced by a slightly scuffed up Changeling girl that was significantly younger than she had once appeared—more like a teenager than a full grown woman. Her tattered pale blue wings fluttered momentarily, before she looked up at Tyr, her bright green eyes full of fear. The man had a flat look on his face. "A Reveal Rune," He said softly, putting the pouch away. "Written in holy ash, it reverts anything it touches to its original state."

Cienna stared at him in horror. "You… you dispelled my—?"

"YOU!" Chrys snarled, suddenly shoving her way in front of Tyr. "What is one of _my_ brood doing here, attempting to kill my—no OUR Master!?"

"Wait, brood?" Rainbow blinked. "You mean like… from your hive? That Changeling is one of yours?"

"How is that even possible?" Twilight demanded. "Princess Celestia—!"

"My sister told me your Hive was burned to the ground," Luna said softly, moving over to place a hand on Chrys's shoulder.

"I was not present," Chrys said, shaking slightly. Tyr immediately knew it wasn't anger—Chrys was trying to understand this just like the rest of them. "I was still recovering when the Equestrian Army marched on my hive. When I finally got up enough strength to return, I found it in ruins, with all my Changelings dead. But now I find one from the old Hive…"

Cienna bowed low to the ground. "My Queen, I'm sorry, I did not know… my mental link has long since been severed…"

Chrys let out a shaky sigh, one hand reaching out to grope about for Tyr's hand. He took hold of it, and she seemed to calm. "How many others?"

"S-Survivors? I…" Cienna's face fell. "Only I remain of the old Hive, My Queen. My… my clutch-mates died giving me the chance to escape."

"How did you escape, if ya don't mind me asking?" Applejack spoke up.

There was a dark look that crossed Cienna's face. It took a moment before she finally spoke again. "…Changeling chitin is actually very tough. You know…"

Tyr felt his breath hitch. Cienna's siblings had used their own bodies to protect her. The others seemed to come to the same conclusion as a heavy silence fell over them all. Finally, Chrys spoke. There was a gentleness in her voice that Tyr made note of. Her own spawn or not, Chrys was still motherly to all Changelings. "But why are you here, child? Why did you not try to find me after the Hive fell?"

"I did!" Cienna protested weakly. "But I couldn't find you, as if you didn't exist in Equestria at all…"

"The Merge," Twilight murmured thoughtfully.

Chrys scowled. "But we have been returned for five years now, neophyte. You still did not seek me out."

"Q-Queen Cocoon—!"

"You threw your lot in with _her_!?"

"Chrissy," Tyr said warningly, hand tightening on her shoulder.

"You do not understand, Master!" Chrys turned to him, eyes wide. "Cocoon is one of the most brutal and vicious of all the Changeling Queens. Although we all feed off love, she was one of the few who discovered how to feed just as well off of other emotions. Specifically anger and rage."

"I had nowhere else to go," Cienna murmured softly. The despair in her voice made Chrysalis draw up short and turn back to the despondent Changeling. "My Hive was dead, and she… she let me at least stay and live."

"In exchange for what?" Aleksa asked bluntly. "You're obviously unable to feed off anger like they do. So what do you give her?"

"Obviously a spy or assassin," Luna said with a frown. "Unless you did something else for her."

Cienna shook her head rapidly. "I-I was a spy, yes, but until now that's all I did!"

"So do we trust her?" Rainbow asked. "Cause we could always—!"

"FATHER!" Ancè suddenly burst into the room, stumbling past all of them to grab at her father. Tyr blinked several times, confused as to why his daughter had come running in.

"Ancè? What's wrong, sweetie?"

"It's… it's Cori! The Crystal Guards are downstairs and are trying to take her!"

"What?" Nearly everyone in the room said. The only one that didn't speak was Tyr, and that was because he swiftly swept Ancè into his arms and was gone from the room like the remnants of a whisper. The others only waited a moment before chasing after him.

The children had been on the floor below in four rooms (Ancè, Cori and Jubilee had triple bunked), but now they were all out in the hallway. Aurora and Aleron were struggling with a Crystal Guard who was trying to put restraints on a very resistant Cori. "Let go of my sister!" Aurora growled, chomping down on the guard's exposed forearm.

"Gah! Get off of me you little demon!"

However, it wasn't Aurora he really had to be aware of. It was the silver eyes wolf that drew up behind him. "Get your hands off my daughter," He snarled.

"W-What the—!?" The guard turned rapidly, only for Tyr to grab him by the throat.

"Dad!" Aurora and Cori said happily as the guard was tossed aside.

"Are you alright?" Tyr asked, kneeling down so he could pull his kids into his arms. "Sorry I took so long."

"It's fine, but why are they trying to take Cori away?"

Tyr turned to where a number of other guards were warily approaching. They seemed a bit hesitant to approach the man, especially since he seemed quite pissed about what was going on. "I'd like _someone_ to explain what's going on."

A tall and well-built woman stepped forward, hand on the weapon at her side. "Lord Tyr. I am Captain Jade of the Crystal Empire's Guard. Prince Shining Armor has tasked us with apprehending all Changelings in the city. It would be in your best interest to comply."

"It would be in _your_ best interest to _get the hell away from my kids_ ," Tyr growled, standing back straight up. Cori took refuge behind him while the twins formed up on either side. Captain Jade made a disappointed noise, but before either she or Tyr could say anything else Luna had moved in between them.

"I'd like a full explanation please," Luna said softly, but firmly. "Now."

The tone of voice she used brokered no argument, and Captain Jade stood up straight at attention. "Of course, Princess Luna. There was another attack on the royal family tonight, orchestrated by a group of Changelings. Princess Celestia was poisoned, Princess Cadance was injured, and Prince Shining Armor himself took a wound in defense of his wife and child."

Luna gaped. "My sister? Poisoned?"

"Oh my," Rarity murmured.

"Is my brother and Cadance okay?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"Prince Shining Armor is no doubt being treated by Sir Saving Grace at this very moment," Jade informed them. "Several Changelings have already been captured, along with the unicorn known as Sunset Shimmer. We have reason to believe she was involved," The guard captain informed them.

Tyr frowned. "Sunset? How was she involved?"

Jade looked at him dismissively. "We found her in a room with dead guards covered in blood. No doubt in my mind that she was allied with them."

"I highly doubt—!"

"Let me handle this, Beloved," Luna cut him off with a hand to the chest. Surprisingly, Tyr deferred to his wife. The Princess of Dreams turned to face the Guard Captain. "Chrysalis and her daughter are no threat to us, and are not involved. Continuing to insinuate so is only going to make the situation worse. We have a very unique opportunity here—and that is having an actual Changeling Queen help us solve this crisis. Antagonizing her and her _family_ is a foolish notion."

Jade's eyes narrowed slightly, but that was the extent of her reaction. "…I see."

Twilight walked up, obviously hoping to defuse the situation. "Look, let's just go see my brother. You said he was hurt, right? No doubt he'd like to see us, and make sure everything is okay?"

"I still have my orders—"

"That's an _order_ , Captain," Twilight said sharply.

"…True. Follow me. And keep your… _pet_ on a leash."

Chrys growled, but Tyr put a hand on her head to silence her. He shook his head shortly, before glancing back over at Trixie, who had followed the others down. "Trixie? Watch the kids for us, please?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "What about—?"

"Keep _all_ of them in my room," Tyr continued, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. "I'm leaving Fen with you as well, so you better take care of my _little friend_ , alright?"

Trixie stared at him for a moment, before realizing what he really meant. "I-I will not let you down, Tyr."

She hurried off, gathering up the kids and ushering them back upstairs. Tyr gave Cori one last hug before letting her follow after her siblings and friends. He watched as Goldie (who was even more adorable as a hybrid) grab the Changeling's hand comfortingly. The Elemental turned back to the others. "…Let's get going then."

They didn't get very far before they encountered another odd situation. Serenity and the Vanguard were in the lobby of the hotel, with a pile of knocked out Crystal Guards against one wall. "…They tripped?" Serenity offered when she saw her Lord's questioning look.

"Must have been a really nasty fall," Applejack said, trying to hold back her laughter.

Twilight face-palmed. "Oh dear…"

"Well, they should have been watching the ground for stones," Tyr said amiably. "Serenity, I want half of the Vanguard watching over the kids. They're upstairs in my room."

"I'll take Landslide and Penn," Etch said, nodding to Carver. "Carver, Harrier, Crater and the Seer will accompany you."

"Oh my, it seems I don't have to do much," Serenity said, raising a hand in mock shock. "You are very capable, Etch."

"I do my best," The Shaper said with a shallow bow.

"How did you…?" Jade began, looking from her guards to the Shapers. "These are some of my best men!"

"So you were expecting a fight?" Tyr asked, folding his arms.

Jade shot him a glare. "I expected to apprehend a dangerous individual."

"…Hmph."

"Let's not start a fight here," Twilight said, waving a hand between them. "Can we please just go see my brother?"

There were no more disagreements, and they were on their way. A lot of ponies looked at Chrys warily, and a few of the guards even moved their way threateningly. But with a glare from Tyr they backed off, leaving them unmolested even as they approached the Crystal Spire. However, what they found inside made them all pause. Injured guards were arrayed about, most getting medical treatment while others stood on lookout. "Oh goodness," Fluttershy murmured.

"Must have been pretty bad," Rainbow muttered, looking around at the injured guards. "How many Changelings were there?"

"We don't know," Jade answered curtly. "We captured half a dozen and killed who knows how many more. It was a well-orchestrated and fast attack. We were caught completely off guard."

None of the others said anything, staying silent as they entered the throne room. At the twin thrones sat Shining Armor and Cadance, the latter cradling a crying Flurry Heart while Grace was working on a cut the baby had on her forehead. Shining was covered in a few bandages although most were about his torso. The two royals looked up as they entered. "Twilight!" Shining cried, jumping up and beginning to shuffle down to meet them.

Twilight rushed forward and embraced her brother. "Oh, thank the stars you're okay," She murmured into his shoulder.

"I was worried you were attacked too…"

"We were unmolested for the most part," Luna replied. She glanced over at Tyr, who subtly shook his head. Luna nodded back just as slightly before turning back to Shining. "How bad was the attack here?"

"It honestly could have been worse," Cadance said, managing to calm down her daughter. Tyr finally got his first look at the newly born Flurry Heart. She was a pale pink color and had curly purple hair with a prominent blue streak. Rather large wings unfolded from her back as she yawned.

"Oh, what an adorable little girl!" Aleksa whooshed past them all, rematerializing right in front of Cadance with a bright smile on her face. "Was she just born?"

Cadance blinked in surprise, however managing to reply with a simple—"Er, yes?"

"How did you do that?" Shining asked, finally letting Twilight go to look. "That wasn't teleportation… who are you, anyway?"

"Oh!" Aleksa clapped her hands. "I've never actually introduced myself to you two."

"That's usually the first thing you do in situations like this…"

Aleksa smiled broadly and curtsied slightly. "Hello, Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. My name is Aleksandra Winter, or as I've also been known as the Indomitable Blizzard. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Winter…" Cadance blinked. "You… did you have something to do with the storm from before?"

"Oh yes, that was me. I mean, literally me."

"…huh?"

Shining took a step forward. "Hold on a second… You look just like—!"

"Yep!" Aleksa skipped down from the thrones to stand beside Tyr. Beside her son, there was no way to debate her relation to him. She pointed up at Tyr. "I'm his mom!"

Both Cadance and Shining paused at that. "…Really?"

"Hey! He wasn't that big when I gave birth to him!"

Fluttershy giggled nervously. "I um… I don't think that's what they meant…"

"Forgive my surprise," Cadance murmured, shaking her head. "We heard about Tyr's… revelation when it came to his origins, but we thought… or, rather we assumed…"

"That I was dead?" Aleksa finished. When Cadance and Shining nodded, she smiled. "I was close, but not close enough. It didn't stick, so to speak."

Shining frowned. "Obviously. What brought you back?"

"Snowflake!"

Two pairs of eyes went to Tyr. "…Snowflake?"

Tyr shrugged. "That would be me."

Cadance giggled. "That is an adorable nickname for you, Tyr."

Aleksa grinned. "I know, right!"

Tyr cleared his throat. "Let's get back on topic, shall we? Could you tell us what happened?"

Shining sighed. "I wish we had all the details. As far as we're aware, a number of Changelings disguised as castle servants snuck into ours and Aunt Celestia's rooms. I happened to be awake, and fought the ones that attacked us. Aunt Celestia was caught unawares and was poisoned."

"Ace and Flash were paralyzed from drugged food," Grace said. "I was busy with work, and Bright Soul was doing whatever she does at night. Obviously neither of our two Solar Knights are particularly happy about that fact."

Twilight swallowed heavily. "Princess Celestia is alright… right?"

"Whatever the poison was, it was not meant to kill," Shining answered his sister. "Princess Celestia is simply weakened for the time being."

"That information doesn't leave this room, by the way," Grace said, glancing their way.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie offered.

Grace smirked at that, but said nothing else. Tyr frowned slightly, glancing back towards Shining. "…And Sunset?"

"She attacked Crystal Guards," Jade said shortly. "On top of hiding the fact that she was a vampire. She will be dealt with."

"I find it hard to believe Sunset would do something like that," Tyr replied evenly. He spared a glance behind him, finding a mix of emotions on the faces of his friends of the revelation of Sunset's 'condition'. Most, like Fluttershy and Rarity, looked horrified. Pinkie didn't seem affected either way. Applejack seemed confused, and Rainbow looked grim. The group was quiet, a mixture of feelings on the statement. Twilight herself seemed particularly torn on it. "Why am I the only one questioning it?"

"The evidence seems to point to her," Grace pointed out. "There were teeth marks all over the guards and she was covered in blood. Everything points to her being the one to kill them. Do you think we're wrong?"

Tyr narrowed his eyes, noting something odd about the way Grace spoke. It was more like she was actively asking for him to defy the evidence. "…For one… Chrissy, come here."

The Changeling complied, a look of confusion on her face. "What do you need, Master?"

"Open your mouth."

Chrys blushed. "M-Master…You know I don't mind, but are you sure you want to…?"

"Stop that. You know why I asked."

"I know, I just cannot help but tease."

Tyr rolled his eyes and poked her in the side. She complied (after a bit more giggling), opening her mouth wide. Her Master pulled her over, one finger reaching in to touch one of the Changeling's fangs. Most present tried to ignore the slight shiver of pleasure that seemed to run through Chrys's body. "See here? My dear pet has fangs as well. Probably could cause some damage if she actually bites someone."

"I prefer being bitten," Chrys offered helpfully, only for Tyr to bop her on the head. "Owie."

"Be good," Tyr warned her.

"Yes, Master."

"So I posit to the court—or whatever we're calling this—that Sunset didn't kill anyone. That she was framed."

"How do you figure?" Rainbow asked.

Shining frowned. "And how do you plan to prove that?"

As an answer, Tyr gestured to his mother. Aleksa grinned and raised a hand. "Dreamer Shenanigans!" She said happily.

–v–

The Crystal Dungeons were darker than the rest of the castle, giving it a dismal feeling. Tyr noticed the first few cells were heavily guarded. Before he could ask a question about that, the group ran into a somewhat irritated Bright Soul. From the sheen of sweat on her bare skin and the tank top and pants she was wearing, she had obviously just finished with some sort of strenuous activity. The woman paused upon seeing them. "…What are you all doing down here?"

"I was about to ask the same," Applejack said.

Bright Soul removed a pair of fingerless gloves she was wearing, tucking them into a pocket. She was quite muscular, Tyr noted, which was more of a testament to her constant training regime. Her boyish looks were accented by the high ponytail she wore her hair in. If it wasn't for the semi-permanent scowl, she might even be seen as cute. As if noticing the silent appraisal most of the group was giving her, she quickly pulled on a jacket. "…All knights have other duties besides just being a knight."

Luna spoke up, getting their attention. "Bright Soul showed particular skill in a particular area outside of her martial prowess."

"Interrogator Bright Soul, at your service," The Knight said with a half bow.

"Interrogator…?" Twilight repeated in confusion.

"I ask questions and get answers," Bright Soul replied. She narrowed her eyes. "By any means necessary."

Grace nodded, patting Twilight's shoulder comfortingly. "Best you keep your innocence on this one, Princess. There was a saying I picked up in the human world—We work in the Dark to serve the Light."

Twilight opened her mouth at that, but Tyr cut her off with a curious "Where other men blindly follow the truth?"

"Nothing is True," Grace remarked.

Tyr grinned. "Where other men are limited by morality and law?"

Grace smiled as well. "Everything is Permitted."

The others in the room were thoroughly confused by this point, looking between the two. It didn't help that the man and mare suddenly clasped hands like they were comrades in arms. "You never told me you were a gamer."

"Who do you think got Luna's old console when she moved in with you?"

Shining blinked as Tyr pulled Grace into a half hug that the red-haired knight accepted with a giggle. "Er… Back to the matter at hand…"

"Sorry, just bonding with my little sis," Tyr said with a grin. "So, where's Sunset?"

"Sunset?" Bright blinked. "She's in one of the back cells—I haven't been back there yet."

"Better you haven't," Jade suddenly strode into the prison block, hands clasped behind her back. She looked at Bright dismissively, which immediately made the shorter woman bristle. "Your methods would get no worthwhile information out of her."

Aleksa's eyes narrowed—she had had enough of the guard captain and it was starting to show. "And what information do you think you need out of her?"

"Why she killed my guards. Why she became a vampire. Why she chose to ally against the Princesses." Jade waved her arms. "A number of these questions—!"

"Okay, shut up," Aleksa snapped a hand up, blasting Jade backwards into a wall and freezing her there. The Elemental woman sighed tiredly. "I hate you. I can honestly say I hate stuck up, self-centered types like you. Do me a favor and stay quiet over there for me?"

The captain of the crystal guard stared at her in shock, before her confusion turned to Shining. He turned to Aleksa. "Er… could you not attack my guard captain?" He asked, not sure how to react to the situation.

"Can she stop being stuck up prissy stick in the mud?"

"Er…"

"Then no."

"I… uh…" Shining tried to at least seem like he was in charge, but there was no arguing with Aleksa. When she saw he wasn't going to resist, she strode off down the hall. There was looks of shock all around, except for Tyr (who was facepalming) and Grace (who was grinning).

Bright moved over between the two of them. "…That woman looks a lot like you, Tyr," She said thoughtfully, casting a little glance his way.

"She's his mother," Grace said before Tyr could say anything. When Bright's gaze turned to her in shock, the medic shrugged. "Apparently she's existed as a storm up here for who knows how long."

"…That explains a lot," Bright remarked, glancing up at the man himself.

Tyr simply sighed and followed after his mother. She had stopped in front of one of the last cells looking in. "Is she in there?" He asked lowly.

"Look for yourself," Aleksa said, gesturing into the cell. Sunset was inside, but in a truly sorry state. Her normally bright fire-like hair was dirty and unkempt, and her light yellow tinged fur was scuffed up and dingy. The guards had not been kind to her. Whoever had restrained her was obviously very terrified of her status as a vampire, because in addition to the metal chains hooking her legs to the ground and the cuffs holding her hands together, she had a metal bar tightened into her mouth between her teeth. And then Tyr's eyes fell on the metal collar about her neck. A short chain no longer than a foot or so long anchored the vampire to the wall behind her, high enough to keep her in a sort of half kneeling position. Her head was bowed, no doubt in a tiny effort to be somewhat comfortable. That seemed to be impossible, as the only way for that to work is for her head to be against the wall, but the position of her knees on the stone showed that was barely a respite.

"This is ridiculous," Tyr growled softly.

Aleksa's response was just as muted as her bored look, as she simply touched the bars to the cell. They froze through and she snapped them with a tiny amount of effort. After that, she moved to let her son enter the cell without a word.

"Is she dead?" Pinkie asked quietly, arriving with all the others. Rarity gasped softly, Rainbow and Applejack pausing behind her. Twilight was shocked, and Fluttershy couldn't even look inside. Chrys kept her distance from the cell, nose scrunched up in disgust. Luna and her two knights were unreadable. Even Shining seemed a little disturbed by what they found inside.

"I told them to restrain her," He said softly. "Not _this_ …"

"I hope not." Tyr winced, walking forward to kneel beside his friend. He was surprised to find her eyes were open, but they were impossibly dull and unfocused. They were fixed on the floor in front of her. He couldn't even tell if she realized he was there. It took him a moment to figure out why. The air was stale, and there was a disturbing feeling of _nothing_ about him. "…Shining, is this cell magic proof?"

"All of the cells on this line are," Shining replied automatically. "It's for the… more dangerous prisoners."

"And she's only been here how long?" Luna asked stiffly, glancing back towards where Jade was still frozen against the wall. She paused after her question, noting the guard captain was beginning to turn slightly blue. "…Grace, Bright Soul, you may wish to get the good captain down. I do believe she is suffering from hypothermia at a rather rapid rate."

Grace hesitated only long enough to give her princess an amused look before going to retrieve Jade from the wall. They had a bit of trouble getting the ice to melt, but suddenly it dissolved and the woman dropped to the ground. They looked back to see Aleksa lowering a hand. "…I hate her, but I'm not a murderer," the woman said quietly.

"So why was she treated this badly?" Twilight took up Luna's line of questioning once Jade was somewhat recovered. "You just took her prisoner today, right?"

"I was not present when she was captured," Jade said, somehow managing to keep her teeth from chattering. "P-Perhaps the guards assigned to bring her in were… rougher than they needed to be?"

Tyr reached out to the bindings on Sunset's wrists, before jerking back suddenly the moment his fingers brushed the metal. They had burned him, not on a physical level, but a mental one. _Don't touch that!_ His mind had almost literally screamed. "…The cuffs are magic cancelling as well?"

Twilight swallowed heavily before entering the cell herself. She staggered just a tiny bit as the materials in the room affected her, but she still moved over to Sunset's side. One hand brushed Sunset's unruly hair away from her horn. "She even has a restrictor ring on!" She gasped as she saw the device.

Rarity went pale. Grace looked horrified. Bright turned on Jade. "What in the name of the Princesses is _wrong_ with you!? One source of magic cancellation is enough! I've felt what it's like in those cells. I know what it's like to have a restrictor ring on. Three separate sources like that has no doubt even removed her natural ability to _sense_ magic. She's likely catatonic now due to complete separation from her magic, and that's if she isn't dead. You might have killed her!"

Bright's sudden tirade caught them all off guard, especially Jade. None of them (save Grace) had ever seen the Lunar Knight this upset. However Jade stood her ground and formed her mouth into a hard line. "…She killed my husband. I will _not_ forgive that," The mare said quietly, daring the other to make a move.

It wasn't Bright Soul to make a move. Instead, a low growl emerged from Tyr, his silver eyes burning as he turned to face Jade. Despite her earlier stoicism, she blanched in the face of the angry wolf. "Perhaps I can send you to join him?" Tyr threatened, the temperature dropping several degrees.

"I'm changing my mind," Aleksa said, although only Luna and Chrys heard her.

Pinkie was moving before anyone else had time to process the threat. As an Earth Pony, the magic cancelling nature of the room didn't bother her, and she pulled Tyr into a hug. "Calm down, Honey," She said softly, rubbing his back with one hand while the other cradled his head.

Everyone watched as Tyr visibly calmed down. With a long shuddering sigh, he embraced Pinkie back and kissed her forehead. "…Thank you."

"It's what I'm here for, right?" The pink mare grinned widely, getting a chuckle from Tyr. He rubbed her head one more time before looking back at Sunset. Even with everything going on around her, she hadn't even moved. The only reassurance that she was even still alive was the tiny movements her chest made with each breath. Pinkie followed his gaze. "…Are you gonna help her, Honey?"

"I want to, but…" He glanced up at Twilight, who was still looking at Sunset with a regretful look on her features. He looked back out to the hall, where Luna and the others were still watching. The Princess of Dreams gave him a tiny smile. "Right. Twilight, Pinkie, move. I'm going to get her out of these."

They both nodded, getting up and moving back out into the hall. Jade made a move as if she was going to protest, but Aleksa fixed her with such a hateful glare that she shut up but good. Tyr reached into his cloak and pulled out his little star bag. After rooting around in it for a bit, he pulled out a vial full of a blazing red liquid. "What is that?" Twilight asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Tyr actually smiled slightly, something that relieved his mother. Those tiny smiles that Lysander was known for giving Aleksa when he had a new trick to show her… Seeing her son upset bothered her something fierce. She met Pinkie's gaze and realized the other woman felt the same way. "It's a powerful acid," Tyr was saying, breaking her from her thoughts. He carefully tipped the vial to the chain holding Sunset's legs to the ground. One tiny drop of the solution touched the chain, and immediately it began to sizzle. Not just sizzle— _hiss_. In a matter of seconds, that tiny drop ate its way through the chain and was about to burn through the floor when Tyr doused it with a second liquid he had pulled out in the interim.

"That stuff is mighty powerful," Applejack murmured, awestruck. "How in the world don't it eat through that little vial too?"

"It's lined with a special material that counteracts it." Tyr replied, repeating the process on the other chains. He shot them an amused grin. "Good thing too—this stuff would probably burn through the floor and not stop until it was a few dozen feet into the earth."

"Where the heck did you even get it?" Rainbow asked.

"Would you imagine it's the stomach acid of a very irritable species of lizard whose main form of self-defense is exploding?"

"Dude! That sounds awesome!"

"I knew you'd think so," Tyr said, finishing Sunset's wrist cuffs. He made sure to keep the liquid away from her skin. He moved to the chain holding her to the wall. "I tried to catch one, but as you can expect they're nearly impossible to hold down for longer than a few seconds. They do tend to blow up whatever you trap them in."

"Oh my," Fluttershy remarked, although there was clear admiration for the creature she had never seen before in her eyes. "It sounds very dangerous."

"Only if you try and hold them against their will," Tyr replied with a grin. Just as he made that reaction, the liquid burned through the neck restraint and Sunset—no longer held up by anything—slumped forward into Tyr. "Oi. I got you," He said softly, pulling her to a more comfortable seated position. He gestured to Pinkie, motioning her over. "Pull the restrictor ring off for me?"

"Sure!" She bounced over and did just as he asked, pulling off the dull ring and handing it to him. Without hesitating, he froze it and shattered it.

Luna turned to Jade, who was watching Tyr with barely disguised irritation. "Know something, Captain Jade," She said, catching the other mare's attention. "If Sunset dies, you will not only have to answer to Tyr, but you will need to explain to my sister why her dear pupil was trapped in a magicless room and turned into a vegetable. I can imagine she will not be pleased."

Knowing that her conduct would no doubt make it to Princess Celestia made all the color drain out of the mares face. "…But… but she…!"

Tyr picked up Sunset, cradling her head against his shoulder. He carried her out of the cell and into the hall, his mother coming over to join him. One hand reached up to touch her forehead, and the elder Elemental's eyes glowed bright blue for a short second. "…She didn't kill your guards," She said after a moment, eyes returning to normal. She glanced over at Jade. "…Or your husband."

"And how could you know that?"

"In Memoriam," Aleksa replied. "I looked into her recent memories. The guards had gone to check on her when the Changelings attacked. She tried to hide her condition, but failed when the guards started to die. She never touched your men."

"There's no way…!"

"Believe it or not, she blew her cover to save your men. The Changelings returned for their own. Unfortunately, your guards were too injured to survive their wounds."

Jade opened and closed her mouth several times, but ultimately had nothing to say. Aleksa turned back to Tyr and pulled off the remains of the chains and restraints. Almost immediately, color seemed to flow back into the unresponsive vampire. "That's a little better," Tyr said with a sigh. At least now, Sunset would be at least a little receptive. "Now… we need to give her something to help her recover."

"…What?" Twilight asked, although she could imagine the answer.

Tyr smiled sadly. "Blood."

–x–

Petrus felt the disturbance before he had any tangible evidence. It was only when the black line had suddenly appeared across his vision that he finally pause what he was doing to look. The line stopped before it got too long, and then it opened wide like someone opening their eyes. He was mildly surprised to see Vanna walk out, followed by two particular individuals. One, a quite attractive blonde woman was very tall, although it was more of an inference since she floated along as though she was reclining in a seat. Her frilly and puffy white dress almost flowed about in an invisible wind, and she carried a large parasol that she had open and behind her. The other was much shorter, wearing a blue faded hoodie with both hands shoved in the pockets. The hood was up, obscuring his face, but there was the slight glint of a very wide grin under the hood. "Petrus!" Vanna greeted him warmly. She looked at him curiously, no doubt noting the change in form. "Did you get taller?"

"Nice to see you returned, Lady Vanna," Petrus replied with a small bow. "And yes, there was an… unexpected change amongst all Ponykind."

Vanna winced, but Petrus didn't know why until the shorter of Vanna's two companions spoke. "i thought you weren't one for titles, vanna?"

"Shut up, Bones," Vanna snapped, glaring back at the one in the hoodie. "I'm not. But Petrus and all the Stonekin are polite to a fault."

"That's certainly not completely unwelcome," the other woman said with a languid and somewhat mischievous smirk. "Why does being a proper lady bother you so much, Vanna?"

"I'm more of the rough and tumble type, Yukari," Vanna pointed out. Indeed, the dragonkin was in much more… durable clothing than Petrus had last seen her in. She was wearing armor, light scaled mail with a cloak of some kind of material hanging from about her shoulders. She was wearing a skirt, but one fortified with metal banding and went to her shins. All of it was colored in various grays and reds. Although she wasn't carrying any weapons, which was a little confusing to Petrus. "Besides, you _know_ I don't like titles! Make me feel like I've got power over people. And I don't like that."

The one Vanna had addressed as Bones chuckled. "you are probably the least prideful dragon i have ever met. and that is saying something."

"I'm only proud when it comes to my daughter," Vanna clarified. "Well, that and my forging."

Yukari smiled again. "Well, it has certainly been a pleasure as always, Vanna. Shall we go out for cake the next time you pass my world?"

"You're not gonna get me any fatter," Vanna pointed out, patting her toned stomach. "Dragon metabolism is no joke."

"That's not where I intend for it to go."

"…What?"

Bones looked over at Yukari. "why don't you ever invite me to these things?" he asked.

The woman's smiled fell, and she gave him a flat look. "You don't even process food, Bones."

"ah, now she's calling me that too. must be upset with me. did i happen to make a 'tasteless' joke?"

Yukari rolled her eyes while Vanna groaned and facepalmed. "You and your damn _puns_."

"not my fault you can't 'stomach' my jokes," Bones continued with barely muffled laughter.

Vanna looked over at the other woman. "Take him away, Yukari? Please? For the sake of my sanity?"

Yukari sighed. "Very well. I will no doubt drop him off on the way, unless he plans to use one of those shortcuts of his. Be sure to contact us every now and then, Vanna."

A single blue light lit up from under Bone's hood, a spectral eye full of malice. "otherwise… you're gonna have a bad time." Yukari gave him a flat look before pulling out a rolled up magazine and swatting him with it. The blue light went out immediately. "…ow."

"That didn't hurt and you know it. Now let's go—obviously Vanna has business to attend to, as do we. Come along."

Vanna grinned. "Tell Priscilla I'll be back for her birthday."

"Of course. Let Auriga know that Yharnam misses her."

They walked back into the gap, giving Vanna one last wave before the black opening closed up. Vanna turned to Petrus, a tiny smile on her face. "Miss me?" She asked with a little giggle.

"Considering the circumstances, it is good you've arrived when you did. We have need of you."

"Oh, that never bodes well. Can I at least stop off to get out of my armor? I hate being in it longer than I need to."

Petrus raised an eyebrow. "What need do you have of armor? I thought you were quite armored in your dragon form."

Vanna paused, golden eyes narrowing slightly. "…Some things I need armor for when I can't turn into a dragon. I honestly will only talk to Tyr about it."

"…I see. I won't pry."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I can appraise you of the situation while we walk."

Vanna shook her head, beginning to head for the forge. _Her_ forge, not the one that all the Stonekin used all the time. The one that only she and Charlie used. There was another few rooms attached to it, a room for her and her daughter and a shower. Male or female, she did like looking her best. "So, what have I missed? Tyr and the family back yet?"

"Unfortunately no. We've heard reports from the weather ponies that there was a very powerful ice storm out that way a few days past, and the trains are unable to run to the Crystal Empire."

"Hm. That is kinda bad. Any reason why you guys are humanoid now?"

"None that we know of. The Shapers on the walls informed me of a very bright flash in the sky one day, and next we all know, we became like this."

"And the clothes?"

"Same reason."

"Huh. I miss all the fun stuff. Where's little Accord?"

"With Loam and the other children."

"Oh, nice. So… wait. What the actual…" She trailed off as they exited into the front yard of the keep, finding not only the Stonekin going about but a number of Royal Guards seemed to have suddenly taken residence in the town. "Okay, what the hell? What did I miss?"

"Ah yes, the other thing I was meaning to tell you. Something happened in the Capital, and suddenly Princess Hope arrived with a contingent of guards and other ponies. From what I have gathered, an army of Changelings infiltrated the city and overwhelmed them. They fled here."

"…Wow. Stuff really goes down while I'm gone. So little dove is here, huh? Best I go see her. She'll no doubt be happy to see me."

Petrus frowned. "I do believe you are right. She seemed quite stressed when I spoke to her a little while ago. Her 'advisors' are trying to convince her to lead an attack to retake the city."

"That's a really stupid idea." They reached the forge, where Vanna parted ways with the stallion (or does she start calling them men?) and took a very welcome shower. Maybe she was more comfortable as a girl, she thought, absentmindedly groping her own chest. All the cake apparently refused to go to the normal places (damn, her hips were _really_ nicely shaped) and instead had caused her to grow an entire cup size more. She was almost certain there was magic involved somewhere, but for now she just had to deal with slightly tighter shirts.

The dragoness reemerged from her refreshing shower, threw on one of her looser shirts and pants, and pulled on an overcoat , just to be a little modest. Seeing as her boobs were too big now, she couldn't wear a bra. "I love/hate boobs now. At least mine," She remarked.

Petrus gave her an appraising look as she came out. "Very casual."

"I'm always casual."

"You know… you're acting commander of the castle. While Lord Tyr and the Seer are away, you hold final say on what we do here."

"Oh. Dammit. I'll put on a dress then."

Petrus chuckled softly as Vanna went back inside. The dragoness returned a moment later in a more elegant gray and red dress. She had even thought to put on a pin that resembled the sigil of Wolfhome. "Well, I guess I should go figure out why the Royal Army is squatting in our yard."

The stallion nodded, following after as Vanna led the way to the throne room. Many of the former Stone Ponies greeted her as she passed, most elated to see her returned. "It's good to be home," She sighed. "Now all I need is a good hug from my daughter, and I'll be set."

Petrus nodded. "I can understand that feeling."

"Ha."

They entered the keep and found a quartet of men standing outside the throne room doors. Two of them were Shapers, and two were Royal Guard. They were apparently at an impasse. "Did something happen?" Vanna asked, heels clicking across the stone floor.

"Lady Vanna," The two Shapers saluted, fists going to their chests. "We were trying to enter the throne room, when these two stopped us."

Vanna glanced to the two other guards, who stood up straight as well. "We have to prevent anyone untrustworthy from endangering the Princess."

The dragoness sighed. "Whatever. Open the door, boys."

The two guards tried to protest, but the Shapers simply put their hands to the wall and the stone doors groaned open. "W-What?"

"Do your homework, dummy," Vanna chuckled, walking in with Petrus. The two Shapers closed the door behind them. Turning smug looks to the other guards, they took up their spots at either side of the door.

Inside a similar standoff was occurring, with a larger number of royal guards and Shapers. However this time there was more audible arguing going on. Shale was in a heated discussion with a rather important looking royal guard. Although only one particular individual mattered to Vanna at that point. A very worried bleach blonde hybrid with golden fur stood near Tyr's throne, watching the arguing with a worried look on her heart shaped face. She looked up when she heard him enter, and her golden eyes lit up. "Vanna!" she said happily, running down to him. The few guards nearby moved as she ran past, only to watch in confusion as she threw herself into the dragonkin's arms

Vanna grinned, hugging the surprisingly tall woman back. "How are you doing, Hope?"

Hope was beaming, her sheer happiness at seeing him an almost physical glow about her. "I'm okay! Everyone is being super grumpy and mean and won't listen to me!"

"Well, that's not good at all. Aren't you a Princess? They should listen to you."

"Mmhm!"

"Excuse me," the royal guard said, frowning. "Who might you be?"

"Don't be mean to Vanna, Ferrous," Hope admonished. "She's my friend!"

Vanna patted her head. "It's fine, Hope. I've dealt with worse. So why are you all in here?"

"We needed a good room to plan for retaking the capital," the guard identified as Ferrous said. "These… Shapers interfered."

"This is their home, after all," Vanna said, letting Hope go and walking to the throne. He nodded to a nearby Shaper who stomped on the ground to raise a chair beside the wolf throne for her to sit on. Acting Commander or not, she wasn't sitting in Tyr's seat. Hope already had her seat, but a short conversation with a nearby Shaper had him move it beside the dragoness. One hand aimlessly running through her hair, Vanna addressed the royal guards. "And you all—although we are allies—are intruding."

"Intruding?" Ferrous scowled. "We have been driven out of our castle—!"

"And find yourselves seeking sanctuary here," Vanna said, smoothing out her dress to sit in the stone seat. She crossed her legs, momentarily looking as though she was surprised herself at the action. "…Habits. But as it stands, you're technically on foreign ground, asking for asylum. Shouldn't you be a bit more considerate?"

Ferrous opened his mouth to speak, but shut it almost immediately. A quick glance around the room alerted him to the number of Shapers that were inside compared to the royal guards. It was obvious their position—Princess of Equestria or not, Tyr had made it expressly clear that Wolfhome was not under Equestrian rule. Allies or no, they were all guests. They couldn't pull royal privilege here. "…Fine."

Vanna leaned forward, a small smirk on her lips. "Since my dear brother Tyr is out and about, I'm in charge here. So what numbers are you bringing here?"

"At least a hundred of my men," Ferrous replied. "Of course along with Princess Hope and a few of the servants."

"And you were attacked by Changelings?"

"…Yes."

"So first things first you should be checking any and all of your men to make sure none of the Changelings came with you."

Ferrous glanced over at Hope, who was watching Vanna. "Very well. And what about your Shapers?"

"Testing for validity is easier than you think," She replied with a smirk. "Shale? Make sure you run checks through all our Shapers and other personnel."

The older Shaper nodded. "It will be done."

"I'm gonna need others checking for what supplies we'll need to feed another hundred or so mouths. Lastly, get the forges running again. We might need to rearm our allies here."

Petrus smirked. "I'm sure the smiths will be pretty happy about that."

Vanna smiled and leaned back. "Well, we'll figure out what we'll do from there. Speaking of which, where's Sherry, Hope? Figured she'd be back by now."

Hope's smile at seeing Vanna take over for her fell immediately. She looked down at the floor. "…Before we had to leave, Mayweather—that's her ship captain—finally came back with the _Cinnamon_. It was really broken and stuff, but they had nabbed to get it to run. She told us that Sherry, Obsidian, and Capstone had been kidnapped."

Vanna paused. "Sherry's been kidnapped? Oh dear…"

"Vanna?"

"Tyr's gonna be _pissed_ when he finds out…" Vanna ran one hand down her face and groaned loudly. "Whoever is behind all this is really poking the beehive on this one…"

Hope frowned. "Do you think… do you think we're gonna be okay?"

Vanna gave her a weak smile. "One can hope, little dove. Shale? Get Titan Forge and Boulder in here. We need to shift to a war footing."

Ferrous blinked. "War?"

"That's what it's called, right?" Vanna sighed heavily. "We can't do anything until Tyr and the rest get back, but we can at least be prepared. I want guards in Ponyville too—or we can pull all of the civilians into Wolfhome proper. If anything we have to protect them."

"I seem to have pegged you incorrectly," Ferrous murmured. "I thought you would simply hole up here in your castle."

Vanna snorted. "I may be a dragon, and I may be a lady, but I'm not that selfish. Besides, I don't want Tyr pissed at me when he gets back. Sherry getting kidnapped is going to do enough of that to be sure."

* * *

 **Vanna returns! I wonder who can name where her companions came from?  
**

 **And as I said, two chapters. Short interlude.**


	57. Chapter 57

**A short interlude later...**

* * *

Chapter 56: The Price of Curiosity

"Seems we found some ruins," Capstone said, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. They had camped out in the shadow of a rather large rock outcropping, sheltering from the storm that had fallen suddenly during their attempt to flee the destroyed castle. They had spotted pegasus patrols in the sky no more than a day after their escape, so it was easy to realize that their captors were eager to have them back in captivity. But the rocky landscape offered many areas to hide in, and they had so far managed to escape detection. But the pace was getting to them—even though two out of the three were trained to have greater endurance and stamina, keeping up a constant pace of moving after only resting for a couple hours at a time. Sherry didn't have that. She had already bemoaned her slightly posh lifestyle and vowed to exercise more when she returned.

She walked up beside Capstone, mimicking his motion to look over the rocky landscape. Indeed, there was a large collection of ruins that laid out before them, almost like the remnants of a village or town, maybe even a temple. "What do you think is down there?"

"I can't sense anything moving down there," Obsidian offered from behind them. "Do you think they'll search for us down there?"

"We've been seeing less and less of the patrols," Capstone said thoughtfully. "Perhaps they gave up?"

Sherry shook her head. "No doubt they've simply moved their patrols to the coast. Without an airship, the only way we're getting off is via boat."

"That's hoping we find a ship," Capstone said ruefully. I doubt our previous jailers left any boats just lying around."

"We have to at least try," Sherry said, walking back to their makeshift camp. They'd raided an outpost belonging to the Cult of the Sun (They had a name for their enemies now) not too long past for supplies. They'd come away with the makings of a camping set, a pair of tents, blankets, and a portable cooking pot. Capstone had also found a small cache of weapons, and now he had a sword and spear, Obsidian had a sword of her own, and Sherry had been given a dagger. She wasn't too worried—her magic was still up to snuff, if only more purple and 'heavier'. They had also scavenged some rations, which they were glad to have. Capstone claimed to have spent a lot of time with his siblings camping out, which was why they even had a camp in the first place. If not for him, who knows where she'd be… "Besides, those buildings might have basements or enclosed spaces. It'll be better to be inside than outside."

"I agree," Obsidian murmured. "This island and it's storms are not welcome at all."

Capstone shrugged. "Right. If anything, I'll feel more secure with walls around me."

"Likewise."

They gathered up their things, Sherry stopping to pick up Alice as she examined a particularly colorful rock. The little Chaos Spirit was very inquisitive, which didn't surprise Sherry in the least considering her Concept was Curiosity. While the rest of them were worrying about attacks and keeping track of their supplies, Alice was busy looking through everything she could—rocks, bugs, other objects—nothing was safe from her tiny, bright violet eyes. She made a little cry of frustration as Sherry picked her up, but she quickly settled into her usual spot on her shoulder. "Wish we could use Obi's powers to fortify ourselves…"

Capstone shrugged and picked up his things, along with the tents. The two girls grabbed the rest of their things, Obi shouldering the heavier stuff. Thus geared up, they moved down into the ruins proper. It was the remains of a town, they realized, as most of the fallen buildings looked like the remains of houses and other things. "Seems it was a town," Capstone said thoughtfully, looking around.

"None of these buildings seem solid," Obsidian added, walking over to a still standing wall. She ran her hands along the stone, a deep frown forming. "None of these are safe to stay in."

Sherry walked through the silent village, eyes examining all the rubble and remains she saw. Suddenly, she felt Alice tugging on her ear. "Sherry! Sherry!"

"What? What is it, Alice?"

The little Spirit hung onto her hair and pointed straight ahead. There was a taller building nestled in the middle of the town that seemed to be mostly together, with a roof and big doors that looked somewhat solid. "Big building!"

"Huh."

Capstone and Obsidian joined her, looking where Alice was pointing. "It looks like a temple of some kind, doesn't it?" The guard suggested.

"It does. It also has a roof, which I am sorely missing. Shall we?"

Obsidian was already walking. "It will be good to get out of the elements."

The others agreed, and they hurried into the abandoned temple. Even as it was their main objective to find a shelter, they had to pause in awe of the remains of the temple. Even in its dilapidated state, it was still regal and awe-inspiring. Ratted banners hung over the windows, and massive pillars supported the tall ceiling. There were even spaces on the wall where paintings or other pieces of art were no doubt kept. It didn't look looted, but… "I don't like this ceiling. Should we find a side room?"

Sherry glanced to the side, spotting a hallway. "How about over there?"

They walked down the hallway to find a ruined meeting hall at the end of it, a rotted table in the center. It was large, and had no windows and a lower ceiling that seemed to come to a point above them. "I think this will do," Capstone said, setting down their things. "We're away from the main hall, but I want to close that door regardless."

Obsidian nodded. "I'll see if there's anything around here is worth salvaging."

They moved off to their respective tasks, Sherry taking a seat against the wall. Alice hopped off her shoulder to begin exploring. "Alice, don't go too far, okay?"

"Kay~" The juvenile Chaos Spirit sang, pulling a pieces of decorative masonry from a pile of dust. She began trying to wipe it clean to see what was on it. Sherry was content to watch her work, a small smile on her face at the voracity for information the Spirit had. Alice had spent most of the escape almost literally attached to Sherry, sifting through all the memories and information the Princess of Creativity had in her mind. Once that was done, she had tried to do the same to Obsidian and Capstone, but the mind transfer trick seemed to only work with Sherry herself. Alice had been upset, but satisfied herself with just asking questions or watching.

However, the piece of masonry that Alice had pulled out looked odd to Sherry, and she moved over to look. It was about the size of a plate, and depicted something that looked like a tall majestic stag with impressive antlers. Lightning seemed to spark off the creature, and an orb floated between the tips. "What is that…?"

"Well, I've secured the front," Capstone returned to find Sherry holding the piece of masonry in her hands, a frown on her normally cheery face. He paused for a moment, eyes tracing the outline of her figure somewhat obscured by the thick cloak she was wearing. He started when she glanced up at him. "Ah, er… I closed the doors, at least making it look like we weren't here."

"Oh, good… Hey, have you ever seen anything like this?" She held out the piece of stone to him. He moved over beside her, kneeling to look. "Hm… I can't say I have. I wasn't very big on myths and stuff like that though."

"But this is—or at least appears to be—an elk or stag. Those antlers give it away, but I don't understand the lightning, or this orb there…"

"Oh?"

"Yes, look right here." She held it closer to him.

Capstone shifted to a more comfortable position before reaching for the plate. He moved it so he could see it better.. "You're right, those are impressive. Considering they apparently make electricity, I'm not too surprised…"

"Yeah…"

"Princess?"

Sherry's eyes weren't on the plate, it was on Capstone's hand gently holding hers on the piece of stone. "…You're holding my hand, Capstone."

The guard looked down to find that yes indeed, he had his hand wrapped around Sherry's smaller and softer one. "…Uh…"

"…Could…" She blushed heavily, glancing away. "Could you l-let go?"

"Huh?" O-OH! Right!" He snatched his hand away and scooted away, painfully aware he was almost a centimeter away from brushing shoulders with her. His own pale fur brightened with a blush. "S-Sorry about that, Princess…"

"It's fine, but…" Her blush deepened. "U-Um! Anyway! If this is from this t-temple, maybe it's part of something around here…"

"Hey," Obsidian peeked in from the doorway. "Um… You two? I found something pretty… well, odd."

Sherry and Capstone got over their embarrassment to look towards where the Shaper stood. "What is it?" Sherry asked, confused.

"You're gonna want to come see this."

"Cliché," Alice murmured, tucking herself against Sherry's arm.

The Princess simply smiled and stroked the little Spirit's back. "Well, let's go see what this is, shall we?"

Alice smiled brightly—new information was always welcome. "Mmhm!"

Sherry and Capstone got up, moving out to join Obsidian in the hall. The Shaper quickly led them to a rear room, where a single door was slightly hidden behind stone. "…Did you do this?" Sherry asked her friend.

Obsidian shook her head. "No, I didn't. It was like this when I got here."

"Could you clear it away?" Capstone asked.

"Of course." She stomped the ground smartly, and the stones quickly shifted away. "Better?"

"Much better," Sherry said with a tiny smile. "It's good having you here, Obi."

The Shaper smiled slightly, bowing a little. "I serve as well as I am able."

Capstone moved to the door, reaching out a hand to the door. Before either Sherry or Obsidian could say anything in warning, the whole door shifted and opened, revealing another room behind it. Capstone stared in confusion. "Huh…? Obi, did you know this was here?"

The woman nodded, giggling softly. "I could sense the empty space behind the door. That's why I came to get both of you. I thought it best I didn't go in alone."

Sherry smiled and nodded, walking over with Alice in her hands. "Safety in numbers, right?"

Alice leaned up with interest on her small features, a sphere of bright violet energy coming up. She smiled. " _Dasaths!_ " The sphere exploded outwards, bathing the room in violet light as it went. As it passed, a single bright point illuminated near the back of the area. Alice looked excited, turning her eyes to Sherry. She pointed into the room. " _I taa naguth!_ "

"What the buck did she just say?" Capstone asked.

"She cast a spell," Sherry murmured, eyes fixed on the pulsing yellow light. "A… a magic detecting spell."

"…Huh. Tiny but useful… What is that yellow light though?"

"Magic!" Alice offered helpfully.

Sherry shook her head, placing Alice back on her shoulder as she entered the room. She made a beeline for the pulsing yellow light, which was set in the middle of the far wall. Capstone and Obsidian followed, both curious as to what had their Princess so enthralled. The found that it was a simple glowing sphere with was looked to be sparks dancing about inside of it. "What in the world is that thing…?" Capstone murmured.

"It's no stone," Obsidian said warily. "I can tell you that much."

"It seems to be stuck in the wall…" Sherry pointed out softly, reaching out to the glowing object. She closed her hand around it, only to have it come out immediately into her palm. Sherry turned to her two retainers, her look of surprise mirrored on their faces. "…Uh?"

The wall rumbled, and the trio turned yet again to find the wall moving. Not just one section—the entire wall was opening as if it was a giant gate. Behind the ruined and old wall was a pristine white room with a singular raised dais in the center. It was unnerving in its appearance, the jarring difference between pure white surface and rough ruined stone making them all—even Alice—pause in shock. "…What," Capstone muttered after a minute of silence.

"I didn't even sense this," Obsidian said softly, looking inside. "There's nothing in here but the dais…"

"Sherry…" Alice clung to Sherry's hair, trying to hide in it. "I'm scared…"

A soft mumble made them all jump, and something white emerged from the other side of the dais. An arm. It hooked over the top, before pulling the upper half of a woman with it. Her silver hair fell messily about her pale white skin, slightly hiding terrifyingly bright blue eyes. "Oh…? Someone opened the door…?"

Her voice was sleepy, like one who had just woken up. Sherry and her two retainers shared a quick look—this was far and away what they expected to find down here. The Princess of Creativity swallowed heavily before taking a step forward into the room. "Um… hello. My name is Sherry Winter…I'm the—"

"Princess of Creativity," the girl murmured with a yawn, rubbing at her eyes. Her gaze swept across Capstone and Obsidian. "And your friends are Capstone Foundation, a royal guard; and Obsidian Inscription, a fledgling Shaper."

"Oh my," Obsidian murmured. Capstone simply gaped in shock.

Sherry was surprised as well, although she tamed her surprise and simply cleared her throat. "So you know who we are, but you haven't introduced yourself yet."

"That's fair…" The girl tilted her head down, almost as if she was drifting back off to sleep. "I… I have a lot of names. But the easiest is… is Logic."

"Logic?"

"Logic is cold and calculating," The girl said, rising. This time, Sherry gasped in surprise with Capstone and Obsidian. Everything from the waist up was what Sherry knew to be human—slender torso, arms that ended in hands with fingers and a head with hair. But from the waist down, the being known as Logic was completely serpentine—just a tail made up of silvered scales that uncurled as she slithered down from her dais. She noted the slight backwards steps the three former ponies gave her with indifference. "What better counterpart to Chaos than Logic?"

"Counterpart?" Sherry blinked.

"Wait," Capstone seemed to see where Sherry was going with it. "You're…?"

Logic turned and slithered over to one of the walls. "I'm surprised… Discord didn't come? I suppose I should have expected my brother would not be around to say good morning…"

"Discord is your _brother_?"

The lamia/Spirit of Order turned to face her, an actual sad look touching at her face. "…He never told anyone about me?"

Capstone swallowed. "Er… no. He never did."

"That selfish…" She seemed upset, but her voice tone never got up above normal speaking volume. She turned to the side and put her hands on her hips(?). "Discord! Come here!"

To the horror and surprise of the three young adults, the dragonequus appeared. He was surprised as well, looking around before his mismatched eyes fell on Sherry. "Oh? Never get summoned by the brown one. What do you want, Princess of Creativity? Want me to take you home? Need an adult to chaperone your little trip?" His tone was teasing, and he grinned from ear to ear as he reclined in front of her. "I was kinda in the middle of something—"

"Discord."

The Spirit of Chaos froze, head whipping around just a moment before Logic snagged her tail around him and pulled him into a serpentine embrace. For the first time since meeting the eccentric creature, Sherry saw actual _fear_ on Discord's face as the lamia loomed over him. "L-L-L-Logic! My dearest, sweetest, bestest—!"

"I'm your only sister," Logic pointed out flatly.

"—sister I've ever had the pleasure of existing alongside!"

"You tried to kill me."

"It was a moment of weakness!"

"When that didn't work, you tried to banish me."

"Obviously that didn't work."

"And then, when I agreed to simply sleep for a while, you never came to check up on me. Then when I wake up, you don't even come until I call."

"Well… er…"

Logic squeezed a little bit, before letting out a little sigh. She let him go, coiling up a space or so away. "But I forgive you, as I must. You only did what was natural to you. For that I cannot fault you—plus I expected all of that."

Discord blinked. As did Sherry and her friends. The dragonequus glanced over at them before looking back towards the snake woman. "You… you forgive me for all that? Normally I have to betray someone, then do some big heart to heart about how it wasn't worth it and give them something important to me as a symbol of friendship. At least, that's what happened last time…"

Logic looked at him in confusion for a long minute, before pinching the bridge of her nose. "…Tirek."

"Tirek."

The lamia sighed, sitting back on her tail. "I could have warned you, but I suppose you wouldn't have listened anyway. As is your nature."

Discord scoffed, folding his arms and tipping his chin upwards in a haughty manner. "I could have surprised you!"

"I can't be surprised, Discord. Especially not by you."

"I—well, I guess that's true."

"Um!" Sherry spoke up. Both Discord and Logic looked over at her, curious. "You two… you two really are siblings?"

"Yes," Logic replied with a small nod. "Twins, of a sort."

"Wow. So… why were you in here, Logic?"

"Waiting for someone." The lamia yawned, looking down at Sherry. "You're holding something."

Alice tugged on Sherry's hair. "Sherry! The stone thingy!"

Sherry looked down at the glowing orb she had been holding ever since removing it from the wall behind them. "Oh… this? I almost forgot I had it. Do you… know what it is?"

"If anything, it's a key," Discord said with a wave of his hand. "And before you ask, no, I didn't put it there. What's the point in trying to lock in a being with just as much power as yours truly?"

"You would have had to let me out eventually," Logic mumbled, yawning again. When Discord shot her a glare, she gave him a little smile. "Do not worry, brother. I truly do not hold a grudge."

Discord scoffed. "I know you don't. 'Holding grudges is illogical' or whatever, right?" When Logic nodded, his frown deepened. "The fact that I can trust you completely still makes it difficult to get along with."

"We are perfectly terrible siblings."

"You can say that again, sister," Discord said with a bit of his usual demeanor returning. He glanced over at Sherry and grinned. "Well, I've gotta be off. Mischief to oversee, pranks to play, all the stuff you know and love me for. Ta ta for now!"

"Wait—!" Capstone began, but the dragonequus vanished on the spot in a puff of smoke that formed an image of him with a speech bubble saying 'ta ta for now'. "…Buck, he could have taken us straight home…"

Logic watched his frustration with her passive silence. "…Actually, he couldn't."

The other three looked up at her in surprise, but it was Sherry who spoke up. "Why couldn't… why couldn't he? He got here easily enough."

That made the lamia turn thoughtful. She turned away slightly, tapping her chin. "From what I know of Discord, he is surprisingly predictable in his unpredictability."

"What does that even mean?" Obsidian asked.

"It means that I know what's going on. He either cannot take you home due to something happening to him, or the more worrisome prospect."

"Worrisome?" The Shaper blinked and looked to her friends for help.

Capstone gave her a little smile. "It means something bad."

Sherry frowned. "What is that prospect then?" She asked the silver haired snake-woman.

Logic fixed her with her cool and calculating gaze. "Something has happened that makes Discord think that you're safer _here_."

Capstone swallowed heavily as Sherry noticeably paled. Neither of them wanted to consider the implications of something worrying Discord enough that he considered being stranded on an island being chased by a cult was safer than being at home. Obsidian, however, seemed happier. "That means Sir Discord is looking out for us, right? I've never met him—but he seems nice."

For the first time since they met her, Logic's eyes opened just a tad bit in surprise. "Nice…? Hm. I see why you would think so."

"Huh?"

Logic gave her a tiny smile. "Your innocence is refreshing, Child of the Stone. But do not forget—my brother is pure Chaos. I can predict his actions, but you cannot. You would do better trusting the two beside you to get you out of here."

Obsidian looked around at Sherry and Capstone, who gave her bright smiles. She smiled back. "I could find no others that I would trust so naturally."

"So you're not going to help us?" Sherry asked, looking over at the lamia. Logic had schooled her features back into impassivity, a blank look she seemed to carry naturally.

"I can," the snake-woman said. "Are you asking if I will?"

Sherry frowned, but after a moment of thought she gave the lamia a small smile. "Logic, would you help us get off this island and get back to my father?"

"Just that?"

"I may have another request at that time."

"I see. Very well. I will accompany you. I wonder what the world has been like in my absence."

"Let's just get from down here," Capstone said. "All our stuff is still up above, and this room is… weird."

Logic looked around at the featureless white walls. "…I don't see anything wrong with it."

The three Equestrians gave her flat looks. "Of course you don't," Sherry mumbled, shaking her head. Alice let out a little giggle as she clung to her hair to not fall.

With that, they left the pristine room, Capstone leading the way while Logic followed dutifully behind the group. They tried their hardest to not worry about the slithering noise behind them all. "Old habits die hard," Capstone said, smiling wryly at Sherry. She giggled softly.

They emerged back into the hall, following it down back to where they had left all their things. But there was something waiting for them when they made it to the entrance to the temple. "What the…!?"

Dozens of tall, majestic figures stood about the entrance. They were garbed in simple clothing, tunics and pants held by belts and straps. Wispy earth toned hair hung about their shoulders, and atop their heads were antlers. They were a mixed bunch, with both males and females in the group. "What is this…?" Capstone murmured, moving to stand in front of Sherry. He had his sword with him, but he didn't draw it for the bows drawn and aimed in their direction. He'd be dead before he could even half draw the blade.

One of the newcomers stepped forward, his powerful figure easily dwarfing them in height and his muscular body making Capstone draw back a bit. He looked like he could snap him in half without any effort. "Strange ones. What brings you to this place?"

His voice was deep and rumbled as if it rolled through the stones under their feet. Sherry placed a hand on Capstone's shoulder and moved to his side. She faced the tall man without flinching. "We were seeking sanctuary. Have we… done something wrong?"

"This temple used to belong to my people a very long time ago," the tall man said without a change in expression. "It is sacred to us, as is the stone you carry in your hands."

Sherry looked down at the glowing orb. "I apologize if I have disturbed it, but we didn't know…"

"Identify yourselves."

The Alicorn frowned slightly, but didn't back down at the accusatory tone. "I am Sherry Spice, Princess of Creativity in Equestria. These are my retainers, Capstone Foundation and Obsidian Inscription. And this is Logic. And yourself?"

"You may call me Tor. I and those with me are known as the Qirin. You are far from home, Princess of Equestria. Why are you here?"

"I, along with my friends, were kidnapped and brought here. We escaped, and have been on the run ever since."

Tor raised an eyebrow. "So that explosion we witnessed."

"That was me," Sherry affirmed. "It was… necessary to escape."

The group behind Tor tensed, realizing that apparently the woman before them was much more powerful than expected. "…You seem… dangerous. Much more than expected."

"Like my father, I'm only dangerous if provoked," Sherry said with a small smile. "And my friends here will no doubt try to protect me as well."

" _Try_ to protect you?" Obsidian snorted. "I'm very sure I could easily accomplish that."

Tor glanced back behind himself, nodding to the archers arrayed about the entrance. They lowered their bows, but kept their arrows on the string. "As long as you are not seeking to harm my people, then we have no quarrel, Princess Sherry of Equestria. But I must ask—those individuals in that castle… they are your enemies?"

Sherry glanced to her friends. Then, she faced Tor once more. "Yes, they are."

The man straightened up. "Then it seems we have a common enemy, Princess Sherry."

As Sherry, Obsidian and Capstone looked on in surprise, Logic put a finger to her chin. "Things are very interesting indeed."

–x–

"How is she?" Twilight asked, looking on as Grace did a cursory examination of the still unresponsive Sunset. They had brought her back to Twilight's room, and now they were trying to find a way to wake her up.

"She's receptive to magic now, but it's like her body isn't recognized as something magic…" Grace frowned. "Her connection was so cleanly severed that she might die from it. It's like she was turned into an Earth Pony or something. I don't even know _how_ that's a thing."

"Oh dear…" Twilight murmured.

There was a knock at the door, and in came Charlie. "I heard you were dealing with magic withdrawals?" She asked.

"Yeah," Grace nodded. "Can you help?"

"I have an idea, but… you might have to trust me on this one."

Tyr frowned. "What are you going to do?"

Charlie walked over to the bed, reaching down to the satchel she had at her waist. She extracted a pear shaped vial full of a sparkling blue liquid. "Mana potion. Should kick start her magical reserves, which should bring her out of this. After that…" She gave Tyr a pointed look—he didn't have to question what she meant. Once Sunset's magic came back, it was up to him to give her what was needed to restore her body.

Twilight was still worried. "Are you sure you want to do this, Tyr? You don't have to, you know. One of us can—!"

"It's probably better that he does it," Aleksa pointed out, slipping into the room. She gave her son a small smile. "He's more likely to get a reward out of it."

"…Reward?" Twilight's eyes went to Tyr, who pointedly looked away. "Tyr… have you been hitting on Sunset?"

"What?" Tyr frowned. "No, I just—she's a friend."

"A friend you let drink your blood," Aleksa pointed out, getting a wince from Tyr. "And spent all that time alone with out in the wilderness. Plus, she's a redhead and you don't have a redhead yet…"

Grace experimentally twisted a lock of her own hair around her fingers. Tyr shot his mother a dark look. "I'm not looking to make a _collection_ , mother."

"See?" She grinned. "The very fact that you couldn't tell I was joking means you care a bit about this girl."

That made the younger Elemental come up short. "You… what?"

"You're very worried for this girl," Aleksa said, walking over. She placed a hand over Tyr's, smiling up at him. "Snowflake, don't look at it as a bad thing. You can't help it—it's in your nature. You're not forcing anything onto her, so there's no need to feel like you've done anything wrong."

"But I never intended for a herd, mom," Tyr replied with a frustrated groan. "And now I'm trying to juggle the affections of five—and maybe six now—women. You never had to deal with that."

Aleksa was quiet for a moment. Then she let out a sigh. "When I was younger, I did. I didn't meet your father until I was about… actually, that's telling."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Telling? You can't be that old… right?"

The older of the two Elementals shrugged. "Well, I dunno… think about this. Elementals like me count our ages in centuries, not years."

"…Oh my."

"That being said…" Aleksa fixed Tyr with a stern gaze. "You're over thinking this, Snowflake. You're not juggling anything. You have five women that love you, and are learning to love one another. You have a wonderful array of children that will no doubt grow up to be exceptional individuals. Your worries are simply blinding you to how happy those around you really are."

"But—!" Tyr bit his lip. "I married Luna. Not any of the others. You don't think they're upset because of that?"

Aleksa shrugged. "You'd have to ask them. I doubt it, however."

Tyr frowned, but shook his head. "I can do that later. We have to worry about Sunset now."

"As you say~!" The small woman smirked and walked back to the door. "Tell me how it works out, cause I'm gonna go play with my grandkids."

She left then. "Go ahead, Charlie," Tyr said with a nod to the dragonkin. She nodded back, and moved over to the side of the bed. She gently lifted Sunset's head up and lifted the mana potion to her lips. The blue liquid flowed out easily and smoothly. To the shock of the two native Equestrians, a soft blue glow seemed to emanate from her fur, and her color began to return.

"By the Moon," Grace murmured. "What kind of potion is that…?"

"We called them Ultimate Mana potions," Charlie said, laying Sunset back down. "A friend of ours was a mage, and had us carry a couple just in case she wasn't able to get to or use her own. I can technically use them myself, but it tends to make me sparkle and I don't like that."

Twilight frowned. "What is it made out of?"

"I couldn't tell you, honestly."

"Well…" Tyr cut off Twilight's line of inquiry before it could go any further. "I suppose I should do my part then."

"I could always draw blood for you," Grace offered, but Tyr shook his head.

"Better I do it this way." He pulled Fimbulvinter from his back, and set it point first on the ground. He drew it partway, revealing the dark metal blade with its golden designs. He closed his free hand about the blade and squeezed. He was both satisfied and amazed at how easily the blade cut his skin, drawing a neat line across his palm. He lifted his bleeding hand over Sunset's mouth, squeezing and letting the crimson drops fall into the vampire's open mouth.

The change was slow, but it was very pronounced. Nothing happened for the first few seconds or so, but then Sunset began to stir. Her head slowly shifted upwards, like a plant trying to get to the perfect place to catch the rays of the sun. As her strength grew, the vampire pushed herself up and grabbed Tyr's arm, closing her mouth over the wound. The man winced as she began to drink, but the fact that she was moving was relief enough. After a minute or so of drinking, Sunset let go, her crimson eyes opening slightly as she looked at the thin red line in Tyr's palm. "She's awake," Twilight said, relief flooding into her voice.

"Good enough for me," Grace said, the look on her face giving away how disturbed she was by what she was seeing. "Twilight, mind coming with me for a bit? I'm actually feeling a little nauseous."

"Huh? Oh! Okay."

"Plus, we need to go see Princess Celestia too…" Her voice trailed off as she left the room with the Princess of Friendship. That left Tyr and Sunset alone.

The vampire was silent for a long time, eyes never leaving Tyr's hand. He gently pulled away. With his other hand, he ran a freezing finger along the wound and burned it closed. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly, feeling a tiny bristle of annoyance at Sunset's fixation on his scar.

"Much better," She mumbled softly. Her eyes flicked up to his and for a moment, Tyr saw something animalistic in her gaze. There was a long, pregnant pause, and then something highly unexpected happened.

She kissed him.

Nothing gentle either—her hand twisted into his collar and yanked him down to her level before claiming his lips in a passion fueled kiss. She tasted like fire and smoke, with the tiny undertone of blood. When she finally pulled away, she pushed her lips up to hover just close enough to nip at his ear. "I want _more_."

A low growl rumbled in the back of Tyr's throat as he pushed her back to arms-length. "You're gonna have to wait then."

"I. Want. More." She pushed him backwards, the surprise making him fall back onto the bed. She climbed up above him, arms on either side of him. "I can always take what I want, Wolfy."

Tyr frowned. With a quick movement he reversed the position, pinning Sunset to the bed. When she tried to return the favor, he grabbed one shoulder and forced her back down. That primal look stayed, smoldering into something that Tyr's Changeling part recognized—lust. "You take nothing I don't offer," He warned her.

Sunset gave him a sultry smile, only further enhanced by her smoldering red eyes. "So you take what you want?"

"From those that are willing," He countered.

"And if I was willing…?"

"What, are you offering?"

"I'm a virgin."

Both of them fell silent—Tyr processing the information he had just been given and Sunset apparently trying her hardest to not look embarrassed. Neither broke the stare down. Finally, Tyr spoke again. His voice was quiet, but serious. "… _Are_ you offering? You know this shouldn't be a light decision."

"I thought wolves were always about claiming things?"

"I don't claim," Tyr reminded her. "Unless you're willing. Are you willing?"

"Only if you're prepared for more resistance than you'd get from Rarity or Luna," Sunset shot back, showing off her fangs. "And you already know I bite."

Tyr grinned back, magic warping his own canines into wolf-like implements. "Did you know I like to bite as well?"

Sunset's smile grew. "Bring it then, wolf-boy."

"Don't test me, blood-drinker."

Outside the room, Aleksa listened to the playful sounds with a tiny smile on her face. Whistling a little tune to herself, she walked down the hall and almost ran right into Luna. "Oh, hello Luna!"

"Hello Miss… Aleksa," Luna replied a bit nervously. "What has occurred with my husband? Has everything with Sunset worked out?"

"She's alive again," Aleksa replied with a smile. "Where are the others?"

"Chrysalis is with the children and our… 'captive'. Trixie, Rarity and Pinkie are off doing something together."

Aleksa's smile turned into a grin. "Or each other."

"…Um…" Luna's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

"Forget it. Walk with me a bit, Lunie."

Luna blinked a couple of times at the nickname, but followed the smaller woman regardless. "Is there something you wanted to speak with me about?" She asked when they went down into the lobby.

"Just wondering how you feel right now," Aleksa said, folding her arms behind her back. She glanced over at the other woman, a little glimmer in her eyes. "About the fact you share my son's affections with so many others."

Luna tensed up a bit, before relaxing. "Oh. That. I feel fine—it is a family I am happy to be part of."

"And you're happy because you want to be in this relationship, or because Tyr is happy?"

"…Both."

Aleksa sighed. "I suppose I have to take responsibility for taking your ideal relationship away from you."

Luna blinked, looking towards the smaller woman in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You seem like the type to want a one on one relationship with your significant other—you are his and he is yours, that sort of deal." Aleksa hopped up onto the empty counter in the foyer, kicking her legs back and forth a bit. "You and Tyr were pretty much alone at first, right?"

"Indeed," Luna replied, moving to stand beside her mother in law. "Chrysalis was there as well, but as she claims for herself, she is Tyr's pet."

"So when did Tyr get the seamstress and the happy one?"

"Shortly after he returned to us in this world. Considering that their daughters belong to him, it was… suggested as a solution."

Aleksa smirked. "Cindy, right?"

"Exactly."

"I figured as much. But like I said, I apologize. I'm pushing to expand his herd and simply being selfish."

Luna noted the sigh of sadness from the other woman. "What do you mean?"

"…I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I wasn't Lysander's only wife," Aleksa said after a moment or two. When Luna looked at her in shock, she giggled. "What? You thought Lysander and I only had eyes for one another?"

"I… I assumed that was so…"

"Not really. To be honest, he didn't marry for love, he married for political reasons. That, and we thought I couldn't have a kid at first."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. So Lys took two other wives through political marriages. And…"

"And?" Luna raised an eyebrow. Aleksa had trailed off suddenly, and averted her gaze. "…Is this something you aren't proud of?"

"No, it's just…" Aleksa sighed. "I'd like for you to not tell Snowflake. I want to tell him myself."

"What is it? This isn't something—?"

"Tyr has a half-sister."

Luna paused, processing what she just heard. "You… wait. Tyr has a sister?"

"Half-sister." Aleksa gave her a tiny smile. "Lys's second wife, Tianna, had a baby girl a few months before I got pregnant. If I remember correctly, the little one's name was Kyanna."

"And Tyr does not know." It was a statement, not a question. And Aleksa simply nodded in response. "…Why will you not tell him?"

"Because… I don't know how he'll react."

Luna smiled softly, giving the woman her best comforting smile. "I'm sure Tyr would be elated to find out he has a sibling, half or no. He valued his siblings from the other world, despite not being related by blood."

"I guess you're right, but… I guess I'll tell him."

"You tell him as soon as he's done 'taming' Sunset." Luna turned and began walking back to the stairs.

Aleksa blinked rapidly, head snapping around to look at the Princess's retreating figure. "Wait, you…?"

"I'm not as ignorant as I used to be… mother," Luna told her with a little wink. She left Aleksa with a massive grin as she heard a laugh that sounded like the wind blowing across a snowy plain.

* * *

 **Sunset joins the herd! Luna lets on that she's aware of what's going on, and she's okay with it. No one else is going to be joining, of course. Family is large enough now, as it that note, I wonder what will happen when Sunset finds out her old roomie just tried to kill her new boyfriend?  
**

 **Sherry and co. have met the Spirit of Order, Logic, Discord's sister and erstwhile rival. She's... rather tired and sleepy. And then meeting the Qirin (pronounced Kee-rin). Thunderkin.  
**

 **I have no doubt someone knows where Charlie got that potion, and I applaud you in advance. I'm a bit all over the place, but I know where I'm going. I'll be hard at work with the next chapters, so look forward to them! And I promise it won't be a multiple week wait for them either.**

 **Thanks for Reading, Reviewing, and Returning. The Library thanks you for your patience, and will return soon with another chapter. All are welcome! Until next time!**


	58. Chapter 58

**Greetings, and apologies, my dear readers. I know a lot of you have been wondering what happened to me and if Lunar Legacy was scrapped/discontinued/up in the air/on hiatus. The answer is/was all of the above. I recently moved for a job, and to be closer to my fiance. We're living together now, and although I have time to write, I jut got out of the habit of posting and I kept putting it off. On top of that, the next few chapters are what I designed to be the climax of Legacy; I really wanted it to be good, and I got stuck in quite a few places as I went along.**

 **That being said, this story is continuing. I'm going to get this chapter and the next couple up rather quickly because yes, they are finished. Legacy will continue ad hit it's ending, and I'm greatly sorry for putting it off for this long. To be perfectly honest, a lot of writers I myself was following recently started posting again, and it put the desire to get my work out again in me. And thanks to the couple reviewers who sent messages wondering if Legacy was coming back. It is, and sorry for the wait.**

 **The rumors of this story's death were greatly exaggerated.**

* * *

Chapter 57: To Enrage the Storm

"Welcome to the herd!" Pinkie cried, confetti, streamers and balloons flying from behind her like a living rainbow. Trixie and Sunset sat in confusion, while the other older members of the Winter family simply sighed in exhaustion.

"Pinkie," Tyr began, but the Element of Laughter jumped in front of him.

"Nu-uh!" Pinkie cut him off. She frowned. "I didn't get to do a welcome for Trixie, so I get to get both of them in one go!"

Rarity shrugged. "Although I am surprised that we're adding Sunset as well, it is a bit overdue that we welcome Trixie."

"Didn't realize you were that into variety," Sunset joked with a grin as she looked around the room.

It was notable who he had claimed, Tyr thought to himself. A seamstress, a party planner, a flame-haired mage, an illusionist, a shapeshifter, and last but not least, a Princess. All looking to him for love, and all in love (or something like it) with him. Tyr rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto his face. "Yeah, whatever."

"And in the end we still get two more," Chrys murmured from her usual spot with her chin on Tyr's shoulder. She would be in his lap, but Valor was currently there so that Tyr could clean his feathers he had somehow dirtied with powder of some kind. "I still say you should have claimed Twilight Sparkle. The idea of corrupting her…"

"Twilight?" Sunset chuckled. "If she's anything like I remember, I doubt she could handle something like a herd. Probably would drive her up the wall."

"Too true. Although I believe she could be persuaded otherwise…"

"Be quiet, Chrissy," Tyr said, reaching back to poke her in the side. "Teasing or no, that joke is getting tasteless."

"As you say," The Changeling admitted, nodding and pulling a strand of confetti from her hair. "I will keep my teasing to the bite marks on your neck."

Tyr opened his mouth to respond, only for Chrys to gently nibble on his neck with her fangs. "Agh!"

Chrys giggled as Tyr swatted her away. Rarity glanced over at Trixie, who looked absolutely dumbfounded. She gave her a gentle smile. "Don't be to put off, dear. This is normal."

Valor had flown over to Luna, while Tyr pinned Chrys on the bed behind him and was attacking her mouth with a toothbrush. Despite how odd the situation looked, Chrys was red in the face and panting heavily at the sensation of Tyr brushing her teeth. "Seems there's never a dull moment with you all," Sunset joked.

"Yes indeed!" Pinkie said happily.

Tyr finally left Chrys alone, sitting up with the Changeling in his lap. She looked strangely content as Tyr gently ran his fingers through her hair. "So, when should we start thinking about heading home? We've spent a lot of time up here as it were, and it's probably beyond time for us to be getting back to Wolfhome."

"What about the Wulfen and the Ursa?" Luna asked. She frowned slightly. "The Crystal Ponies are certainly not going to feel comfortable with them outside the gates."

"Good point. I suppose I should go speak with Noelle and the others about that I guess. Probably should snag my mother as well—the Ursa seem to respect her as a leader of some kind.

"Mother bears and all that," Sunset muttered. "What about the rest of us?"

"I have some last minute business to attend to," Rarity pointed out.

"No doubt opening up a new shop," Tyr murmured.

Pinkie giggled as Rarity gaped. "Spot on, Honey! Rarity wants to name it the Snowflake Boutique!"

Tyr paused at that, glancing over at the seamstress. She was blushing, avoiding his gaze. He gave her a warm smile before getting up, walking over to her, and kissing her gently on the lips. "It's a good name, my Gemstone."

Rarity mumbled something, but the smile on her face explained enough. Luna smiled as well, before looking towards Pinkie. "Did you have plans today, Pinkie Pie?"

"Nope!" the pink woman said with a grin. "I was thinking of playing with the kids, but I think to do that every day."

"There is the other matter…" Chrys began, a frown on her face.

Tyr patted her head. "I leave that to you. Whatever you decide will be done, we'll abide by it."

"Although I doubt Shining and Cadance will be happy about that decision, especially not knowing," Luna pointed out. "I also think my sister has somewhat recovered, so I will visit her."

"I never got around to seeing Celestia myself," Tyr said thoughtfully. "I may have to stop by—"

"Lord Tyr!" They all turned to the door to see Carver there, a panicked look on her face. "You need to come to the castle right now!"

"Is it another attack?" Luna asked, getting up immediately.

Carver shook her head. "No, a messenger arrived not too long ago. One from Canterlot."

"Why is that cause for such concern?"

The Shaper and Tyr locked gazes, and the Elemental could tell that whatever news Carver was about to say was dire. "There… there was a Changeling attack on Canterlot."

"Oh hell," Tyr muttered, moments before a squad of Crystal Guards burst into the room.

–x–

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cadance asked, glancing between the other two royals with her. Celestia was slightly paler than normal, although she had just recovered from being poisoned. Shining looked grim. He had just ordered the bulk of his guards to apprehend Chrysalis and her daughter under suspicion of plotting against Equestria. Celestia had given him the order, and all he could do was follow it. As was obvious, Cadance was against it. "Tyr is not going to be happy."

"This is for the good of the nation," Celestia said softly, her voice somewhat hoarse. No one was sure what she had been poisoned with, but it had not been lethal. The first thing she had done was get a grasp of the situation as a whole. When the messenger from Canterlot had finally arrived, she had wasted no time.

Cadance frowned. "But Tyr said himself—!"

"We don't know what kind of powers Chrysalis could have," Celestia pointed out. "And who's to say Tyr isn't helping her?"

"W-What?" Cadance gaped. She was shocked—she had never heard Celestia like this. "You know Tyr would never…!"

Shining shook his head. "Cady, this is for our safety, and the baby's."

"I honestly believe we're _not_ safe doing this…"

"Cady…" The doors into the throne room burst open, and a pair of guards were flung inside. A wave of cold flowed in after them, and the three royals stood. But the one who walked in was neither Tyr nor Aleksa.

It was Aleron.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you!?" The young man snarled, eyes narrowed into slits and wisps of silver energy flowing off him.

Celestia seemed unsurprised. "So even his children stand up against me…"

Cadance shot her aunt a glare, but quickly turned her attention to the furious boy. She put on her most comforting smile and her best 'you can trust me' voice. "Aleron, what's wrong? What has you so upset?"

Aleron shot her a look, the fury in his silver eyes making her wince. "…Judging by how you reacted, you obviously were against this or ignorant of it. That means…" He turned his gaze to Shining Armor. "You did this. Again."

Shining set his jaw, frowning down at the younger man. "I did what I needed to do."

"Your guards kidnapped my sister!" Aleron shot back, stepping forward. He clenched is hands into fists. "And not only that, they hurt Jubilee and Ancè! This paranoia of yours has GONE TOO FAR!"

Cadance gaped, turning to Shining. He too seemed surprised—the guards only had orders to capture the Changelings, not harm anyone. "I…"

"That's enough, Aleron," A voice said, and the young man jumped in surprise as his father materialized beside him. Aleksa and Luna appeared a moment after, both looking confused and angry.

"Dad…!"

"We already got Charlie to go get Cori," Luna said softly, walking up to embrace her son. "None of the Crystal Guards would be foolish enough to challenge a dragon. Let your parents handle this, my little crescent moon."

Aleron looked from his mother to his father, seeing the cold fury radiating off of his tall form. He glanced back to Luna. "…Where are they?"

"At the gate," Aleksa said kneeling down beside him. She grinned. "Those girls need their brother right now, okay?"

"…Okay." Aleron's aura of cold simmered and vanished, and he walked out of the throne room.

Aleksa and Luna watched him go. Once he was gone, they moved up beside Tyr. "Seems he does take after you, Beloved," Luna said with a tiny smile.

"So the line continues," Aleksa murmured. "If not for the situation, I'd be a little more ecstatic."

"Likewise," Tyr replied, still staring up at Shining. "Care to explain this one away, Prince?"

Shining frowned. "Well…"

"Actually, don't bother." Tyr snapped. He glanced over at Celestia, who seemed impassive. "…You look better, Tia."

"Your concern is noted," the morning haired woman replied.

"Sister…" Luna said softly, but Celestia didn't seem to notice.

Aleksa folded her arms. "So why all the paranoia? Something going on?"

"Canterlot castle was attacked and overrun by Changelings," Shining said, frowning. "One of the guards managed to get away and bring us word."

Luna gasped. "So… is Hope…?"

"She's fine," Cadance informed her. "The guard told us that a large portion of the guards managed to get her out safely.

"That's good to hear…"

"So why the repeated attacks on _my_ Changelings?" Tyr frowned. "I thought we established neither were a threat."

"The Changelings cannot be trusted," Celestia said. Her magenta eyes peered down at Tyr. "…No matter what changes."

"…I see." Tyr raised an eyebrow at the lack of emotion in the response, but said nothing about it. He raised his wrist up to his mouth. "Cindy? Ragnarok protocol—get the Jötunheim here ASAP."

If the Controller was confused by the sudden order, she didn't show it. "I'll have the Sanctuary in the air and headed your way in minutes. No doubt I'll terrify the Stonekin unintentionally, but…"

Despite the situation, Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Cindy. As a present for your continued help…" He turned slightly to the side.

"L-L-L-Lady Aleksandra!"

Aleksa smiled and waved at the little hologram. "Hiya, Cindy."

Tyr grinned as the automaton's image began attempting to form coherent speech amidst her stuttering and frantic waving of her arms. "We'll see you soon, Cindy."

Cindy looked from Aleksa to Tyr rapidly, before simply nodding. "As you say. I will have the Jötunheim in Crystal Empire airspace within the hour."

The hologram winked out, and Tyr returned his attention to the three royals before him. Shining was doing his best to look grim, Cadance looked worried, and Celestia still seemed indifferent to the whole thing. He frowned. "Considering the attempts on my family, I will be taking them and leaving. Perhaps simply distance will keep you from trying to kidnap or kill my pet and daughter."

"Threats to the kingdom must be dealt with," Celestia said flatly.

Aleksa's eyes narrowed. "Do not make threats where there are none, Princess. Considering we are friends at this point, that would be a massive mistake."

Celestia's eyes narrowed and there was a quick flash of anger. "Do not threaten me."

"The first words of a tyrant," Aleksa spat back.

Tyr held up a hand. "This isn't the time. We're not here to fight… I hope."

"You have an army outside the city," Celestia said, sweeping a hand to the area the Wulfen and Ursa currently occupied. "How can we feel safe with such predators at our gates?"

"Then I'll take them away," Tyr replied curtly. He turned to Carver, who was standing a short distance away. "Go tell Noelle the directions to Wolfhome. The Ursa are free to come as well, but we'll no doubt have to find a separate place to put them."

"As you wish, Lord," Carver said with a small bow. She turned and jogged out of the throne room.

Tyr looked back at Celestia. "…We'll be leaving. Stay healthy, Celestia."

He didn't stay to see her reaction, instead leading his mother and wife out of the hall. He stayed silent until they were out of the hearing range of any guards. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all," Tyr muttered darkly.

Aleksa raised an eyebrow. "What's to like about a tyrant in the making?"

Luna winced slightly. "…Beloved, what do you mean?"

"Something is wrong with Celestia," Tyr pointed out. "I've never seen her like that. She seemed so… paranoid of us. Like nothing we could say would get her to trust us."

"But she's my sister!" Luna protested. "She at least trusts me!"

"But even you can't deny that Celestia wouldn't have just ordered Chrissy and Cori imprisoned for no reason, Mani. There's no evidence that either of them had anything to do with the attack either. So why immediately try to capture them?"

"…I see your point. Tia would never harm a child—especially not such an innocent one like Cori. Plus… I was sure she trusted you."

"There's something else going on," Aleksa murmured.

Tyr nodded. "We can't stay here for it though. Otherwise, we're going to come up against the Crystal Empire."

Luna looked torn. "I… I do not want to fight my sister…"

"If we do this right, we won't have to."

They came across Noelle as they walked back to the hotel. "Alpha," She said respectfully, bowing. Tyr noted that she seemed more 'womanly' than before, although not much really had changed.

He gave her a weak smile. "Hey, Noelle. Is there something you needed?"

"I spoke with your assistant. She said we're leaving the North?"

"The land is much greener south," He informed her with a nod. "There's better hunting land down there, and you can even learn to grow some foods too."

"I see… I will inform the clans. The Crystal Ponies seem suspicious of us. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing we need to worry about at the moment. Call it a fear of the unknown."

"As you say. I'll get going for now."

She turned to go, but Tyr smirked. "Everything going okay with Tonto?"

Noelle jumped, quickly turning back around to face him. "How did you—!? Oh. Empath."

Tyr grinned. "Tell him I said hi."

The female Wulfen glared at him before loping away. Aleksa and Luna shared Tyr's smile, the older Elemental shaking her head. "You get the teasing from me, but the sneaky way you do it from your father."

"How nice to know where it comes from," Luna said dryly. Tyr gave her a smirk and pulled her close to kiss her.

"I'll leave you two for now," Aleksa said with a grin. "I gotta go light a fire under my bear army, right?"

Before they could say anything, the woman had vanished. "She's a mystery," Luna murmured.

"That's my mom," Tyr said with a smile. "I have her memories, but I still don't understand her."

"…Speaking of understanding…" Luna fixed Tyr with a curious gaze. "Sunset?"

Tyr winced. "Ah. Right. Sunset. She… well…"

"She fights you," Luna said thoughtfully, reaching up to touch the tiny bite marks on Tyr's skin. "It gives you… that competition for superiority. Something the wolf in you craves."

Tyr could hear and feel the sadness in his wife's tone, the sense of disappointment she carried. He frowned, reaching forward to take hold of her hands. "Mani… you know you only have to say the word and I'll stop this whole thing. _You_ are my wife, and that's what matters to me. I love you first and foremost, then my kids, and then the others."

"No, my love," Luna said, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his chest. "Although I don't doubt your sincerity, I could never take your family from you. You've… you've already lost enough…"

"Mani…"

"And besides, I have begun to love having other girls to speak to. I never had many friends, if you can imagine."

"My antisocial dreaming princess? I would have never dreamed!"

Luna punched him in the chest, although not overly hard. "I believe I agree with your mother—you have a very sharp teasing tongue."

Tyr grinned, kissing her forehead. "So are you alright?"

"Yes. Although I hope the biting will only be limited to you?" She smiled. "Chrys bit me once, if I recall. And I didn't like it."

"Yeah, unless she really needs the blood I'm sure."

Luna nodded. "Then that is fine for now. Beloved—I love you, you know that?"

Tyr smiled warmly. "Of course. And I love you."

"Although this situation with my sister…" She trailed off, looking back towards the castle. Tyr didn't have to try and figure out how she was feeling—Celestia's attitude was completely out of character from what they were used to. The Celestia they knew was kind and gentle, although if she thought it was necessary she would bring down a firm hand. This Celestia was mistrustful of those who had no reason to betray her.

Tyr shushed his princess with a kiss. "We'll worry about it later. We should—"

"Tyr!" The two turned to see Ace flying towards them, Flash hot on his heels. They landed close, although Tyr noticed immediately that both were fully armed and armored. The snow white haired man frowned slightly, running a hand through his messy hair. "…You getting ready to leave?"

"Soon," Tyr replied, noting the serious look on his friend's face. "I already called for my ride. Did you need something?"

"Princess Celestia told us to keep you from leaving," Ace replied, wincing slightly when he saw Tyr's face twist into a scowl. "Look dude, we're not here to stop you."

Tyr blinked. That was a bit surprising. He expected their loyalty would be wholly directed towards Celestia. As if sensing the thought, Flash smirked. "You're probably wondering why we're not following orders, especially since we're Celestia's knights, not Luna's."

"Notwithstanding the fact that Grace and Bright would no doubt at least attempt to kick our asses if we tried detaining you, we're your friends. And we… well, we'd know better than anyone if something was up with Mom."

Flash nodded. "She's… unnecessarily paranoid. She was even skeptical of us when she called us."

"Considering we are in the middle of betraying her…" Ace pointed out, which made his brother in arms shoot him a dark look. "What? It's true."

"Anyway…" Flash turned to Tyr. "We need you to freeze us in place. That way we've got a good excuse for not stopping you."

Tyr frowned. "Are you guys sure about this?"

"Yeah. Grace and Bright are going with you, so someone has to be here for Princess Celestia, right?"

Luna smiled. "I am glad you are the ones protecting my sister. She is lucky to have you."

Tyr nodded. "I really appreciate this, guys. And sorry." Flash and Ace had a moment of confusion before Tyr's aura swept out and over them, encasing them in ice. They stared at him for a moment before sharing a 'oh right' look. The Elemental sighed. "Wonderful. I guess I'm kidnapping you now, dear."

"Oh my," Luna said with a little giggle as Tyr took her up into his arms and carried her off at a jog. "Whatever shall I do…?"

They hadn't gotten much further than a street or two when a particular raven alighted on a railing nearby and chirped for their attention. "That's one of Grace's ravens," Luna said.

It had a message attached to its leg. Tyr set Luna down before going to the bird and undoing the message. He unrolled it to find a message that chilled him to his core. [Cinnamon _arrived at Canterlot docks yesterday with serious damage. Captain M reported at attack by Cult of the Sun members, who took Creativity and her two retainers captive. Lost track of them as they passed over the eastern Lunar Sea_ ]

Tyr blinked. Luna moved up beside him, confusion on her face. "Beloved? What is the matter? What does the message say?"

"Read it for yourself," Tyr said shortly, handing her the piece of paper. He turned aside and activated his communicator. "Cindy? Are you there?"

"I'm here, Operator," Cindy's hologram appeared at the sound of his voice. "Is there something you needed?"

Tyr heard Luna's sharp intake of breath as she read the message. He kept focus on his Controller. "How far out are you?"

"Not too far, by my calculations. The hangar worked just like a charm, and the exit was perfectly sized—"

"I don't care about that right now," Tyr replied shortly, mentally hating himself for being so brusque with Cindy. Even the Controller seemed a bit confused, tilting her head slightly to the side as Tyr continued. "I need you to locate my daughter's vital signature. Sherry, before you ask which one."

"It may take me a minute but… what happened?"

"She's been kidnapped. And I'm going to find her."

Something in Cindy's voice and tone changed at that bit of information, and her cheery demeanor fell away into something more cold and calculating. "…I understand, Operator. I will have her location ready for you the moment you are on board."

"Good. We'll be waiting on you."

"Of course."

The communication cut out, and Tyr turned back to Luna. There was a smoldering sort of rage in her eyes that Tyr could not bring himself to attempt to put out. "…They have taken our daughter."

She said it as a fact, not a question. Her husband simply nodded. "And for that, they will die. But now, I have questions to ask our 'friend' back at the hotel."

–v–

Chrys looked up to the door as Tyr and Luna entered the spare room they had appropriated in order to hold Cienna. The other Changeling had stayed mostly obedient—faced with Chrysalis herself watching over her she had no thoughts towards fleeing. "Master, Mistress, you return," Chrys said, standing up.

"Has she given any information?" Tyr aske softly, working to not sound hostile.

"She's been mostly kept out of the loop," Chrys said, glancing over at the younger woman. "Seems my counterpart did not place much trust in a stray. Other than her own position in the plan, she knows nothing."

"I'm… I'm sorry Master Tyr," Cienna said hurriedly, bowing her head. "I wish I could be more help, but I…"

Tyr sighed. Of course all the Changelings he ever comes face to face with can't help but be adorable. "It's fine, Cienna. I hoped you knew something, but we're obviously dealing with someone who covers all bases."

Luna frowned, folding her arms. "Why do you say that, Beloved?"

"Think about it," The man said, raising up a hand as he began to count down. "One, our enemy decided to attack us during a major event here in the Crystal Empire, even getting the assistance of two native tribes to help. However, their plan had little chance to succeed, considering four out of the six Princesses were present, the Elements of Harmony were here, and I was here as well. Even with overwhelming numbers and my mother's core in his possession, there was no chance he'd succeed."

"A good point," Chrys murmured. "Although without yours and Sunset's intervention, the casualty rate might have been higher."

Tyr nodded. "Secondly, Sherry is by herself with just Obsidian and Capstone. She was caught partway to her destination, and her ship was disabled so word would take a lot of time to get to any of us. Add on the massive storm that Frost Storm was supposed to bring…"

"We would get word at a surprisingly late time," Luna finished, with Tyr nodding in the affirmative. "Without knowing what happened…"

"Hope would be easy prey for a Changeling attack," Tyr said. He glanced over at Cienna, who visibly paled.

"I-I didn't know anything, sir…!" She began, but Tyr shook his head.

"I know. You and all those Changelings from before were sent to make sure we were not headed back to Canterlot in time to intercept the attack. Disabling me, the knights, and Celestia would no doubt be enough to keep us from leaving."

Cienna looked thoughtful. "That… that makes sense…"

Luna turned back to Tyr. "So the typical 'divide and conquer' strategy? How imaginative."

"Simple but effective," Chrys pointed out at the Princess's skeptical tone. "So far, they've managed to take the capital, yes?"

"Seems to be true."

"Thirdly, they haven't assaulted or made any sort of attempt against Wolfhome," Tyr said, getting their attention once more. "I doubt the Changelings would have an easy time infiltrating the Stonekin, seeing as they can't imitate their powers. But without me present, the Stonekin would not do much more than keep watch over the fortress town. On top of that, Serenity is here with us as well."

"Not the same way I would have done it, but effective nonetheless," Chrys murmured thoughtfully. "I suppose Cocoon's methods are effective, if crude. By making sure all the major players were out of the city, the Changelings had free reign. Especially since you and I can sense them, Master."

"But why this whole 'Cult of the Sun' business?" Tyr asked, frowning. "Why would a whole different faction throw their lot in at the same time?"

"Coincidence?" Luna asked.

Chrys shook her head. "I feel there is more to this than we see, Master. But as I feel it, you wish to go after Sherry first."

Tyr smirked. "Was there any doubt?"

"I also agree with that decision," Luna said with a nod. "If she was kidnapped, who knows what they wanted from her?"

"Exactly. Nobody hurts my little girl and gets away with it."

"And what of her?" Chrys jerked her head towards Cienna, who attempted to sit up straight at attention. Luna and Tyr fell silent, sharing a momentary look between them. Tyr could see the conflict in his wife's eyes—part of her wanted the Changeling punished for making an attempt on his life, while the other part knew that to ask for that would no doubt sadden and enrage Chrysalis. Tyr wasn't sure what to do—Cienna's life was in his hands now. He'd have even considered leaving her here but the Crystal Empire was rapidly becoming an inhospitable place. It was only a moment, but they both came to a conclusion without a word.

"She comes with us," Tyr said with a shrug. "We can't leave her here, and she's yours after all. I couldn't harm one of your hive."

Chrys gave him a relieved look, and Cienna let out the breath she had been holding. "You are as generous as you are strong, Master Tyr. Thank you for sparing this one's worthless life." She quickly bowed, pressing her forehead to the floor.

"Don't thank me just yet," Tyr told her with a smile. "You belong to me now, so expect to be put to work immediately."

Luna caught on to that statement, glancing over at her husband. "You seem to have a plan, Beloved. What is it?"

There was a rumble outside, and momentarily their attention was diverted to the window. The sleek silver underbelly of the Jötunheim slid into view, covering part of the city in shadow. Tyr grinned at the sight before turning to Luna. "First, we get home. Second, we go rescue our daughter. Third? We knock down a false queen."

–x–

The village of the Qirin was built into the side of a ridgeline; the houses made of fired clay and connected via walkways from the higher levels. Unless you approached village from one side, you'd most likely never see it. First things first, Sherry noted that the large majority of the Qirin did not share the same appearance as Tor and his company—her first thought was that they almost resembled elves from the fantasy books she used to read in Tyr's world. Most of the men were burlier than that, but they were all elegant and strangely graceful in their motions. All had antlers as well, although the size and complexity of them seemed to vary. Many gave them strange looks as they entered, but otherwise paid them no mind. Tor's warriors scattered once they were in the village, although a significant number of them stayed as a sort of escort. As they walked, Capstone drifted closer Sherry.

"I'm a little nervous," He said softly, doing his best to not be overly loud. "Are we sure this is a good idea?"

"Better than trying to make it on our own out there," Sherry replied in a whisper. "They claim the Cult is their enemy, so maybe we've found some allies."

"I hope you're right…"

Sherry gave him a look. "Doubting your Princess? I never would have thought it of you, Capstone!"

"W-What? I'm not…!" He started almost immediately, only to find Sherry grinning at him. "…Ah. You're making fun of me."

"You're easy to tease," She said with a little giggle. When he gave her a flat look, her laughter only increased. "Oh, don't give me that. We shouldn't be getting so worried—being on edge only makes this all worse."

"I hope you're right…"

Sherry didn't respond to that, instead grabbing Obsidian so the curious Stonekin didn't wander off too far from them. The other girl gave her a relieved smile, before coming back closer to the two of them. Logic stayed behind them, watching their surroundings with that same empty indifference. They stayed together as Tor led the group to one of the larger buildings, pulling open a curtain that served as a door. He gestured them inside.

The interior of the building was like a shaman's hut—incense wafted about in a light haze, and there was a fire built in the center of it. Behind it sat another of the Qirin, his massive figure and antlers filling up what space the hut had. He looked up slowly as they entered. "So this is the one?" The shaman asked in a very heavy and deep voice. Sherry shivered, his voice rumbled even more than Tor's had, and carried years of wisdom and experience. She was momentarily distracted by wondering at just how old the Qirin before them was.

"We found them in the old temple, just as you said, Orin," Tor said, moving to one side so as to make space for Logic's long tail. The lamia curled up against the wall, staying somewhat close to the fire. "Although the snake was unexpected."

"I'm a lamia," Logic pointed out sleepily.

Orin rumbled, something that seemed like a thoughtful noise. "I see. Come forward, Princess of Equestria."

Sherry blinked in surprise, but stepped forward. Orin easily dwarfed her and the others even while sitting, but she did her best to not flinch. "Greetings, Sir Orin. My name is Sherry Winter, Princess of Creativity. I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"I share that sentiment," Orin murmured, nodding. "Am I to understand that explosion was your doing?"

"Unintentional, but yes. We did not want to be captives, as you can imagine."

"A very understandable feeling."

Sherry frowned slightly. "So… why are we here, Sir Orin? I appreciate your warriors escorting us, but what we really need is a way to get home. If you can help us with that, I would truly appreciate it."

Orin was quiet for a moment, hand coming up to stroke his silver beard. "Then perhaps we have a way of helping each other, Princess Sherry of Equestria."

"And what would that be?"

"As I said before, we have similar enemies," Tor spoke up then, catching their attention. "The Cult of the Sun has always been hostile to us. They have even taken some of our people hostage, much like you."

"We never saw any other captives," Capstone pointed out.

"Then the worst has occurred," Tor said sadly.

Orin rumbled again. "We would seek your help, Princess Sherry. We also seek to leave this place—if possible we would go with you to Equestria."

Sherry blinked, casting a quick look back over at Capstone and Obsidian. She turned back to Orin and Tor. "We'd help if we were able, but we have no idea how to get off this island."

"We have an idea," Orin said thoughtfully. When all eyes went to the Shaman, he chuckled. "The cult has a large airship they call the _Conqueror_. It is what they call a dreadnaught or something like that."

A dreadnaught class?" Sherry frowned. "I kept track of all the dreadnaught class ships that were in Equestria. There were no records of a ship called the _Conqueror_."

"I believe it was built here. The Cult has been here for several years."

Sherry turned away, biting her lip. "That would explain that… if the Cult has all their airships built outside of recognized shipyards, there's not much we could do to keep track of it… Makes sense. We didn't even know about the Thunder Isles for the most part."

"Fair," Capstone agreed. "But the fact they had a castle of that size with so many members means this has been going on for much longer than we thought. This has been planned for a lot longer than we thought."

"And why would they need a dreadnaught?" Sherry's frown only grew. Dreadnaughts were her design—capital ships that were almost floating buildings and could carry a hundred or more sailors and a number of other things such as weapons or cargo. Sherry had solved the issue of powering such a large vessel using charged crystals and her own attempt at a combustion engine. However… She reached into her bag and pulled out the stone she got from Logic's prison. It radiated power. "…They're planning something big that requires a ship that size."

"It would be smart to deprive them of it," Tor agreed.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Logic asked suddenly, getting their attention. "No doubt the ship will be heavily guarded. Are your warriors capable of fighting spell casters?"

"We have powers of our own," Orin said, his antlers crackling with electricity. Our only weakness is that we cannot pilot that craft."

Sherry frowned. "I can handle that. I designed the ship—as long as they haven't deviated from that schematic, I can figure it out. Mayweather gave me a crash course as well."

"Then we will get you to that ship," Orin said matter-of-fatly. He glanced over at Tor. "Ready the warriors. It is time."

Tor nodded, quickly turning to leave. Capstone leaned in close to Sherry. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Wouldn't it be better to wait for help or something?"

"There's no way to know if help is ever going to come," Sherry countered, keeping her voice low. Despite the situation, or rather because if it, she wasn't sure who she could trust besides the guard and Shaper. The Qirin were blunt and straight forward, but Sherry had at least a few years in politics, and even the most blunt individuals sometimes tended to hide the most. "If anything, we find a way to contact my father the moment we're off this island. That way, at least we've got his help if this doesn't go according to plan."

"Fair enough…"

Sherry nodded, but noted that the guard tightened his grip on his sword hilt. Smiling softly, she reached out to gently touch his hand. The touch seemed to startle him, and he looked to her in confusion. "Calm down, Capstone. We're going to be fine. I promise."

Capstone blushed slightly, looking away quickly. "…If you say so, Princess."

"Princess Sherry," Orin said, getting their attention. "A dwelling has been prepared for you and your companions. You may retire there until we are prepared for the attack."

"Thank you very much," Sherry said with a small bow. "We will go there at once."

"One of the sentries outside will guide you. You may go." The huge man waved his hand dismissively. Capstone bristled at the apparent disrespect, but Sherry grabbed his arm and swiftly led him out. Obsidian and Logic followed after.

"Don't start a fight," Sherry warned him, frowning.

Capstone sighed as they met up with their escort. "…Sorry. Just…"

"Used to your bosses being the absolute authority in the land?" Sherry grinned. When Capstone nodded, she giggled. "I know. But it's fine—Equestrian dominion doesn't extend this far. I doubt either Mom or Auntie have even been out to this island."

"I don't even think it's on any maps…"

"That would be true. Oh! That means we discovered a new place!"

"I guess so…"

Sherry smiled. Looking around at the rocky landscape, she let out a small sigh. "You know… I wish it was a bit more… 'green' here, you know? It would be a pretty nice place to live."

Capstone looked around as well. It was wide and open, although dominated by rocky terrain and ridges. He could imagine it covered in grass and rolling plains, and it actually did seem quite nice. "Yeah… I can see it."

"Maybe if I learn some Chaos magic I could do it… that would be cool…" She mumbled. "Then I could start my own city, be its Princess all by myself…"

"You'd need a guard captain," Capstone reminded her with a little smirk.

Sherry glanced over at him, rolling her eyes. "Well, I guess I have to find a way to steal you from my aunt then…"

He laughed, and soon after the chocolate colored woman followed suit. The Qirin around them seemed confused, but didn't remark on it. Logic and Obsidian had dropped back a few paces, walking beside one another. Or slithering in Logic's case. "Seems they have a good atmosphere up there," the lamia said disinterestedly. "I don't think I've ever witnessed mortal mating rituals."

"M-Mating…" Obsidian blushed slightly. "I do not think that is a proper conversation topic, Miss Logic."

"I suppose it is not, given your age." Logic fell silent for a bit, before glancing over at the Shaper. "Speaking of which, why are you not with them?"

Obsidian blinked, glancing over at the snake-woman. "With them? What do you mean?"

"You are their friend, are you not? Would you not want to be part of their conversation?"

The girl turned her gaze back to the pair in front of them. Sherry and Capstone were talking about something funny, for the pink haired girl was giggling softly and the man was chuckling as well. "…I don't want to be a hindrance."

Logic raised a singular eyebrow. "Do you not have feelings for the boy?"

Obsidian blushed even deeper. "W-W-What? No! No, I don't…" She trailed off, averting her eyes as the two in front of them glanced back at her outburst. She mumbled something they couldn't hear and fell back a couple more steps.

Sherry opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but the Qirin beside her gestured ahead of them. There was a two story house before them, round in construction and mostly plain. "We have arrived. This building will be yours for as long as you need it."

"Is this stone?" Capstone asked, going over to the wall. The Qirin guard nodded.

"Yes, we blow chunks of stone from the gorges and carve it to form."

"I'll get to work," Obsidian said brusquely, pushing past him and moving to the wall. "Give me a few minutes to familiarize myself."

"You sure?"

Obsidian shot the young man a cocky smirk. "Home-décor was always my strong suit, not my sister's." As if to prove her point, she sunk her hands into the doorframe and pulled it forward, turning it into a small hallway like formation. She pulled her hands free and opened the door. "Hope you guys don't mind stone furniture, cause that's all I can make."

"It's fine," Sherry said, walking past the flabbergasted Qirin and patting the shorter girl on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll make it feel like home."

Alice chose that moment to make her presence known—by peeking up from between Sherry's breasts. "Sherry, I'm hungry!" She whined.

Sherry blinked. "Alice? What are you doing down… there…" She trailed off, looking from the childish Chaos Spirit up to the gathered men around her. All eyes were focused on one place in particular. Seeing not only the Qirin but her own party looking made all the color rush into the Alicorn's cheeks. She hurriedly covered herself, turned towards the house, muttered a quick complaint about 'perverts' and fled inside.

"That was very tasteless," Logic remarked in her usual bland way, sliding in after the girl. Obsidian lightly punched Capstone in the arm and followed after. The guard stood there for a minute, face flushed, trying to figure out why he was so bad with women in general.

–x–

The sound of wings caught Tyr's attention as he wiped Jubilee's face clean of chocolate cake while they waited on Charlie to get back so they could board the Jötunheim. He glanced back to find the other half of the Elements of Harmony approaching, their children, Starlight and belongings in tow. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "…What's going on?"

"We're going with you," Rainbow said, matter-of-factly.

"Reason being…?"

"Princess Celestia wants to put us in Protective Custody," Twilight said with a deep frown towards Tyr. "Something about a possible threat in the city?"

"I suppose that's either me or my mother, and I've been with my family for the better part of today. No telling what my mom has been up to."

"Hm."

"Whatever happened has ruffled Princess Celestia's feathers something fierce," Applejack pointed out. She gave Tyr a critical look. "You sure you didn't do anything?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Have any of you seen or spoken with Tia since she recovered?"

"I have," Twilight pointed out. Her frown lessened slightly, becoming more worried than upset. "She… she's different."

"…Glad I don't have to convince you," Tyr remarked, finishing with Jubilee. He fixed the pink haired girl with a critical eye. "No more diving into chocolate cakes, alright?"

"I make no promises," Jubilee responded with a snappy salute.

Tyr sighed but patted his daughter's head. "Be glad you're adorable or I'd be more strict with you."

"Love you papa!" She punctuated the statement with a jumping hug that almost knocked Tyr over. He recovered easily, wrapping an arm around her as the other went to the ground to steady himself. Despite the situation, the other women nearby couldn't help but smile.

"I love you too, Jubilee. Now go give your brother a hug—he needs it."

"Okay!" She planted a kiss on her father's cheek before letting him go and bouncing away.

"So adorable," Fluttershy murmured with a little giggle as she gestured for the other children to follow after their excitable friend.

Tyr shrugged. "Can't be helped. My daughters unfortunately got all the adorable aspects of my ladies and none of the tempering characteristics."

"What do you mean by tempering?" Luna asked, landing beside him and folding her night blue wings behind her. She folded her arms and tilted her head to one side.

"See?" Tyr gestured to his wife, who raised an eyebrow. "That little head tilt coming from Aurora is quite adorable, but the fact that Luna is much older and I know why she's doing it, it's not as adorable. Cute, but not adorable."

Luna smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Is Charlie back yet?"

Tyr turned serious in an instant, glancing up to the sky. "Not yet. She should be here any moment though."

"I do not like this," Luna remarked, looking back to the castle. "If my sister is truly as paranoid as you say, then why are we not being attacked?"

"So it is something wrong with Princess Celestia," Twilight murmured to herself. "So my intuition was correct. Just what is going on?"

"Did you sense something odd when you were speaking to her?" Tyr asked, curious.

Twilight thought for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "When she used magic she… it was like when you use your Chaos Magic."

Tyr straightened up slightly. "Chaos Magic huh…? Then it's worse than I thought. There's Chaos magic in play here…"

The loud sound of large wings alerted them to the arrival of Charlie, if the sight of a large red dragon descending from above wasn't indication of that enough. A short moment later, and the girl stood before them, adjusting her skirt. "I'm not late, am I?" She asked, trying to get a lock of her hair to stick behind her ear.

"Just in time," Tyr said with a nod. He looked over at Twilight and the others. "Space on the ship if you all want to come."

"That would be nice," Fluttershy said softly. Applejack agreed with a nod.

"Well, I'm not flying all the way back to Ponyville!" Rainbow replied with a snort.

Tyr stood, reaching over to take Luna's hand. She glanced at him, letting her arms drop so that she could move beside him. "Let's go then, before our crowd over there feels confident enough to come a knocking."

They all looked around to see about a dozen Crystal Guards gathered to one side of the platform, watching warily. "What are they doing?" Rainbow asked, confused.

"I think they're trying to figure out how many guards they'll need to bring me in. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll have enough."

"Course not," Aleksa murmured, flowing into solidity beside him. She dusted off her skirt. "Are we ready to go?"

Tyr nodded. He held up an arm, letting Valor land there. The ice phoenix gave him a happy chirp as his master patted his head. "Once we're all on the ship, we can go."

"I think we're all present and accounted for," Bright Soul called from inside one of the Rangers. "Unless you're bringing more along?"

"Then let's go! No point in standing around!" Aleksa grinned. "I'm sure Cindy is excited to see me!"

Charlie rolled her eyes and went over to the Rangers. The rest of them quickly followed, and once everyone was aboard they made short time back aboard the Jötunheim. Inferus were waiting to offload their belongings, along with one particularly excited Cindy. As soon as Aleksa stepped off the ship, she was embraced by the happy automaton. The other passengers emerged to see the happy reunion. "Aleksandra! You're alive! I was certain you had passed, I was worried!"

Aleksa took the hug from the machine-girl without flinching. She grinned. "Nice to see you too, Cindy. How have you been?"

"Lonely!" the machine girl pushed her out to arms-length, a frown on her face. "I thought you were dead forever!"

"…You know blizzards don't have heartbeats, right?"

"…Oh."

"Leave it to Cindy to forget that," Aurora said cheerily, skipping out of the Ranger with her siblings. Trixie and Audio followed along behind, the latter looking around in wonder while the former seemed a bit more nervous. Pinkie nudged her with an elbow and gave her a bright smile in reassurance.

"We should get going as soon as possible," Tyr said, walking past Cindy. "You have the info I asked for?"

Cindy's expression went immediately serious, and she let go of Aleksa. "I've triangulated your daughter's position, and will have the location locked into the navigation system in minutes. We're already on route to Wolfhome. Shall we head to the strategic planning center?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Strategic Planning Center?"

Aleksa chuckled, already heading past to the doors. "You might not realize this, my lovely son, but Observer Sanctuaries are the most numerous of Observer vessels. Also, they are the third largest."

"This class of ship is also on par with most warships," Cindy informed him. She then gave him a tiny smile. "Notwithstanding the upgrades I did with all the extra metals the Stone Ponies brought us…"

Tyr frowned before glancing back at the kids. "…Al, take the others to your rooms. We're about to have an adult talk that I don't want you involved in."

Twilight winced. "Did you really need to tell him all that? You could have… I dunno, been more subtle about it?"

"Why bother? I say something shady and secretive, and next thing we know two of my daughters will be eavesdropping at the door."

"Hey!" Aurora and Jubilee protested.

Tyr smirked. "I think it's telling that I don't have to point out _which_ two."

Cori and Ancè giggled while their sisters pouted uselessly. Aleron simply shook his head and started walking, the other kids following after like he was the pied piper. After a moment of indecision, Audio followed, one tiny hand moving up to the bright pink headphones she wore around her neck. Trixie watched her go with slight worry, but a bit of pride in her eyes. The Elements of Harmony, Tyr, Luna, the knights and Starlight followed Aleksa and Cindy as they led the way to the upper levels of the ship, finally reaching a simple room with a wide rectangular table in the center and surrounded with chairs. "Welcome to the planning room," Cindy said with a flourish of her arm.

"Seems… quaint," Bright Soul offered, looking around. "Bigger than I expected."

"And probably more awesome too," Cindy took a position at the table, rapping her knuckles across the silvery surface. Almost immediately a map of Equestria rippled to life in vibrant colors and full topography. Several gasps filtered through the room and Cindy's smile grew at the wonder on many of the faces. "This map has every nook and cranny my Recorders have spotted while scanning the land."

"This sort of thing… how much info does it keep track of?" Grace asked, moving closer with the rest of the group. Pinkie in particular ran her hands along the map, giggling as the image flickered as her hand passed through it.

Cindy opened up a smaller screen nearby and went through a number of options as she spoke. "Depends on what you want. I can overlay the map with noted settlements, detail movements relating to large groups, and so on and so forth. Including any major magical or environmental events." As she spoke, a number of icons appeared along the map, with names and navigational coordinates for each major and minor settlement in Equestria.

Grace's ears perked up at that. "So that massive surge of magical energy we all felt…?"

The automaton reached out to the map and tapped the edge. A bright golden chevron appeared in the middle of one of the seas bordering Equestria—amusingly, the name 'East Lunar Sea' appeared above the blue expanse in white lettering. Several pairs of eyes went to Luna. "You had them name the sea after you?" Chrys asked, obviously amused.

"I didn't think that was even a thing," Sunset remarked, shaking her head and trying to hide her giggles.

Luna flushed furiously, shaking her head. "Not in the slightest! They named the seas as such due to the importance of the moon in the tide…"

"That little arrow is in the middle of the ocean," Applejack pointed out, stealing the attention away from Luna. "Unless Sherry went and found a way to breathe underwater, I don't see how she's supposed to be there."

"A good point, Applejack," Cindy said with a nod. "Last I checked, she did not have any means to do something like that. However, she does not need them—let me update the map for you."

Another tap on the map, and then it zoomed into the specified location, revealing a mountainous landmass in under the chevron. "An island?" Twilight murmured, leaning in close.

Cindy nodded again. "Checking through my records indicate that island is also known as the 'Thunder Isle' due to random thunderstorms that are common and very powerful."

"So Sherry is on this island?"

"Alive and well. However, you might be interested with this next bit of information, Operator."

Tyr raised an eyebrow, aimlessly running his hands across Fenrir's back. Still no response from his partner, but the motion was comforting at least. "What is it?"

"I've analyzed the makeup of the magic involved, and it is very similar to yours, Operator."

The man froze, eyes snapping up to look at his Controller in shock. "Mine? You don't mean…"

Cindy nodded. "Your daughter showed noticeable traces of Chaos energy in that magical explosion. I see a 95% chance that your daughter has made a pact with a Chaos Spirit and is now a Chaos Mage."

"Would explain the burst of magic," Twilight said thoughtfully. She glanced over at Tyr. "But that didn't happen with you."

"It did when I realized Fenrir's Concept," Tyr said, glancing down at the sleeping spirit. "You remember, right?"

"I do," Fluttershy spoke up softly. "You said a word that I didn't understand and then you… changed."

"What did you say then anyway?" Rainbow asked. "I couldn't hear it, but it sounded like… well, I can't really explain it."

"I spoke her Concept," Tyr remarked, before realizing what exactly he had said. "…Huh. I spoke her Concept. As in the _actual_ concept of Carnage. So no wonder you didn't understand it, it was literally the idea of carnage that I said."

"That… that doesn't make sense."

"Would if you were Chaos," Tyr remarked, getting a glare in response. "It's true."

"So anyway," Twilight spoke up, stopping Rainbow from continuing. "Sherry is still alive, and that's good. But what are we going to do about Canterlot?"

There was a moment of silence, before Tyr let out a small sigh. "You're going to be upset…"

The lavender woman gaped. "You're going after Sherry first?"

"Of course I am. You expect something else out of me?"

"Canterlot is overrun with Changelings; don't you think we should go there first? Who knows what the people there are suffering!"

"My daughter is currently in danger," Tyr countered, folding his arms. Valor seemed to sense his master's irritation, flapping his wings noisily from his perch near the wall. The Elemental continued, fixing his studious friend with a harsh gaze. "If it was Evening Star, wouldn't you move heaven and earth to save her?"

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it. After grinding her teeth for a moment, she scowled. "You know that's not fair."

"I think it's very fair," Fluttershy admitted, shocking them all again. She gave Tyr a small and kind smile. "We know that Tyr loves Sherry very much. She is his first child, after all. So is it that surprising that he would put her safety above that of Canterlot. We all would, if it was our children."

"But he still shouldn't—!"

"We are all aware that Tyr's loyalty is to his family first," Luna pointed out, folding her arms. "Fluttershy has it correct—Sherry holds a place in Tyr's heart that cannot be superseded. My Beloved will go to the ends of the earth for his daughter."

Tyr shook his head slightly. "True as that is, but I'd do the same for all of my family. Canterlot is a city that can be rebuilt. Life can't be replaced."

Twilight slammed her hands on the table, pushing herself up to a standing position. "So you'll condemn the people of Canterlot to suffering under the Changelings?"

"We don't have any information saying that the people of Canterlot are in any danger," Tyr countered, shaking his head.

"And the Changelings will not kill anyone," Chrys pointed out. "At worst, they will take hostages. Hostages we can _save_."

"And can you be certain?" Twilight frowned. "I'm a Princess of Equestria. The safety of the people is my concern. I want to save Sherry too, but I can't sacrifice others for it."

Tyr sat back in his seat. "Then you won't have to. I'll be taking the Jötunheim to the Thunder Isles to rescue Sherry. We're passing by Wolfhome—we'll drop you all and the kids off there."

"I'm staying with you," Luna pointed out. "Sherry is my daughter as well. And the first thing a child should see after a trying situation is their mother."

"Rare-bear and I are coming too!" Pinkie declared. She gave Tyr a bright grin. "You're not gonna leave us behind!"

But Tyr was already shaking his head. "No, Sunshine. I need you and Rarity back at Wolfhome. We're going to have to prepare for battle, so I need you both back home. With the kids. My mother, myself and Luna should be enough."

"But…! But Honey…!"

Tyr reached over to gently pat her head. "I understand, Sunshine, but I'll be fine."

"You obviously are taking the Vanguard," Serenity called out from the doorway. Everyone looked to see the short woman standing there with her arms folded and a noticeable smile on her lips. "Carver would be very cross if you left her behind."

"Of course I would!" Carver pushed past, a scowl on her flushed face. Tyr smiled slightly, nodding to the Shaper. She was already in her armor, and her cloak trailed behind her as she strode over to Tyr. Once she was in front of him, she clasped a fist over her heart. "I am your shield, Lord Tyr. Please don't try to run off without me."

Tyr grinned. "How else am I supposed to keep you on your toes?"

The Shaper gave him a flat look, but the next voice to speak was Cindy's. "Er… Operator?"

Both Aleksa and Tyr glanced over and responded: "Yes?"

They both looked at each other for a split second, before Aleksa giggled. "Oh right. Operator privileges were transferred. Ignore me!"

Tyr rolled his eyes and turned to the automaton. "What is it, Cindy?"

Cindy glanced down at the map table. "I'm currently checking the Recorders I left over Wolfhome. It seems the castle was attacked in our absence."

"So it's gone that far…" Tyr frowned. "…Increase our speed. I want to be back at Wolfhome within the hour."

"As you wish, Operator."

"Something worrying you, my love?" Rarity asked softly, moving to his side.

Tyr shook his head slowly, glancing down at the still Fenrir. "Just a nagging feeling. Pieces are falling in place and I don't know if I like the picture that's forming."

–x–

* * *

 **I realize how bad of a cliffhanger I left off on. I'll be working to fix that asap.  
**


	59. Chapter 59

**Hullo Again! Still getting a proper schedule together (I spent a while editing this) So I can post more regularly. Starting to think I'll just have to make time for it, instead of finding time. Regardless, I'm not going to vanish for another two months or whatever.**

 **Captain Alaska: I'm glad it was worth coming back to. Considering I left it on such a... odd note, it just didn't sit well with me to leave it like that.**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: I feel like the nervousness is more from her side; I'm typically a lot calmer and logical whenever stuff comes up. But I appreciate the advice, and tbh, my fiance was the one who kept asking: "Did you ever get around to posting your fanfiction?"**

 **And I reread that part with the odd wording. Your way does make sense, because I'm pretty sure while I was writing it I wasn't looking at that part with grammar in mind.**

 **Asriel Dreemurr son of Toriel: Glad you're enjoying the story! I'm getting my groove back, so expect more to come!**

 **With that, I give you the next chapter:**

* * *

Chapter 58: Test of Faith

Vanna met the returning Lord of Wolfhome and the others in the cavernous hangar that served as the Jötunheim's home in what was starting to be called Wolf Mountain. She watched with arms folded over her armored chest as the massive ship near silently slid into its moorings. It fit perfectly, a testament to the skills of the Stonekin and Cindy's collaboration. Once securely docked, the large side hatch opened to allow Tyr and the rest to exit. He seemed a bit surprised to see her. "Vanna? I didn't know you were—"

He didn't get to finish, for a blonde blur shot from past him and collided into the woman before him with staggering force. "…I missed you," Charlie murmured, hugging Vanna tightly.

The dragoness only seemed caught off guard for a single moment before happily embracing her daughter and burying her face in Charlie's golden hair. "…Ah, I missed you too, Char. Were you good for Tyr?"

"Course I was," Charlie snapped, not releasing her father. "I hardly caused any trouble."

Tyr rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled sheepishly. "I almost forgot she was with us, to be honest."

Vanna smirked. "Well, you brought her back to me safe, sound, and whole. I wasn't really worried, to be honest."

"You're a dork," Charlie declared, pushing off of her. She didn't go far though, staying inside arms-length. "…You're my dork though."

"Mine too," Grace pointed out, exiting the ship. She grinned at Vanna's raised eyebrows. "Appreciating the view?"

The dragoness frowned, looked her over, then shrugged. "Could always turn around."

"You're such a pervert."

Vanna gave her a sheepish grin, meeting her for a kiss as she walked forward. "Good to see ya, Flame-hair. How was the Crystalling or whatever?"

"Went okay until the crazy cultist tried to sic Tyr's mom on us and bury us in snow," Rainbow said.

"…What now?" The dragoness blinked at that explanation, before noticing the short woman standing beside Tyr. Aleksa waved, a wide smile on her face. Vanna looked from her to Tyr, frown forming as she noticed the similarities. One final glance to Aleksa. "…Hi… Tyr's… Mom."

The older Elemental looked thoughtful. "Hm. I don't think that's my name. It's Aleksandra Winter, if you'd like to know. But yes! I am his mother."

"Uh… hi then, Miss Aleksandra. I'm Vanna Pyrros, your son's best friend."

Aleksa glanced up at Tyr, a little twinkle in her eye. Tyr frowned at her. "Vanna's taken already, Mom. And she used to be a guy."

"…Magic mirror?" She asked, giggling.

"Uh yeah. How'd you guess?"

"Just a hunch. I heard some crazy unicorn here really wanted to be the opposite gender so she researched a way to do so."

"So all we have to do is recharge the mirror?" Vanna grinned. "Then that means I can change back!"

Grace raised an eyebrow. "You're a lot more excitable about that than I expected."

"Well… I can't say I'm not _enjoying_ being a girl… you wouldn't believe the looks I've been getting around here!"

The medic's humor immediately vanished. "Well, let's see about fixing that, shall we?"

She let her go and strode away, leaving them all very confused. "…er…"

Luna cleared her throat. "Um… Children?"

"We know mom," Aleron said, dragging his twin along as he led a small group of Inferus with all their belongings. "Plot to take over the world without us."

Tyr ruffled his son's hair as he passed. "You'll get a position of power in my new world order for sure, son."

Al grinned, but said nothing else as he and the Legacy Brigade (plus one) entered the castle. Vanna watched them go, before turning to Tyr. "So, I guess it wasn't all festivals and celebrations out there, was it?"

"Well, no," Tyr said with a shrug. "On a related note, I'm now Alpha of all the Northern Wulfen Tribes. Who are also coming here."

"We got attacked by Changelings. And the entirety of Ponyville is staying here now too."

"Did I tell you about the crazy cultist that had my mother's magical core for a necklace?"

Aleksa gaped. "It was a _necklace_!? It was supposed to be the gemstone of a ring! Damn it."

Vanna rolled her eyes. "I almost got eaten by a demon while I was gone."

"I fought an army of bears. By myself."

"I helped!" Sunset protested.

Rainbow groaned. "Can you two quit having a measuring contest already?"

Vanna fixed her with the most serious look she could muster. "I don't have one any more Rainbow. Unless you want to check and make sure."

"…Buck you."

"Save it for Ace."

The rainbow haired woman facepalmed extremely hard. "I swear, one of these days I'm going to kill you _and_ Ace."

"Ha!"

"Moving on," Luna said, nudging Tyr as she moved up beside her husband. "What has happened in our absence? It seems we all need to be caught up to speed."

Vanna grinned. "You ain't kidding, Princess. Come on, let's walk and talk. I gotta introduce you guys to my new friend."

Many eyebrows raised, but Vanna turned and began leading the crowd into the castle. The Stonekin were happy to see him and the rest of the Vanguard, cheering them as they passed. Trixie gaped at the sheer number of people that stopped to greet him. "You are very… popular, Tyr," She murmured thoughtfully.

"The Stonekin like me," Tyr remarked with a smile. He glanced over at her, a curious look on his features. "Feeling overwhelmed?"

"No, it's… I'm just… I suppose it's finally hitting me that you really _are_ a Lord…"

Vanna glanced back, golden eyes giving Trixie a rapid once over. "Cute. She a new addition?"

Tyr nodded. "And before you make assumptions, it was approved by the others."

"So was I," Sunset pointed out with a grin as she hooked an arm around Trixie's shoulders. "But Wolfie kinda won my loyalty from me anyway."

"Two?" Vanna gave Tyr a flat look. "I might just forbid you from going anywhere. You seem to keep coming back with more wives. Can't possibly be good on the waist."

Sunset chuckled, but Trixie blushed a very deep shade of red. Pinkie however, frowned. "We don't have sex that often! And Honey didn't even sleep with Trixie yet!"

Vanna spluttered, hand coming up to her mouth to quickly staunch the sudden laugh that came from her throat. Tyr reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, while Luna simply rolled her eyes. Chrys was grinning ear to ear. Rarity sighed and pulled Pinkie along away from the group. "I think that's my cue to take Pinkie and go do… something. We will see you later, once you've rescued Sherry, my love."

Pinkie made to protest, but Rarity sealed her lips with a kiss before dragging her away. Vanna watched them go, an amused smirk on her lips. "Well, there's that I guess. And you heard about Sherry?"

Tyr nodded. "Grace got a message from her contacts. Also Sherry's airship came back to Canterlot—without her and the others, of course."

"Right. So you're going after her?"

"Is there any doubt?"

The dragoness smiled. "I was right—that girl is the reason you changed. Well, I'll let you papa wolf once you meet this guy."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…This guy? Who is 'this guy'?"

"I'm playing the pronoun game, dude. There are no winners."

They entered into one of the larger halls, where there were a few dozen people moving about—normal Equestrians along with a few Stonekin. A trio in particular caught their attention as they entered. "Big Brother!" Sweetie called out, jumping up and running over to him. Applebloom and Scootaloo, who were with her, also jumped up.

"Bloom!" Applejack rushed over and crushed her little sister in a bear hug. Scootaloo was simultaneously embraced by her adoptive mother. "When I heard that Ponyville got attacked…"

"The Shapers were already helping us leave town when the Changelings attacked," Scootaloo pointed out, trying to pull herself free of Rainbow. "Town's wrecked, but we're fine, okay?"

"Doesn't mean I'm not relieved, squirt," Rainbow told the tomboy.

"Where's my sister?" Sweetie Bell asked, a bit of worry creeping into her voice. "Is she…?"

"She's fine," Tyr told her, placing a hand on her head. "She's with Pinkie, probably telling her to be more mindful of what she says."

"Oh… okay. I was worried…"

Vanna cleared her throat, although she seemed to be getting some sort of amusement from the reunion. "Tyr? Still got someone you need to meet."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Who's coming along?"

"I am, for certain," Luna said, Chrys nodding from beside her.

Twilight cleared her throat. "I'm coming as well. If that's fine."

"Doesn't bother me," Vanna said with a shrug. "Should be fun."

The group moved on, leaving the hall. Tyr momentarily wondered where his mother had vanished off to, but chose not to worry overmuch about it. She'd show up somewhere. The number of civilians went down as they went deeper into the fortress, replaced with more Shapers and Royal Guards. These simply nodded in greeting, their training imparting a more serious tone to their position. They found Shale waiting outside the door to the meeting hall with a trio of Shapers and a half dozen Royal Guards. The Shapers snapped to attention as Tyr approached. "Lord Tyr. Welcome home."

Tyr smiled softly. "Thanks, Shale. Everything go alright in the castle?"

"The cannons made good account for the Changelings," Shale informed him with a small smirk. A lot of the Shapers had taken to the destructive weapons with rather wild abandon—enjoying the sight of a well-placed detonation with big grins. "With the Royal Guard using the crossbows Lady Vanna designed for us, they didn't even make the walls."

The Royal Guard across from him, a man Tyr identified as Ferrous, nodded. He gave a sort of begrudging look over at the Shaper Commander. "The Shapers are terrifying when it comes to defense. The walls literally came to life to fight them off."

"Sounds about right," Tyr remarked. He glanced over at Vanna. "Your friend inside?"

"Should be unless these guards let him go," The dragoness pointed out. The guards seemed shocked by the assumption. "What? I'm just saying. Let's just go in."

"He's still in there," Ferrous said, moving to open the door. His face scrunched up for just a second. "Along with the… _thing_."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at that, but Vanna was already headed inside so he followed, Twilight on his heels. There were two individuals inside, one man and one girl. The man stood as they entered, adjusting his glasses and his black and red robes as he did so. "Greetings, Lord Tyr, Princess Twilight, Princess Luna. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You know who we are," Tyr remarked, glancing at the girl. She was in a cloak, hood pulled up over her head and her pale eyes peering up at him. Something about her eyes bothered the Elemental, but he didn't say anything. He glanced to Luna, who nodded in his direction—he would be leading this time. "May I have the courtesy of knowing your names?"

"My name is Grim Project," the man said with a slight bow. He gestured to his companion. "This is my sister, Thana."

The girl raised a hand and waved weakly. Vanna raised an eyebrow. "Not another Marble…"

Tyr shot him a glare before turning back to Grim. "My friend here says you wanted to speak to me?"

Grim nodded. "I and my sister seek asylum."

"Asylum?"

"Yes. I have reason to believe the Changelings that attacked your castle were after us."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Care to explain why that is?"

Grim Project frowned, glancing over at his sister. The quiet girl nodded slightly. "Well. To begin with, I should inform you of my previous employment. I was… helping with a kind of research with the Cult of the Sun."

Twilight drew up sharply at that. Luna had frozen almost stock still, and Chrys's measured glare darkened significantly. Tyr frowned as well, but kept his tone even. "So you were working for our enemies. And yet you come to us?"

"If I had a choice, I would have taken my sister and gone to ground," Grim replied, sitting. Tyr and the others took seats as well, across the larger table. "But as you've no doubt heard, there are Changelings hunting me."

"Why are the Changelings hunting you if you worked for the Cult?" Twilight asked.

"They're…they have a mutual agreement," Grim replied, sparing Twilight a glance. "Suffice it to say, they are allies."

"Well, that's certainly terrible news," Tyr muttered, getting up and walking over to the window. Everyone watched as he opened it to allow Valor inside. When the elemental noticed them all staring, he smiled. "I knew he wanted to come in. I guess I have a connection to him now."

Valor chirped as he took his spot on Tyr's shoulder. Twilight seemed thoughtful. "A bond with a phoenix…"

Tyr sat back at the table and nodded to Grim. "So what was your role in all of this? Obviously you were important considering they sent a small army of Changelings after you."

Grim sighed. "It was supposed to be a research project. I was recruited because I'm the only Unicorn—or man, now—that has ever transferred a soul into a new body."

Twilight gaped. "That's not possible!" She declared loudly, jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the table. "There is no magic that exists that can control someone's soul. It's just not possible! Not even Starswirl the Bearded—!"

"I hate to break it to you, but Starswirl the Bearded was afraid of powers beyond his control, and quite close minded," Grim said, cutting her off. Twilight looked at him like he had just admitted to brutally kicking a puppy to death. "He didn't look into Soul Magic because he knew he couldn't control it."

Twilight scowled at him. "And you're saying you can?"

Grim nodded. "You're looking at the only Necromancer in the entirety of Equestria."

"A Necromancer?" Vanna raised an eyebrow. "Like raising the dead back to life and all that?"

"That's what the term means," Grim said with a shrug. "But really you can't bring someone back to life. You can really only animate the body. Moving a soul into it is a whole other level."

"That can't be true," Twilight said again. "No one can do that."

Grim glanced over at his sister. "Thana, take off your hood."

The girl nodded, gingerly lifting her arms up to remove her hood. Twilight's breath hitched as they got their first sight of Grim Project's little sister. She was pale like death, and the major connections of her body were crisscrossed with stitch work. Her skin didn't completely match at each juncture, but overall it seemed to fit a singular body type. Her eyes were ice blue and glowed with unnatural light. Vanna whistled softly. "Well I'll be…"

"What… what _is_ she…?" Twilight murmured in horror. "She's…"

"My sister died in a magical accident about seven years ago," Grim explained, placing a comforting hand on Thana's head. She had begun to worry at the looks the three across the table were giving her, but Grim's gesture calmed her down. "She was the only family I had, and so using a forbidden spell I learned I sealed her soul into a crystal. And after a year and a half of finding the proper parts, I rebuilt her body and placed her soul gem into it. A few spells later and it was like she was back. Only downside was that she lost the ability to speak."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "She can't speak?"

Grim nodded. "She doesn't breathe, so her vocal cords are near useless. Other than that, she's… normal."

"Being undead is not _normal_ ," Twilight hissed. "How could you do that to your own sister? Something so twisted…"

"She doesn't seem to mind," Vanna offered with a shrug. Twilight shot her a dark look that made her draw back. "Whoa, what's up with that? I'm just saying—!"

"That thing is an abomination!"

Grim scowled. "I'd appreciate it if you did not call my sister an abomination."

"But…!"

"Hold your opinions to yourself, Twilight," Vanna said warningly, a note of irritation in her voice. When the lavender woman looked her way, she scowled. "…This bothers me too, as an affront to all life and death, but you don't see me going into a righteous fury."

Twilight's mouth worked uselessly for a few moments, before she simply shut it and pouted in silence. Tyr took pity on her, nudging Valor to go over to her. The phoenix hopped off his shoulder and over to the woman, rubbing up against her arm comfortingly. She smiled gently, patting his head. Tyr turned back to Grim. "So you moved a soul. What does that have to do with the Cult?"

"They wanted me to… build a body for the soul."

"Build a body?" Chrys raised an eyebrow. "Why would they…?"

"I'm getting tired of the pronoun game," Vanna said with a scowl. "Tell us exactly what you were doing and why it should worry us."

Grim sighed. "In addition to capturing the soul, I was given resources to construct a body with the defining characteristics of an Alicorn."

Luna's eyes went wide. "You… you grafted a body together to make an Alicorn?"

"It was what I was told to do," Grim said with a slow nod. "I heard they were attempting to make an artificial Alicorn just like Princess Hope."

"Hope is far from an artificial life form," Luna countered. She scowled. "As far as I am able to forgive your use of deceased individuals to rebuild your sister, your mockery of natural life astounds me. Why in Equus would you try to make an Alicorn?"

"My field of magic is not exactly welcomed, if you haven't noticed," Grim pointed out, sparing a glance towards Twilight. "I thought that accomplishing something like making an actual living Alicorn would be… a breakthrough or whatever. But once I really knew what the Cult was planning, I made it my priority to escape."

"And what are they planning?" Vanna asked.

Grim gave them all a very dark look. "They want to remove all the princesses and establish a King."

"A king?" Twilight gaped. "They… why would they want something like that? Princess Celestia has led Equestria for thousands of years! Why would they want to remove her now?"

"I don't listen to their ideals or doctrine," Grim pointed out. "All I was there for was building their body and moving the soul."

"Why did they need you to capture a soul?" Tyr asked. He was slowly beginning to not like this whole story. It was something he expected, but hearing it was worrying. "And why did they need my daughter?"

Grim looked him over for a moment, before sighing. "I assume you mean Princess Sherry. They used her blood to stabilize the body. The soul was necessary to animate and control the body. My finest work—if it wasn't for the turmoil it's caused."

There was silence in the room. Thana looked to her brother, putting a comforting hand on his arm and smiling up at him. Chrys let out a heavy sigh. "So it is a very roundabout way of creating a puppet ruler, huh? Wonderful."

"So how do the Changelings factor into this?" Luna asked, a frown on her face. "They currently hold Canterlot Castle."

"No doubt Jury Review wants to tout Solar Flare as a hero and instantly endear him to the people," Vanna said thoughtfully. "Stopping a Changeling invasion when the Princesses couldn't would do just that."

"I really don't like where this is going," Tyr said, gritting his teeth. Luna reached over to place a comforting hand on his arm. "My daughter is lost on some island and not here—" He gestured angrily to the seat beside him, "where she should be."

"What about Canterlot?" Twilight asked, almost timidly.

Tyr scowled. "I'm going to get my daughter, like I said. The changeling swarm can wait—because I have a bone to pick with this Cult of the Sun first."

Vanna let out a sigh, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "That means I'm in charge in your absence, huh?"

"Precisely. Keep doing what you were doing—I overheard some of the Shapers talking about your orders. Nice work."

"I've done some managerial work before," the dragonkin said with a shrug. Then, she smiled softly. "Go get your girl. If I know anything, you're not going to be happy until you know for a fact she's safe. And I can't fault you for that. Forge knows I'm giving Charlie a super-mega hug when I next see her."

There was a quiet eep from outside, then the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps. Vanna blinked, head snapping to the door for only a moment before jumping up entirely and bolting from the room. "Dad, wait no—!"

"I'm gonna hug you and you're gonna like it!"

"No, wait, no, no—NOOOOO!"

Luna laughed quietly, Tyr sighing and shaking his head slightly. Twilight just looked grim. "Poor girl. I know I react the same way when Pinkie decides to attack me…"

"Are you planning to leave again?" Grim asked, directing his attention to Tyr. .

Tyr nodded. "Yes. Vanna will find some place for you and your sister to stay until I get back. Don't go raising any revenants without her permission."

The necromancer smiled. "I think I can handle that."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go rescue my daughter."

–x–

The soft rap of knuckles on the doorframe woke Sherry from whatever half nap she had been in. She sat up to see Obsidian standing there, hands folded in front of her and a small worried look on her face. "Um… Princess? I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"Hm? Obi? Of course not, come in." She gestured slightly to the other girl, beckoning her into the room. Obsidian came obediently, keeping her eyes averted as she entered. Sherry took it as Obi's normal shyness. "Is something the matter?"

"I was… worried you were upset with me."

Sherry blinked. "Upset? Why would I be upset with you?"

"I acted very… improper when we came here. I shoved Capstone."

"Well, we've been rather stressed, and I'm sure he didn't take it to heart." She gave the Shaper a warm smile. "We're all each other has, Obi. Capstone would have brought it up if he had an issue. We have to trust one another."

"I do trust you! And I do trust Capstone."

"Good. So don't worry."

Obsidian gave her a small smile. "So… you truly believe we'll get off this island?"

Sherry nodded, leaning back against the wall. "Either we succeed in capturing this airship, or my dad comes for us."

"Your father does care about you greatly," Obsidian said thoughtfully. "Even if you are not of his blood."

Sherry looked at her curiously, but at that moment Capstone appeared in the doorway. He was momentarily surprised to see Obsidian inside, but recovered easily. "The Qirin called for us. They're starting the attack tonight."

" _Now_?" Sherry asked incredulously. She glanced to one of the windows (placed by Obsidian, naturally) and noted that it was still dark outside. She wasn't an expert at telling time like her mother and aunt were, but she knew it was barely even close to midnight. "Have they had enough time to prepare?"

"According to Orin, they've been preparing for months," Capstone said worriedly. "They're already moving—they sent a messenger to get us."

"Great," Sherry muttered, scowling and getting up. "I thought we'd get more time to rest…"

Obsidian shrugged. "They seem the impulsive type. I will gather my things."

"Same," Capstone said as Obsidian got up and walked past him. He gave Sherry one last nod before leaving as well. The Princess of Creativity sighed and went over to her discarded pack, retrieving her silver ribbon and tying her hair back. She gathered up the rest of her things quickly and went out into the hall to meet her friends. Obsidian and Capstone were waiting on her along with one of the female Qirin. "This is Mara," Capstone informed the arriving Princess. "She's our escort to the gathering point."

Sherry blinked. "Gathering point?"

"The warriors do not leave in one large group," Mara informed them, nodding to the door. "We travel in smaller groups so that we are harder to spot. There are still flying patrols, and they do occasionally fly past."

"I see. Well, we'll follow you then."

Mara nodded, turning swiftly on her heel and walking off briskly. The three Equestrians fell into step behind her, following a somewhat windy path out of the village. As they moved, several other Qirin joined them, bolstering their numbers from four to almost a full dozen. All were armed with a variety of weapons—axes, spears, bows—and carried them with purpose. They were obstinately silent, not a word passing between any of them. Sherry and her retainers kept their silence as well, not sure if there was some unspoken rule or not towards conversation. Logic herself joined as well, yawning and muttering something about not getting enough sleep. They traversed a well-worn path through the rocks, leading up a cliff side that the Qirin easily scaled. To their shock and amazement, Obsidian simply built a staircase and led an amused Sherry and Capstone up.

Instead of heading towards the ruined castle, Mara led her band towards the coast. It became obvious why rather quickly; the Cult of the Sun had built a multi-purpose dockyard there for their airship and various watercraft. Guards were all about the exterior, their white cloaks almost like beacons in the gloom. Sherry whistled as the massive structure came into view. "They've certainly been hard at work, huh…"

"Over there!" Obsidian hissed, pointing to a nearby rock outcropping. It formed a sort of cave over the water, and the massive silhouette of the _Conqueror_ could be barely spotted. "They stuck the airship in that cave."

"Then we go there," Mara said, stepping up behind them. She looked down at them, a tiny frown on her face. "The warriors will take that vessel, and you will fly it for us."

Sherry folded her arms, tossing her head to keep her hair out of her face. "I'm aware of the deal. You don't have to remind me."

Mara stared at her for a moment longer, before moving to join her warriors. None had joined them as they travelled, but Sherry could spot the moving shadows in the rocks all around the dockyard. "They're quite practiced at this sort of thing," Capstone said thoughtfully, testing the grip on his sword. Like it or not, he might be using it in the next few minutes.

"I believe they are natural raiders," Sherry said, watching as a quartet of Qirin dropped to the ground below the dockyard, stealing across the open ground to the main building. The pair of guards at the gates vanished suddenly into the darkness, a painful silence where there should have been panicked screams. "Because they obviously have done this before."

"Princess, I'm worried…"

"I am too. But this is our only option at the moment…" The Princess of Creativity trailed off as a humming noise began to fill the air. She and her two retainers looked around, confusion on every feature. After a moment, Alice piped up from inside Sherry's shirt.

"The sky! The sky!"

They all looked up at the Spirit's declaration, gaping at the shock of seeing storm clouds gathering where there had been none before. Logic looked up, her impassive look still there. "Oh. They're storm-callers."

The humming turned out to be coming from the antlers of the Qirin, pale gold light wreathing them in an unusual glow. "Is… is this magic?" Obsidian asked, in awe.

"Of a sort. It is comparable to what you do, Stonekin."

"Really?"

The crash of lightning jarred them from their conversation, as a bolt of lightning dropped right onto the complex before them and tore an unfortunate guard in half. Sherry's voice hitched in her throat. "Oh _gods_."

Logic turned her flat gaze to the chocolate colored girl. In the darkness, it had an almost menacing look to it. "There are no gods here, Sherry Winter."

Lightning and fury descended upon the dockyard as the Qirin let up a mighty battle cry and the sky rained down death from above. Arrows and javelins flew into the camp, catching the contingent of guards by surprise. The outer guards were killed almost immediately, dying without having a chance to fight back. The Qirin descended upon the camp just like the lightning they had called, overwhelming the defenses before the alarm could be raised. The battle was over before it could even begin. "By the Stone," Obsidian whispered in awe. She and the others had not moved from their places, noting that their intervention was wholly unneeded.

"They are nothing if not efficient," Logic agreed.

"A clean raid," Sherry said, perking up as she saw Mara and Tor at the entrance to the dockyard. The taller Qirin spotted her and waved her down. "It's almost too good to be true. I guess I gotta do my part now."

They worked their way down to the dockyard entrance, Sherry pointedly averting her eyes from the broken bodies of the gate guards. Scorch marks and discarded weapons marred the ground, a lot more evidence of combat than had truly occurred. None of the Qirin that Sherry could see even had injuries. "It seems the battle is over," She said diplomatically.

Tor fixed her with an even stare. "This was no battle. This was a slaughter. There were much fewer guards than we anticipated."

Sherry blinked in surprise. "Fewer?"

"Perhaps they were out searching for us still," Capstone pointed out hopefully. "Hopefully any fliers were grounded because of the storm."

"That would be the assumption," Tor said. "Come. We go to the dreadnaught."

"Not very patient, are they?" Capstone asked as the Qirin stalked away towards the cave that held the massive airship. The other Qirin in the area were converging on the same point, retrieving discarded or tossed weapons as they went. The trio followed shortly after, picking their way through the battlefield. What few bodies that hadn't been reduced to ash were still visible, killed quickly and efficiently and left to rot. "They just cut their way through those Cult members and barely bat an eye…"

"But they aren't worried?" Sherry murmured, frowning. "There were barely any guards here, and this is a big dock. Where are the rest of the guards?"

Obsidian opened her mouth to speak, but froze immediately. When Capstone and Sherry turned to ask what was wrong, they noticed the Shaper's gaze was directed to the far ridge, opposite the side they had come in on. Her pale, glowing eyes were narrowed, and then her eyes opened wide. " _MOVE!_ "

Her cry was loud enough to shock Capstone into motion. Falling back on his guard training, he leapt at Sherry, bearing her to the ground underneath him in time to avoid a ballista bolt crashing where they had just been. The Qirin around them were not so quick, and had a first row seat as more magically enhanced ballista bolts came sailing out of the gloom to impact the ground between them. Right after the first landed, a half dozen more crashed down, the impacts alone tossing the milling people below about like rag dolls. Obsidian threw up a stone barrier on impulse, stopping one bolt from cutting her in half. It still smashed through, enough to expose its crude but effective cross shaped point. She swallowed, a moment before the point began to glow.

" _Naguth!_ " Alice declared, pointing at the ballista bolts in the ground. She struggled to pull herself free from between Sherry and Capstone, tumbling out onto the dirt. She picked herself up in time for the bolt nearest to them to explode and throw them all bodily into the nearest building.

Sherry yelped in pain as she felt fire lance up across her spine upon hitting the building wall, then again as Capstone crashed into her chest and knocked the air out of her. The two Equestrians collapsed in a heap, Capstone rolling to his feet to look for threats while Sherry struggled to pull air into her lungs. The sounds of the Qirin recovering and suffering through the continued explosions filled the air and he rapidly wiped dust and blood from shallow cuts from his face.

He didn't have to look far. A couple hundred white robed figured were appearing over the ridgeline, led by one in white-gold and another in bright reds and yellows. A group of six ballista were being dragged along with them, already prepped with more bolts. "Seems our trap has worked," the one in white-gold said with a laugh. He pulled back his hood to reveal the familiar features of Jury Review.

"Jury," Capstone hissed, drawing his weapon. At this distance it would be useless, but he felt more comfortable with a weapon in hand. The Qirin were still recovering around them, most just now getting to their feet.

"It seems our Princess didn't die out in the rocky wastes," Jury said, looking to where Sherry was knelt on the ground. "Seems I get to kill two birds with one stone."

The former council-pony raised a hand and gestured, and the surrounding Cultists charged down at them. Obsidian appeared at Sherry's side, hauling her to her feet. Blood was streaming from the side of the Shaper's head, but she paid it no mind. "Sherry! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Sherry mumbled, gripping the Shaper's arm for support. "Is Capstone alright?"

"I'm fine," Capstone said, drawing close. He watched the white tide approaching them warily. The ballista were thankfully silent, no doubt not wishing to harm their own side. That gave the Qirin time to regroup. Already that familiar hum as the Qirin channeled their lightning powers filled the air. The royal guard noted with silent dismay at the sudden disappearance of Logic. He glanced to Sherry who was trying to shake her head clear. "You don't think Alice has anything useful she can do?"

Sherry looked around in confusion, spotting the Chaos Spirit trying to get her dirt covered dress back into some semblance of neatness. The Alicorn princess scooped her up with barely hidden relief. "Alice! You're okay!"

Alice squeaked in surprise, before turning to plant both hands on Sherry's cheeks. "Concept! Say it!"

"Say…?"

"Speak my Concept, Sherry!"

Sherry didn't know if it was a concussion or the fact that a Chaos Spirit had seized her attention, but she would swear later on that sit felt like he was staring into the eyes of Etro herself when Alice ordered her to say her Concept. In a whisper, she opened her mouth and let a jumble of sounds and emotions spill forth that, in her mind, became a single word. " _Curiosity_."

Alice's eyes widened as if Sherry had struck her. But then a slow grin grew on her face that grew and grew and grew, impossibly large for her size. She let go of Sherry's face, and then a faded violet top hat with a tattered green scarf tied around it appeared in her hands. With a small giggle, she placed it on her Contractor's head. Her voice seemed almost two decades older when she spoke. "It looks good on you."

"What do I…?"

"Pull something out!"

Sherry let Alice go, not even noticing that the Chaos Spirit floated on her own, or that the Qirin had begun throwing lightning into the approaching Cultist army. The Princess of Creativity pulled the hat off her head and with barely a thought, plunged her hand into it. Withdrawing her hand, she blinked at the golden pocket watch that came with it. "…A watch?"

"That doesn't seem helpful!" Capstone said, jumping forward. The Cultists had reached the dock, and one had made a beeline for the Princess and her retainers. Capstone intercepted him, parrying a clumsy strike before slashing the other Equestrian across the chest. Another cultist tried to stab him in the gut from the side, but Obsidian was there to intercept him with a fist of stone.

Sherry clicked the button on the side of the pocket watch, hoping it would do something. All it did was stop the ticking hands of the watch. Frustrated, she threw it back into the hat. Rooting around in it a second time, she grasped something that seemed like a handle. Feeling a surge of anticipation, she pulled her hand free to reveal what at first glance seemed to be a kitchen knife, the blade about as long as her forearm and handle made of a black material. When she looked closer, the saw that the blade was almost not solid, the material seemingly solid and not solid at the same time. She forced herself to look away.

Only to find herself face to face with a cultist, a look of savage glee on his features at catching the Alicorn off guard. A wicked looking axe was above his head. Sherry cried out in shock and raised the knife despite feeling in her gut that it was a useless gesture.

Capstone heard Sherry's cry of alarm and spun, jaw gaping at what he witnessed. The axe the cultist was carrying had come down against the metal of Sherry's knife and simply parted, separating as though it was paper. Without the expected impact, the cultist kept falling forwards, his look of glee warping into one of horror as he realized just where he was falling. Sherry's knife passed through his face and separated it as cleanly as his weapon. They were treated to a very detailed half-section of the man's head as he fell in two. He was dead before he even hit the ground. Capstone gaped. "…What."

"Capstone!" Obsidian cried out, shouldering him aside. He blinked in shock as Obsidian took a spear in the shoulder and was pushed away, just as a spike of earth shot up to impale her attacker.

"Obi!" Sherry's voice was almost lost amidst the crashing of lightning and the sound of battle. Fleeing from the dead cultist she had killed, she tried to get to the Shaper's side. She knew a little healing magic, taught to her by Grace as Hope tended to get injuries every now and then. But to her surprise Obsidian simply got up, snapped the haft of the spear so there was only enough to grab hold of still stuck in her, and kept on fighting. The pink haired girl with the shifting knife simply watched in awe.

"Stonekin endure," She hissed, coating her arms in stone and stomping forward to intercept another attacker. She caught the blade the cultist swung at her, snapped it in two, and with her Mind Gem aglow like a lantern, melted the metal into her gauntlets. The cultist managed to look surprised for all of five seconds before Obsidian snapped him in two as well.

Jury frowned from his position on the ridge. He nodded to the cult member beside him, and watched as the man pulled a horn to his lips and blew. At the mournful sound, the Cult of the Sun warriors beat a hasty retreat from the dockyard. There were quite a few white robed individuals left behind, the white stained with red. Just as many Qirin were left behind. "Seems they gave good account of themselves," He muttered as the warriors regrouped at a safe distance..

A shadow formed over his shoulder, piercing violet eyes narrowing at the sight. " **We should cease this folly, Jury. The girl has a Spirit of her own** ," It growled at him.

Jury turned to the red robed man beside him. "They've killed your guards, Solar Flare. Perhaps you should show them the errors of their ways?"

Solar Flare pulled down his hood, revealing his long and unruly sun-themed mane of hair and his blazing red eyes. His spiral Alicorn horn stood prominently from his brow as it crackled with energy. "…I guess," He murmured quietly, letting magic flow through him.

Capstone looked up to the ridge, squinting his eyes. "What… what is he doing…?"

"That's a lot of magic," Alice said, appearing over Sherry's shoulder. The Alicorn princess spared her a short glance before redirecting her attention to the ridge. Solar Flare (she could identify him from this distance easily) was gathering up magic that was lighting him up like a beacon. "Something big is coming..."

"What is he going to use it for?" Sherry asked, but the answer became obvious when Solar Flare lifted up his hands and conjured a ball of flaming energy above his head. It was massive, and lit up the area like a small sun. Or actually might just _be_ a small sun. "…oh."

"Oh that's just not fair," A Qirin nearby muttered.

Solar Flare brought his hand down, and the ball of fire hurtled towards the docks, indomitable in its approach. "Oh jeez," Capstone murmured, running every defensive spell he had been taught in the Royal Guard Academy through his mind and hoping one of them would help. None would, and there was no time.

Obsidian was already in motion, fighting through the pain of the spear blade still jammed in her shoulder as she grabbed Capstone and shoved him towards Sherry. The guard stumbled, Sherry reflexively dropping her knife and catching him. Both blushed, but the sound of shifting earth caught their attention. A dome of stone was forming around them, slowly hardening into a more metal like structure as Obsidian buried her hands into the ground. Sherry realized that in making the dome, the Shaper was leaving herself vulnerable. "Obi, no!"

"I don't have time," Obsidian replied, keeping her concentration. The Qirin were panicking around her, trying to find cover from the approaching ball of flame. She grit her teeth, averting her eyes as both Capstone and Sherry screamed her name until the metal dome was finished. She pulled her arms free and turned, just in time to see a silver slash of light separate the storm clouds and reveal the bright moon above. The fireball kept coming, and Obsidian closed her eyes and at least tried to cover herself in stone.

"VANGUARD! WALL!"

Obsidian's eyes snapped open at the cry, seeing several figures in silver drop in front of her, impacting the ground with enough force to throw up stone walls three persons high into a semicircle of stone. The fireball impacted the wall and washed over it, bathing the area behind it in heat. But even as the heat became unbearable, a cool wind blew through, canceling out the fire and frosting the ground lightly. The wounded Shaper gaped in silent shock at the sight of her Lord Tyr, striding through the battlefield like a silver wraith. "…Lord Tyr?"

"Kill them!" Jury roared, before turning to Solar Flare. He ignored the battle cries of his men as he began to stalk away shadow wrapping about him as he went. "Come, Flare. We must get to Canterlot. This is merely a distraction, and our plans are so close to fruition." Solar Flare didn't respond, simply following as Jury and the remaining Cultists left their siege weapons and headed to the landed airships behind the ridge.

Tyr scowled at the retreating forms of Jury and his men. He looked down to the approaching white robed army, feeling a surge of excitement in his blood. He'd been itching for a fight for a while now. Drawing Fimbulvinter, he strode forward. "Vanguard! Juggernaut on me!"

The members of the Vanguard stomped the earth, making their separated walls fall over and onto them. Seconds later they emerged, each clad in full rocky armor, and charged forward after their Lord as he led the countercharge into the Cult forces. Howling like wolves, they smashed into the white tide in a spray of blood and stone. Clad in rock, the Vanguard was all but impervious—swords and spears glanced off as the Stonekin inside laid about them with fists and kicks. Tyr tore through the center, dark metal blade flashing gold as he slaughtered cultists by the pair.

He felt a stirring somewhere deep in his soul. Before he could place it, a silver blur tore from inside his cloak and through the throat of a nearby cultist. Momentarily cowed by the arrival of another enemy, the surrounding cultists drew back, giving space for the bloody Fenrir to reveal herself. Tyr gaped. "…Fen?"

She was in her true form, having changed midflight. Blood dripped from her mouth, having used her teeth to tear open the neck of the now dying cultist. Slowly, menacingly, she turned and stalked over to Tyr. Her eyes fixed to his as she stopped just short of him. After about a minute, she slowly turned to let her eyes sweep across the battlefield. "…So I wake up in the middle of a battle. A proper place, if any."

"I should have figured you'd wake up now," Tyr replied with a grin. He couldn't help himself—he was so used to having Fenrir's companionship that it was a supreme relief to have her back. The spirit herself was keeping her cool demeanor, but she her tail was swishing back and forth rapidly. "If I knew getting into a fight would wake you, I'd have done it a long time ago."

Fenrir didn't reply, simply reaching down to take his right hand and lift it up. With a surprising amount of gentleness, she opened her mouth and bit into his hand, not drawing blood and only the barest hint of pain. It was more for the act than the sensation. "…I hate to say it, but I missed you, Blood-Brother."

Tyr's smile softened. With a short motion to stick his sword point first into the ground, he reached out with his other hand to gently pat her head. "I missed you too, Fen."

An opportunistic cultist saw that Tyr was weaponless and edged towards him from behind, spear angled to bury itself between his shoulder blades. No sooner had he positioned himself then a stony fist gripped his head and crushed it like a grape. Carver turned her stone covered gaze towards an amused Tyr. "I understand your relief at Fenrir's awakening, but please stay mindful of your surroundings, my Lord," the Shaper said, her voice slightly distorted due to the rocks.

Tyr gave her a grin. "But then you'd be out of a job."

With a slight shudder signaling the Shaper laughing quietly, the battle was rejoined in earnest. Fenrir drew her twin frost axes and leapt into the melee, howling in victory as blood went flying with every strike. Tyr joined back in as well, excitement and glee at slaughtering his enemies wholesale writ on every feature. Faced with the Spirit of Carnage and her Contractor on one side and stone golems on the other, there would be no survivors.

When the last cultist was crushed against the stone chest of Landslide, Tyr finally felt his slaughter-induced excitement drain away. Beside him Fenrir was feeling the aftereffects as well, her face flushed as though she had just been drinking straight mead for hours. Both were covered in blood, but none of it was theirs. He and Fenrir met gazes, grinned, and shared a short fist bump. "Are they all dead?" He asked softly, looking to where Etch was climbing out of the husk of her golem. The Shaper paused to glance around, taking stock of the battlefield.

"It would seem so," She said after a moment. Etch looked over to see Harrier leaving her own golem. "You gave good account of yourself, Apprentice."

The scout beamed, but quickly schooled her features and gave a short bow. "Thank you, ma'am."

Tyr glanced around at his Vanguard, mentally counting off each one. That was when Carver suddenly exclaimed, "Obi!"

They all turned to see the senior Shaper sprint across the blood soaked battlefield to slide to her wounded sister. Tyr narrowed his eyes and quickly rushed over as well. Obsidian was seated against a wall, blood still dripping from her wound. Carver looked panicked. "I'm still alive, big sister," the wounded Shaper said, wincing as she tried to straighten up. She spotted Tyr then, and frowned. "I apologize for not getting up, Lord Tyr, but I'm…"

"It's fine," Tyr replied, smiling softly. "I'll make an exception. Where's my daughter?"

Obsidian gestured to the metal dome across from them. As if on cue, the blade of Sherry's knife split the top, sliding through the rest of it to cut cleanly to separate it into two halves. Sherry and Capstone scrambled out of it, the former looking around frantically. Her eyes snapped open wide as she spotted Obsidian, disregarding everyone else as she ran to her friend's side. "You idiot!" She said as she knelt beside the Shaper. "Why did you try to sacrifice yourself!?"

"It's supposed to be my job," Obsidian said weakly, wincing. "I… I didn't want to see you get hurt…"

"And now you're hurt because of me…" She trailed off, noting that she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down to see Alice there, holding up the pocket watch. "Alice? What is it—wait, that thing didn't do anything."

"Use it again," Alice said, her voice back to its tiny and young timbre. "Use on your friend!"

Sherry looked skeptical, but she took the watch anyway. "I don't think—?"

"Click it!"

The Alicorn princess sighed, already realizing that Alice wouldn't give up. She held the watch up to Obsidian and clicked the button on the side. Suddenly the world seemed to _hitch_ , catching for just a split second. When Sherry's mind caught up, she realized that the Obsidian before her was no longer injured—at least, not seriously. The only injury was the small cut to the side of her head. There was surprise all around. "What." Carver said flatly.

"What?" Obsidian looked confused, hand coming up to feel where she had been stabbed. There was nothing there—no wound, no blood, nothing.

"What." Fenrir muttered, scowling at the younger Chaos Spirit.

"What?" Alice asked, innocently.

The most pronounced reaction came from Sherry herself. "She's okay? She's okay! I don't know what I did but she's okay!" She jumped up and hugged Capstone, whose eyebrows shot to the sky but he hugged her back. "I don't know what I did but I healed her!"

"That you did, Princess," He said, watching Carver embrace her sister tightly. He looked down to the elated Sherry in his arms. She was beaming up at him, pure pride and relief on every feature. Even splattered with blood and dust, she still glowed. Acting on a whim, he reached up to gently brush an errant strand of hair from her face before leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips. Sherry blinked in surprise, but that surprise gave way to quiet acceptance as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. It was a sweet and serene moment that was only cut short when someone cleared their throat.

"I'd like for you to let go of my daughter now," Tyr said evenly.

"Daddy!?" Sherry spluttered, pushing Capstone away in shock. The hapless guard tripped over a dead cultist and fell onto his butt, shock at being pushed giving way to abject terror as he beheld Tyr standing over him with disapproval in his eyes.

"L-Lord Tyr…!" He began, but got no further.

Tyr ignored the sly smirk Fenrir had on her features to turn to his daughter. She blanched a bit at his gaze. He took in every aspect of her—disheveled hair, smudged dirt on her cheeks, dried blood on her arms and hands—and felt all his irritation melt away. Without another word, he stepped forward, gathered the panicked Sherry into his arms, and squeezed. And that was it. Sherry melted into her father's arms, that surety and solidity reassuring her that she was indeed safe. All her fear and worries and pain were gone and replaced with the cool feeling of her father beside her. She cried. Wept even, disregarding anyone and anything around her to let her emotions pour out. Tyr stayed quiet, squeezing just a little tighter as if to remind himself that she was real and actually in his arms. He let out a sigh and gently kissed her hair. "God, I missed you, sweetie."

"I missed you too dad," Sherry replied quietly, burying her face in his chest. Then, she punched him lightly in the chest. "Every time I always _cry_."

"You know I don't mind," Tyr said, one hand drifting up to gently untangle Sherry's messy hair. "I'll never mind."

"I'm just… I thought I was going to die out here…"

"I'd never let that happen, Sherry. Never. The moment I knew they had taken you I was on my way."

"How did you…?"

"Vital signs and magical signature," Tyr told her, looking over her shoulder to where Alice was sitting on a rock. Fenrir went over and crouched next to her, the two Spirits seemed to share an unspoken conversation using only their eyes.

Sherry squeezed him tight before letting him go. She smiled and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. He hugged her tighter, lifting her off her feet to gently swing her around once. Giggling, the first Winter child smiled warmly at her father. "…I'm glad you found me."

"So am I." Tyr spotted Capstone rising, fixing the guard with a glare. The young man swallowed heavily, a tiny bead of sweat tracking from his forehead. Tyr held the glare for only a moment longer before letting out a soft sigh. "…I'll let it slide for now, since I'm simply happy to have my daughter back."

Capstone nodded quickly. "As you say, my lord. I'll keep my hands to myself."

"I didn't say that," Tyr corrected, getting confused looks from both his daughter and her guard. He smirked. "Anyone willing to put their life on the line for my daughter has my approval. Just don't get too touchy when I'm around."

Both blushed at that. But before either could react, Obsidian had gotten to her feet. "Then that means you won't have a problem with this," She said, grabbing Sherry and kissing her on the lips. Everyone—including Tyr—gaped in shock at this development.

"Oh my," Fenrir murmured, she and Alice repressing a laugh. "Now _that_ is unexpected."

Obsidian let Sherry go before retreating a couple of steps. She touched her lips, smiled slightly, and then giggled. "I've been wanting to do that since I met you."

"Since… you…?" Sherry stared at the young Shaper, mind still reeling from getting kissed by not one but both of her retainers. A quick glance over at Capstone showed that he was just as confused. She backed up a step and right into the chest of her father. "Uh…"

"We'll work it out later," Tyr said with a chuckle, putting an arm around his daughter's shoulders. She turned her confused gaze up to him, seeing that there was a soft smile on his face. "For now, let's get back up to the Jötunheim and get you all cleaned up."

"Hold," An imperious voice called, interrupting them. They all turned to see Orin approaching, a number of Qirin following him. A few were armed, but the majority seemed to be non-combatants. The Qirin Shaman was massive, especially now that he was standing straight up. He walked over, flanked by a group of armed warriors. He eyed Tyr appraisingly, eye dropping to the bloody sword held at his side. "The Princess will not leave."

Tyr's eyes narrowed sharply, and he gripped his sword slightly tighter. "Are you really going to try and keep my daughter from me?" He asked warningly.

Something in the man's tone seemed to warn Orin, and he drew back a bit. The other Qirin seemed surprised as well, noting that their leader had unconsciously backed off from someone smaller and at least visually inferior to him. Before either side could continue, beating wings alerted them to a new arrival. Luna landed a few steps behind Tyr, crossing the few steps to the man and his daughter and pulling the latter into a tight, relieved hug. "Oh, my little one. I am so glad you're alright."

"Mom," Sherry remarked, hugging Luna back. "I didn't know you came too…"

The air beside Tyr grew cold, swirled, and then formed into the unmistakable figure of Aleksa. She sent a curious glance towards Luna and Sherry. "You have a kid from somewhere else? She's almost the spitting image of you, minus the pink hair."

"She's adopted," Tyr said softly, watching as Luna ran a hurried check over her slightly injured daughter. Sherry bore it in silence, smiling softly as she assured Luna for the fifth time that yes, she was okay and no, she wasn't seriously hurt.

Aleksa looked up at her son. "…She was first, wasn't she?"

"For a while she was the only one," Tyr responded with a curt nod. He felt Aleksa reach out to gently squeeze his arm. He glanced at her, the question in his eyes. "Mom?"

"She changed you," She informed him, and Tyr blinked several times. She shook her head, hiding a tiny smirk. "Anyway, Luna and I tried to stop the airships that were leaving, but they're apparently carrying a small sun. Getting close was difficult, and they were fast. Sorry Snowflake."

"It's fine. Just another thing to worry about later." He turned his attention back to Orin, who seemed a bit put off at being ignored. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. What's this about keeping my daughter from leaving?"

"I can handle this dad," Sherry said, finally pulling away from Luna to go over to her father. She faced down Orin with steel in her gaze, either from just surviving an attempt on her life or having her family near her. Alice got up from her spot beside Fenrir to climb up onto her contractor's shoulder in support. The Princess of Creativity faced down the Shaman with a tiny frown. "I'll pilot the _Conqueror_. We'll follow the Jötunheim back to Wolfhome. Since I know my dad doesn't want to let me out of his sight, I can take some of the Shapers with me as a guard."

"We'll be useless on an airship," Obsidian reminded her friend, face twisting into a grimace at her own recollection of flying on an airship. "And I'm the only one that knows how to Shape metal."

The other Shapers all turned to the young girl, surprise on their faces. But Tyr glanced back at his wife. "Mani, why don't you go with Sherry? You obviously don't want her going off on her own."

Luna looked up sharply from her study of the back of Sherry's head to blush heavily at her husband. "Am I that transparent?"

"You'd only be worse if it was Aurora or Aleron," Tyr informed her with a smile.

She blushed more at that, before walking back up to hug Sherry from behind. "Blood or no, Sherry is my child. Is it not a mother's place to worry?"

Tyr shot a playful glance over at Capstone and Obsidian, who seemed very uncomfortable standing beside one another. "Especially given that there are two here that are trying to steal her innocence."

Sherry squeaked, blushing and hiding her face. Capstone spluttered, quickly hiding his mouth as he turned away. Obsidian simply smiled. "I'll go too," Aleksa said suddenly, getting her son and daughter-in-law's attention. She frowned. "Hey, I wanna talk to my granddaughter! And I can't do that while you're hugging the poor girl to death."

"I don't mind though," Sherry murmured.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll see you back home."

She smiled at him, shaking free of her mother to walk over to her father. She gestured for him to lean over, and when he did she kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, daddy."

"…I love you too, Sweetie."

"Now, I'm going to be a tough princess and start ordering people around, okay?"

Tyr grinned. "I'd expect no less."

Sherry giggled, before clearing her throat and turning around. The first two in her sight were Obsidian and Capstone. "You two—quit staring at my butt and let's go. I have to teach the Qirin how to fly a dreadnaught. We'll deal with our little love triangle once we're safely home."

"Yes ma'am," they both said, blinking in surprise at the sudden authority in her voice. Luna gave her daughter a proud smile, while Aleksa was busy trying not to laugh.

Sherry turned to Orin. "And you'll stop treating me like I'm beneath you. If I wanted, I could leave you and your people here and you wouldn't be able to stop me."

Orin bristled at that, the warriors around them reaching for their weapons. "You made a deal with us, girl—!"

"A deal I only agreed to because you forced us into it," Sherry countered, feeling her father tense beside her. "We were in an unknown place and being hunted. I'm honoring the deal, only because I'm a kind person and I honor my debts. But you will no longer act as though you hold the advantage over me."

"Your girl has steel in her spine," Orin said after a moment, looking to Tyr. "I suppose surrounded by her allies has given her confidence."

"That it has," Sherry said sharply, getting his attention. "But even if my father wasn't here, I'd be standing up to you all the same. Because you _need me_. You can't fly the airship—I can. So your threats mean nothing, and I will not be bossed around anymore."

She glared at Orin, daring him to refute her. But he didn't. "…Very well. Everyone—tend to the wounded. We will board the airship when our warriors are recovered and Princess Sherry will pilot it."

The Qirin stared in shock at their leader, who began stomping off towards the airship. They glanced towards Sherry for a split second before hurrying off after him. Sherry watched them go, before turning a worried look to her father and mother. "Was that too much?"

"Just enough," Luna said with a smile. She turned to Tyr. "Will you be alright without us?"

Tyr reached out to pull his wife into his arms to kiss her. "As much as I will suffer every moment I am without my beloved and my lovely daughter, I believe such a short time without you won't kill me. Makes me regret leaving Chrissie behind."

"You saw how sad she was when you told her you weren't bringing her," Luna giggled, reaching up to gently trace his chin. "You also need to cut this growing beard of yours. And your hair is getting long."

"Fine, I'll cut it. I guess I need to clean up anyway…"

"Get Rarity to do it when you get back. I'm sure she'll be elated."

"Too true. See you when we get home."

"Mm." They shared one last kiss before they separated, Luna going over to join Sherry. Aleksa gave her son a little wave before following after. Tyr watched them go, not reacting when Fenrir draped her arms over his shoulders.

"You're worried about your cub," She said thoughtfully.

Tyr scoffed. "Of course I am. I just got her back safely, and I'm already letting her run off with a small army of lightning elk."

"Ah, she'll be fine." Fenrir smiled. "For now… fill me in on what I missed?"

Suddenly Sherry's voice loudly pierced the air. "He got _two more_!?" Her amazed and indignant voice cried.

Tyr felt Fenrir's eyes track over to him, a slow grin forming on her features. He felt her fingers trace across the skin of his neck. "I was wondering where these bite marks came from. I'm well aware that I did not leave them…"

The man sighed. "Gonna be a long ride home…"

"If you ask, I'm sure one of your harem would be happy to let you ride them…"

"Shut up. Don't start taking after Chrys."

The wolf spirit chuckled and gently nuzzled his face. "Well, we still have to talk about the newborn spirit that your daughter is Contracted to."

"I felt Etro's presence in this world for a split second. You don't think…?"

Fenrir shivered, all playfulness dropping from her expression. "Believe me, Blood-Brother. When it comes to Mother Etro, no Chaos Spirit tries to understand her."

* * *

 **Reunited and it feels so good!**

 **I won't blather on (I'm doing this late at night, anyway) so Thanks for Reading, I hope you Return, and leave a Review if you like!**

 **Until next time, the Library Sleeps.**


	60. Chapter 60

**Well.**

 **It's been a while, hasn't it? I suppose first off, I should apologize for suddenly ceasing my updates without really any sort of warning or hint at to what was happening. Life got... a little rough for a bit, and whenever I came back to the story to edit it or work on it, I could never get too far into it. Trying to deal with [Life] and work on this was more than I was able to do at the time, so I had to abandon Lunar Legacy for a bit.**

 **However.**

 **The story is finished. Like, not 'I'm done writing it at all' finished, but as in 'I actually finished the last chapter' finished. Finishing it was kinda... cathartic in a way. Like it was finally finishing something that I had wanted to do, but external happenings stopped me from doing that. Plus... I felt bad. For all those that followed my work and those that found it later and followed it in hopes of seeing an update. I'm not going to update all at once (still have editing to do,.) but I will be working to get the last like... 10+ chapters out pretty quickly. NOt to rush and just be done with it, but to put it behind me so I can actually work on something new.**

 **Which may be the initial conclusion to Tyr's story, Light in the Stars, which will be more focused on the twins born to Tyr and Luna.**

 **Or, one focused on Jehu and his family's exploits in an alternate timeline Equestria.**

 **Leaning towards the first because its a more concrete and already worked on idea (I have a very badass scene written up) but time will tell.**

 **But I'm back. Writing is something that has always been a love of mine, and finding support and avid readers on here was one of the best things ever. So here we are, after so long.**

 **Apologies, and thanks for waiting.**

* * *

Chapter 59: Time Alone is Time Well Spent

"What in the name of the Princesses are you working on?" Grace asked, coming up behind Vanna. The dragonkin was seated on the wall overlooking the training yard, fiddling with something that looked like a set of cylinders.

"A weapon part," Vanna replied, holding it up. "I brought it out here so I could watch while I work."

Grace glanced down to the training yard, where a very frustrated looking Aurora was running a joint training session between the Shapers and the Guard. "Is she okay down there?"

"A few of the guards didn't take to well to a kid ordering them around," Vanna informed her girlfriend. She set down the part she was working on and her tools, pausing for a bit to wipe her fingers clean of oil.

"They fought her?"

"Sorta, and it was about half a dozen. When I heard about the first of them, I came out here. But Aurora's tossed em around like they were nothing. So I stayed out here just to be safe."

Grace watched as Aurora paused the practice, stalking over to the guardsman facing off against a blonde Shaper. She gestured about for a bit, saying something that had to deal with the Guardsman's spear. Whatever she said the man seemed to begrudgingly accept before turning back to the Shaper. Satisfied, Aurora went back to her place. "That girl is impressive," The medic pointed out, settling herself down slowly beside the metalsmith.

"Just like her dad," Vanna said with a nod. "But that's what you expect with kids."

"Hoping ours takes after me?"

The dragonkin snorted. "Looks, at least. They're gonna have to learn to work metal, I hope you realize."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Great. We'll have a child that'll be able to make a knife and heal the cuts it might make."

"Hey! I don't only make knives."

The healer opened her mouth to retort, but a glint of light caught her attention. She looked up, brushing her hair out of her face to look to the sky. The motion was being repeated around the yard as everyone looked up in curiosity. The gleaming silver hull of the Jötunheim could be seen, followed closely by the gunmetal and white _Conqueror_. "Is that… is that a dreadnaught?"

"It's a big ship, so it probably is," Vanna muttered. "Should we be worried?"

"It is no threat." The two turned to see Chrys approaching, Cienna following behind dutifully, collared and in a maid outfit. Unlike a normal outfit, the colors were reversed and her collar was a simple leather black number with a very obvious lock on the front. The two of them had been informed of the newcomer Changeling and her previous spy occupation but the outfit was new. "Master informed me that Sherry is in command of the other ship. That was why they were delayed for a few days—they needed time to get the other ship up and running."

"Good thing we have you to clarify," the dragonkin said, eying the other Changeling. "She's being good?"

Cienna winced, noting the distrusting gaze the dragoness had turned to her. After hearing the story of how she had tried to—for lack of a better phrase—poison Tyr, Vanna had been quite obvious in her distaste for the Changeling. It was really only Chrysalis's word that had kept Vanna from simply incinerating the poor girl. "I am… doing my best." She said, averting her gaze.

Vanna snorted softly before getting up to her feet. She dusted off her skirt before cupping her hands to her mouth. "Aurora! Your father is just about home—why don't you take a break and go see him?"

The young girl looked up at the sound of the smith's voice, frowning slightly as she glanced down to the sword she had at her side. With a little nod, she dismissed the gathered warriors before her. She gathered her weapon and flew over to where Vanna and the others were. She seemed quite thoughtful, something that confused those there. "Are you okay, Aurora?" Grace asked, a little worried that the girl was hurt.

"I'm okay." Aurora shook her head, forgetting that her hair was coming loose from its ponytail. Taking a moment to fix it, she looked over at Vanna. "I just… while I was practicing, I noticed something. I've been trying to fight the way dad does, but it's… odd."

"Odd?" Chrys frowned.

"I can't figure out what to do with my left hand," Aurora said, lifting up the offending member to look at it. "Dad has his magic and all his other stuff, but I can't figure out what to do with my other arm. The sword I like isn't a two handed one either."

"I could make you one," Vanna offered, but the sky-blue haired girl shook her head again.

"I don't want a sword like that. I just…"

"What about a shield?" All eyes went to Grace, who shrugged. "I just suggest it because I notice that Aurora puts protecting her siblings first. Maybe fighting with a shield would be what she's good at."

Vanna looked over at Aurora, who seemed thoughtful. "What do you think, Ro?"

Aurora frowned, closing her hand. She lifted it up, imagining a shield covering her left arm. "…I think I like that idea," She said with a small smile. She turned to Vanna. "Can you make me one, Uncle Vanna?"

The dragoness chuckled. "It's 'Aunt' now, Ro. And I'm not particularly good with shields. However, Charlie is. Let's go find her—I kinda want to try something with you."

Vanna gathered up her things, helped Grace to her feet, and led her and Aurora back to the castle. The young Winter girl glanced over her shoulder. "Tell dad I'm busy, Aunt Chrissy!"

Chrys waved her hand lightly, looking up as she saw the Jötunheim sliding into its place in the side of the mountain and the other airship landing outside the fortress town. With a sharp jerk of her head to signal Cienna to follow, she made her way back to the castle. A few of the royal guards and former Ponyville residents watched her as she went past, general distrust in their eyes. She kept her eyes straight ahead, knowing that the ones she truly cared about were just coming home.

The Stonekin were more receptive of Chrys and her new companion, giving her pleasant greetings and nods as she went past. However the biggest greeting came in the form of a particular girl bounding past them as they went up to the hangar. "Daddy's home!" Jubilee sang, bouncing up the steps past Chrys.

"Someone is excited," Chrys murmured, noting the arrival of Exuberance right behind her sister.

"Bibi has been wanting to spend time with father ever since we returned from the Crystal Empire," the girl stated, tossing her hair lightly. A strange look passed over her face then, and she glanced over at Chrys. "Miss Chrysalis… is father going to be going away anytime soon?"

Chrys paused at that, stopping and looking down at the violet haired girl. Ancè had a worried look on her face, quickly hidden by her bangs as she turned her head away. "Little one… what's wrong?"

"I… I just…" Ancè sighed. "I know our father is strong. That he's needed because of all the things that have been happening lately. But I would like… just perhaps a moment or so of time to simply _be_ with him…"

The older Changeling was silent for a long moment, before kneeling down beside the young girl. "If you want your father's attention, take it. You know your father would never refuse you."

"But what about—!"

"Ouchie!" The three on the steps looked up to see Jubilee sitting up a bit away from them, one hand on her forehead. When she turned to look back at them, they could see blood seeping between her fingers.

Ancè squeaked in terror. "Bibi!"

"I'm okay!" The pink girl protested as they rushed to her. Chrys gently pried her fingers away, seeing the shallow, yet still bleeding cut there. When the Changeling looked at her curiously, she blushed. "I tripped…"

Chrys sighed. "I'll have to find Grace. She should…" Her voice trailed off as Ancè walked up to kneel beside her sister. "Ancè?"

"Come here, Bibi," The girl ordered. Jubilee leaned close, and her sister held her hands up to the wound. In front of all of them, Ancè's horn and hands lit up with a pale green light, and the wound slowly began to close. The violet haired girl kept her focus until the wound was nothing more than a pale line against her fur that was easily hidden under her pink locks. Ancè let out a sigh. "That was… an experience."

"Whoa, I didn't know you could heal, Beri!" Jubilee exclaimed, feeling where the cut once was. "When did you learn that?"

"I asked Grace to teach me, after the Diamond Dogs attacked." Ancè looked down at her hands. "I… Seeing my siblings hurt…"

Jubilee frowned, and leaned forward to pull her sister into hug. "Thank you, Ancè. And I'm sure the others would feel just the same."

"…Thank you, Bibi."

"Of course!"

There was a chuckle above them, and the group on the stairs looked up to see Tyr standing at the top of the steps, a smile on his face. "Always cute to see you two acting adorable."

Jubilee was the first to react, letting go of her sister and bolting up to embrace her father. "Dad's home!"

"Well, hello to you too, cupcake," Tyr said, smile growing at his daughter's affection. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Been good while I was gone?"

"Of course!"

Tyr glanced over, seeing his happy Changeling and her new follower. He raised an eyebrow at Cienna's appearance, but chose not to comment. His eyes finally went to Ancè, who was looking up at him with a little blush on her cheeks. "Something the matter, Ancè?"

Ancè jumped at the sound of her name, eyes darting up to meet her father's. "H-Huh? Oh, no, I'm okay…"

"Okay… Where's your mother? Once I get out of these clothes I need to see her."

Tyr straightened up, Jubilee taking his hand as he did so. She shot her sister a look, jerking her head towards their father. Ancè blinked, realizing what her sister meant. "U-Um—!" She said suddenly, getting Tyr's attention.

"Yeah? What is it Ancè?"

"W-What… what did you need mother for?"

Jubilee rolled her eyes and sighed. Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I needed her to cut my hair."

"O-Oh…"

Tyr smiled softly. "Why don't you come along? Maybe you can help?"

That made Ancè brighten almost immediately, and she nodded vigorously. Tyr held out his other hand, and she took it immediately. "I'll take you to her, if you want."

"Lead the way, Ancè."

Jubilee giggled as they began leading their father along. "That rhymed!"

Tyr rolled his eyes and glanced over his shoulder at Chrys as they passed. She took the opportunity to move in close to share a quick kiss with him. "I'll let the others know where you are, Master."

"Thank you kindly, my dear," Tyr said with a short nod to her. "Hopefully my two fashionistas won't try to style my hair some weird kind of way."

–x–

Sherry took a deep breath, breathing in the air surrounding Wolfhome. It tasted like stone and metal, but it was way better than a prison cell. "It's good to be home," She said with a long sigh.

Behind her, Capstone and Obsidian both took deep breaths themselves, smiling at the earthy and rocky taste of the air. "I missed this," Obsidian murmured, kneeling and touching the ground.

"I did too, but probably not as much," Capstone said with a chuckle. Obsidian looked up at him with a chuckle of her own, but when their eyes met they quickly averted them. Things still seemed relatively awkward between them, Sherry noted, but she chose to ignore it. Instead, she glanced over at Logic. The lamia was lazily looking around, eyes taking in everything around her. She was almost as curious as Alice was.

The Chaos Spirit was perched atop Sherry's head, looking around with hardly disguised awe. "There's so much stuff…! _L'ehyeeop mgepnah hnahh l'gokahe!_ "

"Calm down up there," Sherry told her with a giggle. She looked around to see the Qirin disembarking from the _Conqueror_ , most shielding their eyes from the light or looking around in curiosity. She made eye contact with Orin, who was gazing in her direction. "The castle is open to us, but you're in the care of the Stonekin. Don't cause any trouble."

The shaman inclined his head, but did not reply. As the Qirin followed him into the castle town, Aleksa and Luna came up beside Sherry. "I'm not overly fond of him," Luna said frowning.

"Preaching to the choir on that one," Aleksa added with a snort. "I feel like he's going to betray us. Anyone else feel that way?"

"He better not," Obsidian said, straightening up. She scowled. "Otherwise I'll break him in half."

"We'll worry about that when it comes to it," Sherry said. She looked up at the castle walls, a happy feeling rising in her chest. "…For now, I need to see my siblings. And later sleep in an actual bed. Etro, I've missed that."

"What is this 'Etro', Sherry?" Luna asked, frowning. "You spoke of it on the airship, and it seems you swear by it."

"Etro is… well, simply put, she's Alice's mother."

"Mmhm!" Alice said with a nod.

Luna blinked slowly. "…Pardon?"

Sherry frowned, and then shrugged. "That's the best I can do. I can't really explain it."

Luna raised an eyebrow, but questioned it no further. The group entered the castle town, noting at once how much more bustling it was now. With the addition of the Ponyville residents and the royal guard, the population has seemingly doubled. Equestrians and Stonekin were working side by side to make the town more livable. "It's almost becoming a city out here," Capstone remarked in awe.

"And this all started with my father," Sherry said thoughtfully. "In the span of a few months, he's managed to find a lost clan of ponies, establish a home for them, and bring it to this point. It's very amazing how much he's done."

"Not without help, of course," Aleksa pointed out. "From what I can tell, he's had plenty of help."

"Moon knows he has," Luna murmured. "Come, let's get into the castle."

They walked together towards the keep, giving the Shaper guards cursory nods as they passed. They had only been inside for a few minutes when a very elated voice cried out: "SHERRY!"

The pink haired girl turned just in time for Hope to collide with her, knocking her to the ground. Sherry managed to recover enough to realize just who was rubbing her face against her. "Um… Hope? Hi there."

"I missed you so much! And I was so worried when I heard you were kidnapped and I couldn't do anything to help and I thought—!"

Sherry shushed her and smiled. "I get it, Hope. I'm happy to see you too."

There was a cleared throat nearby, from Ferrous as he approached. "Princess," He said with a nod.

"Good to see you too, Ferrous." Sherry smiled and got up, helping Hope up with her. The taller Alicorn princess didn't let go of her, holding her adoptive sister possessively. Sherry rolled her eyes. "I heard about the events in Canterlot. Has anything else happened?"

Ferrous shook his head. "As far as we know, no. Everything has stayed silent when it comes to the city. It also seems that our absence has been ignored for the most part."

"The Changelings no doubt have turned away any inquirers at the castle," Sherry said thoughtfully. "That way they simply put themselves on a clock. How long until someone gets curious and tries to get in despite it."

"So it's only a matter of time then," Luna murmured. "So we should make sure we are ready. Thank you Ferrous."

The guard nodded. "Of course Princess. Is there anything else you require?"

The Princess of the Night paused in thought, frowning slightly. "Actually… yes. Could you tell me where my husband is?"

"Your husband? Ah, you mean Lord Tyr. Of course, Princess." He turned smartly on his heel and began walking to the castle. The group followed, although Aleksa quickly broke off with the excuse to ambush a reading Aleron and Sherry and her friends went off in search of food. There was a notable awkwardness between the Shaper and the guard, but Sherry seemed to be ignoring it. Logic had vanished again. So it was just the two of them that arrived at Rarity's appropriated room in the castle. Ferrous indicated the door before standing aside. Luna rolled her eyes lightly before opening the door and walking inside.

Tyr was inside, but greatly changed to the point where she paused at the door. His hair was cut short, even all over and neat. He was completely clean shaven, making him look several years younger. Upon noticing her entrance, Tyr gave her a sheepish grin. "How do I look?"

Rarity, sitting off to one side as she put away her equipment, smiled brightly. "Ancè and I did a good job, no? He looks almost ten years younger!"

"That is true," Luna whispered, almost mesmerized. She walked slowly over to Tyr, reaching out with one hand to gently caress his face. "It's… very smooth…"

"I admit I appreciated the rugged look, but this is much more… er… Luna?"

The Princess of Dreams was silent, hands exploring her lover's face. Tyr bore it in amused silence, eyes flicking over to where Rarity and Ancè sat. "It seems you did a good job, girls."

Rarity giggled. "Seems we did. Come along, Ancè—give your father and Princess Luna some space."

As the seamstress and her daughter moved to the door, Tyr spoke up one last time. "Rarity?"

She paused, glancing back at him with her face half hidden by the curl of her hair. "Yes, my love?"

"I need to repay you for such a wonderful job. I'll see you later."

That got the pale woman to blush, but a smile touched at her lips. "I see. I shall be looking forward to it then."

She ushered her daughter out. Luna redirected Tyr's attention to her by claiming his lips with hers. When she let him go a moment later, she narrowed her eyes at him. "What is the meaning of this, my husband?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow, reaching out to grip Luna's hips and pull her to him possessively. "What do you mean, my wife? Is something wrong?"

"You are flirting with another of our herd when I clearly want your attention. Does that not seem wrong to you?"

"Fair enough." Tyr smiled and gestured to the door. "Wanna soundproof the room?"

Luna's horn lit up. "I'm surprised at that. Afraid someone would be lurking outside?"

Tyr leaned forward to gently nibble on Luna's ear. She shivered in pleasure. "Oh, not particularly, my love. I just know just what to do to make you scream."

–x–

"Sunset?"

The named woman looked up from the set of books in front of her, red eyes flicking about to see who had called her from behind her glasses. She found a somewhat nervous looking Trixie standing in the doorway. Sunset leaned back in her chair. "What's up, Trixie? Did you need something?"

The illusionist stepped into the room, taking in the number of books stacked up against the walls and tables. "What have you been doing in here?"

"Research," Sunset said, adjusting her glasses. She frowned, since she hated others seeing her in them, but that was a moot point now. "I've been seeing if there's any information on Changelings that might be helpful. Like spells that can reveal them and such."

"Any luck?"

"Not really, but I haven't talked to Twilight yet." Sunset shrugged. "I'm sure she might have a spell or two, maybe even an idea, but I get the feeling she's avoiding me."

Trixie frowned. "Avoiding you? Why would Twilight avoid you?"

Sunset gave her a flat look. "Uh, did you forget? Vampire and all, y'know?"

"O-Oh. Right." Trixie drew back a bit at tat reminder, causing Sunset to sigh and turn back to her work. There was a dejected set to the vampire's shoulders.

"I get it. I'm a blood drinker. You're afraid of me."

"It's… hard not to, if you understand."

"I told you, I get it. Just cause we're in a herd together doesn't mean we have to be friends, so I won't blame you if you want to avoid me too."

"No!" Trixie said loudly, startling them both. When Sunset looked back her way, Trixie hurried to continue. "We don't want to avoid you— _I_ don't want to avoid you. Pinkie said that someone should come check on you, and I volunteered."

Sunset blinked. "You… you what?"

"I. Volunteered. Do you not know what that word means or are you just that shocked that Trixie would deign to worry about you?" A bit of Trixie's usual haughtiness creeped back into her voice as she drew herself up in the face of the confused vampire.

"Er… maybe? I thought everyone was avoiding me."

Trixie's haughtiness went away almost immediately. "I can't speak for everyone, but… I simply wasn't sure if you wanted to be bothered. But Pinkie brought up the fact that you have not had anything to drink in a while. And since Tyr is… busy…"

"Busy?"

"Princess Luna left her mark on one of the doors upstairs. Rarity informed me that it meant 'keep out'."

Sunset grinned at that. "Might as well have put a sock on the doorknob," She joked. At the blank look on Trixie's face, she waved a hand dismissively. "It's a human thing. But they should be occupied for a while."

"Precisely. That's why I came to o-offer you my blood."

The vampire's smile dropped, and was replaced with a look of pure shock. "Wait. You're… _willingly_ going to give me blood?"

Trixie nodded. "We are in a herd, no? Helping each other is necessary. And like I said—I volunteered."

"…I see." Sunset frowned, taking off her glasses. "Well, I haven't had anything to drink for a couple days, so I probably should before I start having cravings. Don't want to lose it while I'm working."

"R-Right. So… how do we do this? Do I… are you going to bite my neck?"

Sunset actually chuckled, standing up. "No, I don't have to. I can just bite your wrist. The neck is more… intimate, or so I've been told."

At the word intimate, Trixie blushed deeply, trying to hide her face. "I see…"

"You know, for a mom, you're awfully shy about that sort of thing."

"My only 'experience' was rather… violent. Audio was not brought into this world by choice."

Sunset winced. "…Oh. Sorry. Wait, only experience? You and Tyr didn't…"

Trixie shook her head. "We only slept beside one another. I do not know if Tyr desires me that way or not…"

"I'm sure he does," the other woman said, reaching over to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're pretty, and I'm sure all you'd have to do is ask Tyr for his attention."

"…You're probably right." Trixie gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

Sunset grinned. "Of course—we're in this together after all. Now, let's see that arm."

Trixie winced, but lifted up her right arm obediently. "Will this hurt?"

"Probably a small pinch. Don't have a lot of feedback on my technique yet." Sunset rolled up Trixie's sleeve in one smooth motion, revealing the pale fur beneath. Knowing she was about to drink made Sunset lick her lips unconsciously. "Don't flinch, alright? I'd hate to tear something."

"I'll try my best…"

Sunset nodded dumbly, bringing Trixie's arm up to her mouth. She felt a small tug as her fangs slightly lengthened, and then she bit down. True to her word, Trixie kept herself from flinching, but she did wince in pain. She watched the flame-colored hair covering Sunset's head as the vampire quietly drank from her. It wasn't painful, but she could feel herself weakening the longer the vampire drank. Luckily for her, Sunset was completely in control, so she stopped drinking after about a minute. The vampire wiped at her mouth with her free hand, keeping the other fixed on Trixie's to keep her from stumbling. "You okay?" She asked, her red eyes deep as if all the blood had gone there. There was concern there, to Trixie's surprise.

Trixie nodded weakly, allowing herself to be maneuvered to a chair. "Just a little weak, that's all."

"That's normal unless you're like Tyr and have increased blood cell generation," She pointed out. "But I didn't drink too much, so you'll be fine in a minute or two."

"Okay, that's good." Trixie glanced over as Sunset got another chair and set it up across from her. "Was it… was it enough?"

Sunset grinned, giving Trixie a full view of her fangs. "Yeah, it was enough. Hope this doesn't sound weird, but you taste pretty good."

"Er… thank you?"

"You'd rather have Tyr tell you that, huh?"

Trixie's face filled with color as Sunset laughed. She sat there fuming for a bit, before glancing back up at Sunset. "Have… have you done it with Tyr before?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What, drink his blood? I think I've done it twice now."

"No, I meant… er… had sex with him."

"Oh." The vampire scratched at the back of her neck. "Er… Just the once."

"Was it… good?"

"Well… there was a lot of biting involved. I can't actually be sure if that's my fetish or his."

"Right…"

Sunset smirked "Worried you might not be compatible?"

Trixie shot her a glare, before sighing. "I suppose it's more like I'm worried he may not be… satisfied with me?"

"Satisfied?" Sunset frowned. "You mean like, will he enjoy it?"

"I mean, he already has Princess Luna, Rarity… and even you. I'm sure there's nothing—?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Okay, stop there. I've dealt enough with low self-esteem to see where this is going."

"H-Huh?"

The other woman ran a hand through her hair, letting out a heavy sigh. "…Okay look, I haven't told anyone this, so I don't want you going around telling people, alright?"

Trixie perked up, realizing that Sunset was about to reveal a secret to her. "I promise, I will not tell anyone."

"…Thanks." Sunset leaned back in her chair and looked up to the ceiling. "Okay, so first off, I don't think you've heard how I was turned."

"No, I have not."

"Well, there's another dimension with human forms of every Equestrian, and everyone went to a school—no, I'm not joking, and your human counterpart was actually kinda cute. But anyway, we got a new student one day. His name was Nero, and as I assume is true of most vampires, he was drop dead gorgeous."

"He turned you?"

"I'm getting there, hold on. He transferred into our school and almost immediately, I sensed something was wrong. It did take a while before I figured out what. But it was the day before Fluttershy died."

Trixie blinked several times. "She died?"

"She was hit by a car while leaving school. College, I mean—Flutters and I went to the same one. I saw it happen from the window. But by the time I had run down to see her, she was gone." Sunset sighed. "Nero had taken her and turned her in order to save her. Next time we saw Fluttershy, she was wearing all black, carrying around umbrellas and whatnot, and her eyes had gone from that beautiful blue-green color to red."

"Er… beautiful?"

"Ah. Right. That's kinda a point—I'm actually bisexual. Fluttershy and I had been dating somewhat secretly for a bit."

"Oh. Oh my."

Sunset shrugged. "Yeah, that's what the others thought. But when Flutters came back to us, I couldn't help myself. I kissed her."

"Certainly that tipped off the others."

"Like you have no idea. But they were okay with it, of course. We tried to go about our lives as usual, but since Flutters was a vampire she wasn't able to spend as much time with me and the others. Nero was teaching her how to hunt and everything. She spent more time with him than anyone. Then Pinkie suggested we go to the beach, and I thought—hey, I have a chance to get to know my girlfriend once again. Plus, I got to see all my friends again—Twilight, Rarity, AJ… It was a great idea. And then she shows up with Nero."

Trixie frowned. "Did she… did she leave you?"

Sunset snorted. "Not then, at least. The whole time we were at the beach, she stayed close to Nero. After a while, I got fed up and confronted her about it."

"And how did that go?"

"Turns out the reason she was avoiding me is because she was trying her best to not drink any blood before meeting us all. She hadn't yet developed enough resistance to not attack us, and she was thirsty. Two weeks thirsty." Sunset laughed hollowly. "And unfortunately she lost control being around me without her sire to control her."

Trixie winced. "How bad was it?"

"I think she almost tore my throat open," Sunset said with a shrug, reaching up to gingerly rub her throat. Trixie then noticed the faint scarring around her neck, evidence of the brutal attack. "By the time anyone came looking for us, I was just about dead. Nero pulled her off of me, but with so much blood gone he was forced to turn me. Next time I woke up, I was a vampire. Fluttershy apologized to me, but then I'm told Nero is taking her somewhere else to 'protect' her. He'd fallen in love with her."

"She left you for him?" Trixie asked. She was given a nod in response. "Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I came home to Equestria, made some new friends and stuff, and now I'm with Tyr. Can't exactly complain—I ended up with a Lord, after all."

"So do you love Tyr?"

Sunset stared at the woman across from her for a long minute, conflicting emotions on her face. After a bit, she let out a sigh. "I can't say I do. I like him, and if I had met him back in the other world I would have totally hit on him. And yeah, we did sleep together, but…"

"But?"

"I gave him my first time," Sunset said, a little color creeping into her cheeks. When Trixie stared at her, she looked away. "Like, I've held onto it for so long, so I don't think he charmed me or something. He even asked if I was sure. And I gave it away anyway. Now it's like a part of me needs him, if that makes any sense."

Trixie stayed quiet, thinking. It did make sense considering how the other four acted towards Tyr. Luna had unconditional love for him. Chrys had eternal loyalty towards him. Rarity was willing to do anything for him, and Pinkie literally brightened up three shades more every time she was around him. Although she did have feelings for the man, she wasn't sure if she felt as strongly as they did. "…Do you think you _could_ love him?" She asked finally.

Sunset groaned, leaning back in her seat. "You sure know how to ask the hard questions, don't you? I guess… given time I think it might be possible. Getting used to the whole 'sharing him with others' is probably the harder part."

"A good point, and a valid concern," Trixie agreed. "And yet you're staying in the herd?"

"I think it's the fact that he's not forcing me to stay that makes me want to stay," Sunset said thoughtfully. "Tyr really wants to make us all happy. So… by helping him we help ourselves, and get some really rough sex in return."

Trixie paled visibly, and swallowed hard. "Um… is it really that rough?"

Sunset laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! He was rough with me because I wanted it. No doubt he'll be gentle with you. You know, if you want."

"Stop teasing Trixie!"

"Okay, okay!" Sunset grinned. "You know, this is fun. I forgot what it was like to be friends with someone I could actually talk to. Flutters was good company, but whenever we were together we didn't do a lot of talking."

Trixie smiled back. "I suppose it is entertaining to speak with another like this."

"Well, we are the new girls in the harem," Sunset said with a shrug. "So I guess it's good to stick together."

"But that doesn't mean we should ignore the others, right?"

"Of course, of course. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends first, right?"

"Quite true. So, how about I help you with your research?" Trixie smirked. "I may not look it, but I am a self-trained illusionist. I am somewhat skilled in magic."

Sunset smiled warmly. "I appreciate it. Thanks."

–x–

"I still don't understand how you're still able to move perfectly fine after you're with me," Luna said languidly, reclining on the bed nestled in the corner of the room. They had long since left Rarity's appropriated room and had teleported back to the Jötunheim to continue. Tyr was on the edge of the bed, putting on a simple outfit of baggy pants and a t-shirt. Luna pulled herself up to a seated position to rest up against his back. "You have too much stamina."

"Believe me Princess, all I wanna do is curl up with you in my arms," Tyr said, turning a bit. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her. "But I have a nagging feeling we're about to be interrupted."

"…Is it Chrys?"

"No. I believe one of our kids."

There was a hesitant knock on the door, getting their attention. "Um… Mom? Dad? Are you in there?"

Luna frowned, using her magic to retrieve one of Tyr's shirts to pull on. "That's Aurora. What's the matter, my little crescent moon?"

The door opened, and in walked Aurora. Although instead of the usual bright and cheery girl they knew and loved, a more somber child of the moon entered. She was armored in a mix of plate and scale armor, hugging to her frame with a pale silver coloration. On her hip was a longsword, and on her off arm was a plain kite shield. Cradled under one arm was a wolf themed helmet. Upon seeing the shocked looks of her parents, she drew herself up straight and cleared her throat. "…How do I look?"

"What is all this about?" Luna asked, frown deepening as she used Tyr to hide her half naked self. "Aurora, why are you in that?"

"Aunt Vanna said she made me some armor," Aurora explained, looking down at herself. "It… how is it?"

"Looks like it fits well," Tyr said, an unreadable look on his face. "Have you tried moving around in it besides walking?"

Aurora seemed a bit surprised at her father's curiosity, just like Luna. "Er… I gave a few practice swings against a dummy, but nothing more than that. It's not that heavy."

"As expected for something Vanna made," Tyr murmured, moving the blanket on the bed back to cover Luna as he got up. He moved over to his daughter and knelt in front of her. "Why'd you come show me this?"

"I thought you might… um…" Aurora's eyes dropped to the floor.

Tyr gently tilted her head up, silver meeting silver. "Ro. Ask me what you wanted to ask."

Aurora took a deep breath. "When you go to retake Canterlot, I want to go with you."

Luna's breath hitched. "Absolutely not! I will not have my daughter on the front lines!"

"You know I know how to fight, mom!" Aurora shot back, locking gazes with her mother. In the span of a moment, Tyr saw all the similarities between his daughter and her mother, the only real difference being the color of their eyes. "And I'm not asking to fight alongside dad or anything—I know I'm not good enough for that! But there are plenty of people who can't fight, so I can at least protect them, can't I?"

"You're not ready to fight at all!"

"I've done it before!"

"I will not put you in harm's way, Aurora," Luna said harshly. "You will stay here in the castle where it is safe—!"

"It wasn't safe here a few days ago, was it?" Tyr interjected softly, cutting them both off. He glanced from Aurora to Luna. "Vanna said the Changelings made an attempt on the castle. They failed their last assault, but they aren't mindless zombies. They'd learn from their mistakes."

Luna stared at him in horror. "Beloved, you cannot be thinking to bring our daughter along with us to _battle_ of all things!"

"And you expect Aurora to stay here when we leave?" Tyr raised a questioning eyebrow. When Luna stared at him in shock, he shook his head. "Knowing our daughter, she's already figured out a way to get to Canterlot if we don't take her."

"Cori figured out how to fly the Rangers," Aurora said matter-of-factly. When her parents looked at her in shock, she shrugged. "We all agreed—if you were going to fight, we'd find a way to help."

"…All of you?"

"Mm. Al's been learning wide area defensive spells, and I think Ancè learned first aid from Miss Grace. Jubilee is learning how to make explosives."

Luna pinched the bridge of her nose, scrunching up her eyes in consternation. "How rebellious are our children?" She asked helplessly.

Aurora turned back to her father. "I'm not asking to stand right next to you dad—I know you'll be in the thick of things. But… I want to help."

Tyr was silent, looking into his daughter's eyes. He was aware of Luna behind him, her eyes boring into his back. After a moment of examination, he let out a sigh. Pulling his daughter close, he placed a soft but gentle kiss on her forehead. "I can't help but love you, can I?"

"Dad?"

"I was planning on having Sherry and Hope deal with the civilians," Tyr said, glancing back at Luna. "Aurora and the kids can stay with her—no doubt having them around to help might come in handy."

Luna's frown didn't go away. "I don't like this, Beloved. What if the Changelings go after them?"

"I'll protect them," Aurora asserted. "I'm not wearing this armor for nothing, mom. I know I can do this. I _want_ to do this."

Luna stared back at her daughter with a different look in her eyes. A mixture of pride and… fear. "…I don't want you to get hurt," She said finally, weakly.

"That's what the armor's for." Aurora gave her mother a small smile. "And besides… I am your daughter, after all."

The pride ran out over fear, and Luna got up from the bed to come over and embrace her daughter. Tyr was amused to find her completely dressed. Magic was a wonderful thing, he figured. "I wish I could protect you from this, my little crescent moon, but I know that would be the wrong thing for you. I am simply glad you are growing up to be a wonderful young lady."

"Thanks mom."

Tyr smiled. "Well, since you've got the armor and the weapons…"

Aurora turned to her father, a tiny smirk on her face. "Tomorrow then?"

"Meet you out on the training yard, little pup," Tyr said, grin growing. "If you're going into a battle, I'm going to put you through your paces."

"Looking forward to it!"

–x–


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 60: Crunch Time

"You're dead, Aurora."

Aleksa's voice called out across the training yard for the tenth time in a row. Aurora was lying on her back on the ground, Tyr's blade held at her throat. Her shield was on the ground beside her, although her sword was still in her other hand. "Still a bit slow, love," He told her, frowning.

"You tripped me," Aurora countered, but softly. She wasn't upset, just curious.

Tyr shrugged. "All's fair in battle, sweetie. You need to prepare for everything."

"Right. Yield—should we go again?"

"If you want." He pulled his sword away and moved a few steps away. Aurora got up, retrieved her shield, and took another ready position across from him. Despite the obvious height and stature difference, Tyr was treating it like an actual battle—he wasn't pulling any punches, and he certainly wasn't making things easy. He had to adjust for her height just as much as she had to adjust to his, after all. "Ready?"

She responded by charging forward, edge of the shield just below her eyes. Tyr drew back, raising Fimbulvinter in preparation. Aurora dipped to one side, but her father's eyes tracked her easily, his sword only swaying to the side to stay directed at her. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward, blade arcing for her father's throat. Tyr smirked, flicked his own blade into the way, push it aside and dragged it down the length to the hilt.

Aurora made a split decision and abandoned the original plan, instead slamming her shield into her father's chest as she used her momentum to try and push him back. She succeeded in pushing him back a step, breaking the blade lock and freeing her weapon for another slash. She caught the tail end of a smile on her father's face as she attacked, almost missing the slash coming at her exposed side. Her shield intercepted it, but she felt the weight of her father's swing in the impact as it almost made her buckle and fall. She grunted, and dashed backwards.

"You can't be on the defensive against someone with reach on you," Tyr said, switching his stance to a one handed grip and advancing on his daughter. She readied herself, a moment before Tyr lashed out with his sword and struck her shield. Aurora grunted again, holding her defense firm as her father began raining down blows.

"Come on Roro, you can do it!" Jubilee cried from the sidelines. There were a lot of onlookers for the match, ranging from the Winter children and their friends, the Elements of Harmony, to a large number of the Shapers and Royal Guard. Everyone wanted to see just how skilled the daughter of the moon truly was.

"You got this Aurora!" Cori offered, louder than she normally ever was. She nudged Goldie beside her, smiling at the shy girl. "Go on!"

Goldie flushed deeply before cupping her hands to her mouth. "Y-You can win, Aurora!"

Aurora took the words of encouragement of her friends and pushed back into her father with gusto. "She's got fury in her," Fenrir said from her perch above Sherry. Since being returned to consciousness, she had remained in her true form more often, although she still tended to be pretty lazy about it.

"Mister Tyr is still stronger," Alice offered from her spot on Sherry's shoulder. She was in a new dress, courtesy of Rarity, a sky blue one with white accents. She had even appropriated a headband with rabbit ears. "But he's not fighting full strength. Why not?"

"That is his cub," Fenrir pointed out. "Enchanted weapons or not, he'd like to not hurt her."

"Hm. That is true."

Sherry glanced over at Fenrir, raising her eyebrow. "When did you and Alice become friends? You just met her."

"We are kin, in a way, if you remember. And I suppose I'm technically her cousin. Perhaps I feel somewhat responsible."

Alice giggled, hopping nimbly from Sherry's shoulder to Fenrir's lap. "I wanna be your sister!"

Fenrir frowned at her. "You'd have to be a wolf for that, tiny one."

The younger Chaos Spirit frowned at that, before taking off her headband. With Fenrir and Sherry looking at her in confusion, she scrunched up her face. After a second of focusing, she suddenly sprouted wolf ears and a tail. "There!"

"Hm. I didn't think you'd go through so much trouble," Fenrir said, patting the younger Chaos Spirit on the head. "Okay. I'll be your sister."

Sherry blinked, both at the comfortable atmosphere between the two and the sudden transformation of her Spirit. She frowned slightly, before a loud noise from the training yard took her attention. Tyr had landed a particularly powerful blow against Aurora's blade, almost knocking it clear of her hands. Redirecting his sword, he tucked it back in preparation for a thrust. Aurora spun her shield up into the path of the attack just as the point of Fimbulvinter shot forward like a bullet. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed, yet Aurora managed to hold herself under the heavy blow. With a cry of pain and fury, she pushed back, pushing aside the shield while striking with her own weapon. Tyr's eyes widened as he quickly changed the angle of his attack, bringing it back across.

The field, which had been loud with the cheers and calls of those watching, went deathly silent. Aleksa, blinking in confusion, finally jumped up and walked over to the combatants. Eyes tracked her every step as she stopped before Tyr and Aurora. She frowned slightly. "…Well. Aurora, you managed to kill your father. However, you were disemboweled in the process."

Aurora, panting heavily, looked from where the point of her sword was pressed against Tyr's throat to where her father's blade had traced a red line across her stomach. The magical indicator line was thick, meaning that Fimbulvinter would have cleaved through her armor and into her body. She winced, knowing that if it wasn't for the magical enchantments on their weapons, she'd probably be trying to pull her organs back in. "…Ouch."

"She got me," Tyr said, a bit of surprise on his face. He and Aurora withdrew their weapons, and he reached up to touch the red marking on his neck. "Straight killing blow, too."

The gathered crowd went wild. Cheers for both of them for a fight well fought and respect for the little princess for landing a sure strike on her father. Aurora looked up, saw her father's face, and blanched a bit. Practice or no, she had just (fake) stabbed her father in the throat. "Um… Dad, I'm sorry…"

Both Tyr and Aleksa looked towards her in confusion. "Sorry? For what, sweetie?"

"For, um… fake killing you?"

"You think I'm upset?" Tyr gave her a soft smile before kneeling down in front of her. He reached up to pull her helmet off so he could pat her head. "Ro, I wanted to make sure you could fight well enough to protect your siblings. The fact that you managed to kill me, even while taking a fatal blow means that you're capable. I'm proud of you."

Aurora blinked once. Then, her face twisted into confusion. After a second of staring at her father like he had grown a second head, she brightened up like a small sun. "Really!?"

"Yes, sweetie."

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but a streak of pink slammed into her from the side and bowled her over. Despite being in armor, Aurora still let out a grunt of surprise. Jubilee was attached to her side, nuzzling her happily. "You did it! I knew you could!"

It took a few moments more, but the others arrived then to congratulate Aurora. Aleron especially seemed proud. "I'm surprised, Ro. I didn't actually think you'd be able to catch dad like that."

Aurora, still stuck in Jubilee's hug, grinned. "Of course I could do it! It was hard, but I did it!"

"As expected from my daughter," Luna said proudly, smoothing out a few errant strands of her daughter's hair. "You fought excellently."

"A bit rough, but you pulled it off," Vibrant added, and his mother nodded in agreement.

Fluttershy held a hand to her, helping her up. "You did excellently, Aurora. Oh, and you too, Tyr."

"Are you alright?" Ancè asked, looking to Aurora's shield arm. "That hit you took…"

"I blocked it, so I'm fine, Ancè. Thanks for worrying though."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "…Aurora. Move your left arm for me?"

His daughter looked at him pleadingly, but he shook his head. She sighed, looking towards her left arm. "…I can't move it. Taking that hit dead on numbed the entire thing."

"Oh my," Cori murmured.

Luna, shooting her husband a glare, looked about hurriedly. "Grace! Come here, quickly!"

"Already here, Princess," the medic said, coming over with Vanna and Charlie in tow. Tyr gently pulled Jubilee free of her sister while Grace sat Aurora down on the ground. Vanna and Charlie started removing her armor.

"Yikes," Charlie murmured, lifting Aurora's shield up to inspect it. There was a massive dent along the center, and a small hole at the middle of it. The dragonkin frowned at Tyr. "You nearly stabbed right through it. I'm gonna spend at least a couple hours fixing this."

Tyr shrugged. "Sorry Charlie. I didn't expect her to just take the hit like that."

"I'm not upset. To be honest, I'm glad it happened. Meant my shields can stop my dad's swords."

Vanna sent her daughter a wry look, before pulling off Aurora's gauntlets. "Ach, there's a bruise. Didn't anyone teach you to deflect a thrust, not block it?"

"It was the only thing I could think of to do," Aurora countered imperiously as Grace began examining her arm. "I mean, it made sense at the time…"

"I suppose given the quality of materials it's a good thing it didn't go through," Grace said. She gave Aurora a small smile. "Your arm is fine. Your dad just has heavy hits so it shocked your nerves. Want me to fix it for you?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes please."

Grace nodded and pulled a needle out of her hair. She felt along Aurora's arm for a bit before settling on a spot. She quickly jabbed the needle into her arm, making the younger girl jerk in shock. "How's that?"

"Ow!" Aurora hugged her arm to her chest, before realizing that it was working again. "Oh, I can move it! Thanks Grace!"

"Of course, Aurora."

Tyr noted that Ancè was watching what Grace was doing very closely. Without thinking about it, he reached out and patted her head. She looked up at him in surprise. "F-Father?"

"It's nothing, Ancè. I just felt like it."

"Pat me too!" Jubilee declared, hugging his other side. Tyr chuckled, and rubbed her head.

"Such an adorable sight," Luna said with a smile, just before rushing footsteps caught their attention. They turned to see Harrier coming towards them, the Shaper popping a smart salute towards them. "Harrier? Is something wrong?"

"I was sent to inform Lord Tyr that the Wulfen and the Ursa have arrived," Harrier said, glancing down at Aurora. She frowned, then smiled. "Your armor suits you, Little Princess."

"Thanks Harrier," Aurora replied with a smile.

Tyr frowned, glancing up to the walls. "So they're here, huh? …Guess we should go ahead and start the meeting."

Twilight blinked. "Meeting? For what?"

The Wolf Lord turned to her, a tiny smile on his features. "We're going to war, Twilight. We need to plan our strategy for taking Canterlot."

–v–

It was a couple hours later (the Ursa and the Wulfen had to get situated in the areas surrounding Wolfhome) before the entirety of the war council was assembled. The Stonekin had set up a larger hall for this meeting, providing places for all the participants. There were the expected members, like Tyr, Chrys, Twilight and Luna, but Hope was also present, a worried look on her face as she fidgeted beside Sherry. Aleksa had joined them as well. Fenrir and Alice were off to one side, watching the proceedings with quiet interest.

The Elements of Harmony were all present, seated on either side of Twilight. Fluttershy looked mostly out of place, keeping herself as close to the unflappable Applejack as possible. Rainbow looked bored, while Pinkie was looking around eagerly at all the faces she didn't recognize. Rarity was attempting to busy herself with something she was writing.

There was a quartet of Wulfen present, a somewhat nervous Noelle flanked by Tonto and two other burly Wulfen in light armor. They were to Tyr's left, a ragged banner with what looked to be a set of claw marks as their emblem behind them.

The Ursa had (unsurprisingly) come in force. There were a dozen of them on their side, all in heavy armor. Their leader, an Ursa named Griz (Fenrir and Tyr had shared a laugh at that) sat at the table, his massive forearms on the table. Beside him was a surprisingly imposing looking helmet.

The Qirin had come as well, Orin and a pair of his warriors taking a place on either side of him. Although having been chastised by Sherry, the Qirin shaman was still looking down on all the others present.

Grim Project was present as well, along with his sister Thana. He seemed a little bit out of his element, considering half the room was unknown to him and the other half were watching him warily. Instead of looking around, he was holding what seemed to be a one sided conversation with his sister.

Lastly was the Stonekin, led by Serenity. Petrus and Boulder were at either side of her, and she had a soft, leisurely smile on her face as she looked around at Tyr. He nodded, and she stood up. All eyes went to her as she clapped her hands for attention. "Alright everyone. I do believe everyone that is supposed to be here is here."

"Why are we holding this meeting?" Orin asked smoothly. "Should not our supposed 'leader' establish a plan?"

"I like to see what ideas everyone has," Tyr countered, glancing at the Qirin. "I wouldn't have called you here if I didn't want to hear your opinions. We're undertaking a pretty big operation, and I like to know my options."

"Lord Tyr asked me specifically gather everyone that is present," Harrier said from her position behind Serenity.

Orin turned to glare at her, before looking at Tyr. "Before you ask," Tyr said, smirking, "Harrier is part of my personal guard. She's allowed to speak up whenever she wants." The Shaman scowled, but fell silent. Harrier smiled at Tyr, inclining her head slightly.

"Do we, um, have to be here?" Fluttershy asked softly, raising a hand. "Jackie and Dashie are strong, but we're not soldiers."

"They are noncombatants," Luna said.

"We're going to be talking about far more than just fighting," Sherry pointed out. "There are still civilians in the city that the Changelings might go after."

"O-Oh…"

Tyr smiled. "That being said, we might need you all. Jury Review, the leader of the Cult of the Sun, has access to a Chaos Spirit. I'm not sure how, but your Rainbow Magic might help."

Twilight blinked. "A Chaos Spirit? You mean, like Fenrir?"

"Nothing like me," Fenrir snapped, drawing attention to her. The look of disgust on her face took them all off guard. "Paranoia is a sniveling coward and is not worth the breath needed to speak his Concept!"

"…O… kay…" Twilight turned back to the Tyr, confusion on her face.

Tyr smiled. "We sensed the Spirit when Fen awoke on the Thunder Isles. She guessed the Concept based on what we know about Jury and his methods."

Sherry turned back from watching Alice try to calm her new older sister down. "So is it something we should be worried about?" She asked her father.

"Well, depends," Tyr said with a shrug. "The power of Spirits seems to be connected to their Concept or the Legends they have. And then they might not all have the same abilities. Take for instance, Fenrir and Alice. Fen isn't skilled in any offensive magic, but in a hand to hand brawl she's nearly unmatched."

"Nearly?" Twilight asked, curious.

Tyr chuckled, knowing that Fenrir was glaring daggers at his back. "I'll have to introduce you to the Spirit of Mayhem one day. But back to my point—we also have Alice, who so far is not useful in a physical fight."

"Not at all~" Alice sang.

"So going by their Concepts—Carnage and Curiosity—I'd _believe_ that Paranoia is not too dangerous in a direct confrontation. But still, I'd advise caution."

"Then I'll just Sonic Rainboom him right in his stupid face," Rainbow said with a grin.

Luna smiled. "Ideally, that would no doubt be what we'd all want. But considering his Concept is Paranoia, he no doubt will let others do his dirty work for him."

"…True."

"So!" Tyr took command of the proceedings with a clap of his hands. "Firstly, we need to establish our end goal. Obviously, that's returning control of Canterlot and Canterlot castle to the Princesses."

"To that end, we need to remove the Changelings and their Queen from the castle," Luna said. "Our secondary objective is to ensure the safety of any and all civilians."

"There are still civilians in this city?" Noelle asked, frowning.

Griz shifted slightly to turn and look at the main table. "I was informed that the city was under control of an enemy force."

There were a few stares directed at the Ursa. For such an imposing sized creature, he had a surprisingly soft voice. [I suppose 'speak softly and carry a big stick' is relevant here] Chrys thought.

[No kidding] Tyr thought back. He cleared his throat. "Well. The Changelings have the ability to disguise themselves as others. No doubt the Changelings we're going to fight are disguised as royal guards."

"Sunset and I developed a simple spell that can be cast to detect surrounding Changelings," Twilight said, gathering attention back to her. "It works off the principle of identifying the differing kinds of magical signatures we… all…"

She trailed off, noting the blank looks all around. "I think you should stick to 'simple', Twilight," Sherry said with a little giggle.

Twilight sighed, rolled her eyes, and then shook her head. "Right. It detects Changelings. Happy?"

"Very," Serenity said, smile never fading.

The Princess of Friendship sat back in her seat, grumbling something about 'magical theories' under her breath. Tyr smiled but shook his head. "We'll stick someone magic capable in each unit. Twilight and Sunset can teach the other unicorns this spell. Right?"

Twilight shrugged. "If they can grasp the basics of life sensory magic then _yes_ I can…"

"Good. Whenever you're ready, coordinate with Ferrous. Sunset will help you, so get her whenever you need her." Tyr thought for a moment. "Actually… teach the spell to Trixie as well."

"Trixie? Why to her?"

"Someone's gonna be watching over the civilians. Why not include an illusionist?"

Twilight nodded. "Good call. I'll let her know."

Tyr turned back to the group at large. "Sherry—My daughter, for those who don't know her—is going to be in charge of what we're considering the 'Rescue' group."

Sherry nodded. "We'll be watching over the civilians and making sure the city itself is secure while the other force—led by my dad—will be retaking the castle."

"You fear these Changelings will attack the innocent?" Griz asked.

"They would no doubt choose to take hostages," Luna informed the Ursa.

Chrys sighed. "If they were more like my hive, I would assume they would. But the fact of the matter is Cocoon is much more violent than I. She would no doubt sacrifice Equestrian lives in order to succeed."

"Then she has to be stopped at all costs," Sherry said grimly. "Changelings are infiltrators by nature. She no doubt has some of her forces hidden around the city in case we invade."

"What is the end goal for our enemies?" Noelle asked, frowning slightly. "I remember you saying that you were attacked by Changelings in the Crystal Empire."

Tyr was silent a moment. "I think this is a massive ruse for the Cult of the Sun."

Orin blinked, leaning forward in his seat. "You defeated the Cult on the Thunder Isles. Surely they would not attack again?"

"That's just it. Their plan revolved around that artificial Alicorn of theirs," Tyr pointed out. "They still have him, so we haven't stopped them completely."

"But it seems we did give them a bloody nose," Aleksa pointed out, looking away from the design she was making in ice on the wall. She shrugged. "No doubt killing about a hundred of them is going to give them pause. Force them to regroup, if anything."

Luna nodded, seeing the sense in her mother-in-law's reasoning. "That buys us time."

"Especially since I just got an interesting bit of news," Grace called out, entering the meeting hall. She walked past the gathered individuals to stop right before the main table. Upon one shoulder was perched Muni, the raven flapping his wings proudly. She smirked at Luna. "Guess whose spy network just informed their spymaster that a large flotilla of airships just landed about ten miles outside of Fillydelphia?"

"Yours!" Hope claimed.

"Give the happy girl an apple," Grace said with a chuckle. She turned to Tyr. "Seems we have a location of the enemy. Should we go say hi?"

Chrys smirked. "Seems easy enough with the Jötunheim, Master."

Tyr was thoughtful for a bit. He glanced around the room, checking the faces of the others in the meeting. "Any other opinions?"

"If I may," Carver spoke up from behind Tyr. When the man turned to look, she continued. "The Cult is planning to do something with the Changelings, correct? Would it not be easier to strike them when they get to Canterlot?"

"It would be smarter to attack our enemies while they are separate," Orin countered. "If we can minimize our enemy's strengths…"

Carver frowned. "But how long until they move? They are aware we have the capability to chase them. We may move one of our strongest assets away on a wild chase that will keep them away from the main battle."

"I have to agree with her," Noelle pointed out. "Going to where our enemies were last seen is less effective than going to where they will be. We _know_ they will be in Canterlot. This message is at least a few hours, if not more old."

Grace shrugged. "She has a point. In the time I sent out Muni and Hugi and got the message back, they could have moved. Trying to catch them now would be a long and drawn out affair."

Orin frowned, but nodded. "I see your point. Perhaps having our enemies in one place will make them easier to smite."

Tyr nodded, then directed a smile towards Grace. "Thanks for the info anyway, Grace."

"I like to help, you know," She told him with a wink, before turning and leaving the room.

"So, here's the idea," Tyr said, turning back to the room at large. "The Jötunheim and the Conqueror are much stronger than anything the Cult currently has, so we have air superiority. The Changelings could attack them, so I want to put the Qirin on the Conqueror."

"You want me and my warriors on the dreadnaught?" Orin frowned. "Would we not be useful on the ground?"

Tyr glanced around the room. He had everyone's attention, except for Serenity's. The seer had her eyes closed, her meditation stones floating about her head and her opal alight. He turned back to Orin. "As true as that is, we don't have a lot of personnel that are able to work the airship. On top of that, your powers work as long as you have access to the sky."

"Who will pilot the craft, if your daughter will be on the ground?"

"I have a pilot," Sherry said. She smiled softly. "Lucky for us, I managed to get word to Mayweather. She and her crew should get here by tomorrow. They'll handle the Conqueror."

"I see. Very well. We shall rain down lightning upon our foes."

Tyr smiled. "Alright then. Next up, ground formation. Considering the diversity of our troops, I have a proposition. We have Ursa, who are extremely strong and tough, Wulfen who are fast and lethal, and the Stonekin who are excellent when it comes to holding a line."

"Not to mention the magical capabilities of the Royal Guard," Luna added.

"Precisely. We have very specialized groups here. So we need to be able to work together. We're assaulting a castle, where the Wulfen are at a disadvantage."

"We're more suited to open areas," Noelle agreed.

Tyr nodded, and pulled out a marble sized object from his pocket. He tossed it to the center of the table, and it burst into light, a scale model of Canterlot Castle appearing in blueprint format. "Cindy prepared this for me. That way we can plan a bit better."

"As you can see," Vanna said, taking over, "The castle is built half for looks, half for functionality. In the event of an actual siege, the walls can be easily covered with minimal personnel, from the design alone. Given that most of the 'defenders' in this case can use magic, attacking the walls using numbers or siege works will cause us a lot of casualties."

"So we're looking to the Stonekin to make our entrance," Sherry said with a nod.

"Anything made of stone cannot stand against the Stonekin," Carver said solemnly. "If the Changelings choose to hide behind the walls of this castle, then we will pull down those walls."

Twilight winced. "Um… could we maybe… _minimize_ the damage to the castle? It is a symbol to the Equestrian people after all. Plus I don't think Princess Celestia would be happy that we levelled the castle."

"…Well, you could just suck all the fun out of it…"

Luna chuckled softly. "Considering the overall goal, I don't think my sister will be too upset. However, we must be careful. There are still the servants and guards that did not escape the initial infiltration. The most likely are being held in the dungeons. It would be good if we could rescue them unharmed."

"Very well," Carver said with a shrug. "We will avoid _levelling_ the castle. But the walls are fair game, correct?"

"Walls can be rebuilt," Griz said sagely. "Lives cannot."

"True words," Tyr said. "When the Stonekin give us an entrance, the Ursa will lead the charge. You've got heavier armor, so you're perfect for the vanguard position."

Griz nodded. "Very well. We will accomplish this task and bring glory to the clan."

"…ooooookay. Anyway, moving on. After the Ursa push through, the Wulfen will follow in behind."

Noelle frowned. "We're following after the Ursa?" She asked.

"Yes. After we breach the walls, you'll have free reign of the field. Any Changelings are free game. You know, except the obvious one." Chrys giggled at Tyr's addition, the man himself shooting her an amused look.

"We won't let you down, Alpha."

"Lastly, the royal guard will come in along with the Shapers," Tyr said. "Magical defenses will be necessary to protect the Ursa and Wulfen. You won't have to worry much about the Stonekin—they seem to be highly resistant to offensive magic."

"Be wary of Changeling spit," Chrys pointed out. If it hits, it will solidify into something hard like concrete—er, stone. You will need someone to blast it apart with magic."

Ferrous nodded. "I'll alert our casters to be on the lookout. We'll have to make sure our casters are kept safe, so they are not immobilized."

"And on that point," Tyr spoke up again. "We move onto enemy priority number two. The Cult."

"They will no doubt engage us while we fight the Changelings," Griz pointed out. "Do we have a plan to dealing with them?"

"Technically," Tyr said with a shrug. "I have two dragons."

Vanna grinned. "Charlie and I haven't really gotten to let loose. We'll deal with the Cult—two dragons on our scale should be more than what they're ready to deal with. If not, we should be able to hold them long enough for the castle to be taken."

"I'm helping out on that front as well," Aleksa pointed out. She grinned over at her son. "Two elementals in one place might be a little overkill. I can help out more on that side."

"Three warriors for an entire army?" Orin frowned. "Is that wise?"

Vanna grinned. "You haven't seen anything of us dragonkin, have you?"

Tyr smiled. "They'll be enough, Orin. If anything, you can support them from the Conqueror."

"…Very well."

"One other note. The Spirit of Carnage in me hates saying this, but… If at all wholly unnecessary, don't kill the Cultists."

That earned him several surprised and shocked looks from the others in the room. Luna was the first to recover. "Er… I must ask, Beloved… _why!?_ "

"It was my idea," Sherry said, moving to the defense of her father, who had folded his arms and looked frustrated with himself. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. Turning back to the rest of the room, she continued. "Not all the Cultists are fanatics. If we kill their leader and they surrender, give them the benefit of the doubt."

"But if they fight back, kill them," Tyr finished, pulling Sherry over to him. Continuing in a voice only she could hear, he added "If you hadn't asked, I'd have killed them all personally."

"No doubt you would have," She replied evenly, smiling at him.

Luna frowned. "Well, I suppose that is a fair choice. Perhaps they will see sense and give in."

"One can hope," Twilight said softly.

"Well then," Tyr said, straightening up. He took a look around the room. Here was a menagerie of races, brought together in a shaky alliance. Against a veritable horde of Changelings, he hoped it would end in their favor. "Take the time to prepare. The Conqueror needs to be repaired, armed and re-crewed, and the forges are still preparing our arms. Once Sherry's crew arrives, we'll be ready for the attack. Until then, Wolfhome is open to you. Wulfen, Ursa—there is decent hunting grounds in the Everfree, but I have to warn you from harming the Timberwolves. A friend of mine here in the castle controls them, and I'd like to stay on her good side."

"Other than that," Luna said, standing alongside her husband, "You have leave of the castle. The Stonekin will be watching, and have leave to keep the peace. We are all allies here, so please—act like it."

Tyr nodded. There were no objections at all. Serenity opened her eyes. She glanced at him, forced a weak smile to her face and nodded. The Lord of Wolfhome smiled. "Alright then everyone. Dismissed."

–x–

The door to Solstice's shop opened, the tiny bell attached to it ringing lightly. The owner of the store looked up from his book to greet his customers. "Hello there! Welcome to my store!"

It was only belatedly that he realized that his visitors was a woman and a much shorter girl, the taller of the two pale skinned with long, platinum colored hair. The smaller of the two had short, reddish brown hair that she kept under a dark purple woolen hat with a pair of sharp points like ears. "Hello sir," The taller woman said.

"Came for something particular?" Solstice asked, standing up. "Or just browsing?"

"My cousin and I were a little interested in what you had here," The woman said, walking forward. Her pale white dress flowed about her ankles like water, almost making her seem ethereal. The man before her drew up a bit—she was stunning, beautiful even, and she gave him a very gentle and alluring smile that went all the way into her hazel eyes. "Is this a curio shop?"

Solstice swallowed. "I like to call it a 'curiosity shop', considering I pick up a lot of stuff."

"How very clever. Ruby, why don't you go ahead and start looking?"

Ruby glanced up at the tall woman, nodding slightly. "Okay. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Solstice watched the little girl walk away, her violet eyes scanning the various objects he had on display. He smiled at her obvious interest, as she picked up some items to look them over closer. It wasn't until he turned his attention back to the first woman that he realized he had been staring. "Er…"

"Do you have children of your own?" The woman asked politely.

"Uh, yes. Do you, miss…?"

"Isabel," The woman said with a smile. "Yours?"

"Solstice. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Isabel."

"Likewise. And to answer your question, yes I do. A little boy and a little girl."

"I have a daughter. She's currently staying down south, near Ponyville."

"Ah that little town? How nice. Have you visited often?"

Solstice sighed. "No, she was out of town for the last week or so. Went up to the Crystal Empire if I remember correctly."

"I see. You must miss her terribly."

"Yeah, I do. I just hope everything is okay. Princess Hope and her guards left the castle a while back in a hurry, so something must be going on."

Isabel frowned slightly, eyes scanning Solstice's face. After a minute of thought, her frown turned back into a smile. "You have no need to worry. I'm sure she's fine."

Solstice blinked, but shrugged. "Ah, my daughter is stronger than I give her credit for. I'm sure she's fine without her father meddling."

The woman before him giggled softly. "I doubt fathers ever get tired of meddling in their daughter's lives."

"I suppose that's true." Solstice glanced over to where Ruby had stopped wandering, her eyes fixed on a jeweled bracelet. "See something you like?"

"It was pretty," Ruby said, blushing heavily at her attention being noticed.

Isabel walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her head. "Did you want it?"

"Um… I don't want to impose…"

"Here." Isabel knelt down to Ruby's level and pulled out a small satchel. It was covered in stars, and she pulled out a number of golden coins from it. "You can go pay for it."

Ruby smiled warmly, picked up the bracelet, and made a beeline to Solstice. The man chuckled as he made the transaction. It was a little less than he had planned to sell if for, but the happiness coming from the young girl warmed his heart. "Your cousin is very kind."

"She gets it from Uncle," Ruby said with a big smile.

"She is, isn't she? Although…" Solstice glanced back over at Isabel. She was putting away the star bag, slipping it into her sleeve with a practiced notion. "I've seen a bag like that before. One of my daughter's friends—Tyr, if I remember his name correctly—had one like it."

Isabel blinked in surprise, before looking back towards Solstice. "Oh? He's been here?"

"You know him?"

"Yes, he…" Isabel paused a moment, seeming to measure her words very carefully. "My sister makes these. It was a gift for… helping our family."

"Yeah, that guy seems like the helpful sort."

Isabel and Ruby shared a short look. "Er… do you know where he is now?"

Solstice frowned at the look the two shared, and thought for a moment. "He went to the Crystal Empire too, I think. Maybe he's still there?"

"…I see. Thank you for your time, Mr. Solstice. And for the bracelet." Isabel put a gentle hand on Ruby's back and steered her to the door. "Come along, Ruby."

"Good bye, Mister Solstice," Ruby said sweetly, going along with her cousin as she led her out. They exited out into the street, moving away from the store at a much faster pace than the smaller girl expected. She glanced up at Isabel, concern in her eyes. "Izzy… is everything okay?"

Isabel stopped, looking down at her cousin. "…We're where we need to be. That man knows Tyr—and he's connected to what's going to happen to this city."

"And is that… bad?"

"I don't know yet. This world is messing with my abilities… normally I'd be able to at least make a guess, but I can't. This is a pure magic world we're in, Ruby. It makes sense now that it took Etro herself tearing open a hole in the veil surrounding this world for us to come here."

They made a sharp turn down an alleyway, making use of back roads to avoid the bulk of Canterlot's inhabitants. Ruby frowned slightly. "So is that why the Acclimation period is so long?"

"I can imagine. Maybe that's why it was so hard to track Tyr when he first arrived…"

"Uncle and the others are no doubt feeling the same then," Ruby said worriedly. "If the Zodiac was here before us—!"

"There is no if, Feline." A new voice called.

The two girls stopped, freezing on the spot. Isabel reacted first, spinning elegantly and flinging a brace of daggers at the owner of the voice. The white robed figure, not expecting the sudden attack, threw themselves to the side forcing the majority of the slim blades to miss. A pair of them buried themselves in the figure's upper arm however, drawing a pained grunt. A second figure came down the alley, a spear of gilded white gold in their hands. "Sagittarius!"

"So we've caught two Knights already?" Isabel smiled softly.

A silver owl landed on the small girl's head, wings and feathers lighting up with glowing blue lines. It opened its beak, and a mechanical voice came out. "I do not like being bait, Izzy."

"We were in no danger," Isabel admonished. She turned back to the two knights. "Although perhaps we are now?"

"I should have known better than attempting to ambush the Widow," Sagittarius said, clutching at her wounded shoulder. She waved off her fellow knight who was moving to help her. "We will withdraw. For now. Although I am sure we will be in conflict before long."

Isabel smiled, showing off her prominent fangs. "As a Striate child, a decent fight is always welcome."

The two Zodiac Knights glared at her, before simply vanishing on the spot. The two Chaos Mages stood in silence, before Ruby and her owl turned upset looks towards Isabel. "You could have told us we were bait," The owl said.

"I didn't know until we had left," Isabel countered. "Besides, I'm my father's daughter—I'm always prepared."

More silence between the two. Then, the owl tilted its head. "…Where do you keep those knives in that dress?"

To the shock of both Ruby and the owl on her head, Isabel blushed.

–x–

* * *

 **I won't be doing long, drawn out footnotes at the moment, but I just want to again thank everyone who has read, is reading, and will read this story.**

 **The Library is Awake Once More.**


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 61: Winter's Children

"You want armor?" Charlie repeated, lifting up her goggles to peer at the young woman sitting before her. Sherry was seated on a small box, the only kind of real seat in the forge that wasn't a stool of some kind. She nodded. The dragonkin before her raised an eyebrow to join her goggles. "…Mind if I ask why?"

"My dad always said to be prepared," Sherry replied matter-of-factly. "And I'm going to be in the city where there might be fighting. I should be prepared just in case, right?"

"Hm… Fair enough, I guess. I can do it. Nothing too heavy for you, since you're a caster and all, so probably easier to go for important stuff than full protection."

"That sounds good. I don't think I'd feel comfortable in heavy armor."

Charlie snorted and pulled down her goggles. "Not many do. Last mage I made armor for kept complaining about how it impeded her movement. At least, until a spear broke on the chest piece instead of going right through."

Sherry winced. "I can imagine that changed her mind."

"No kidding. Started asking if I could make her more." Charlie raised her Dust formed hammer to begin working again, only to pause right before swinging. Her red tinted goggles swiveled back up to regard the Princess of Creativity. "…Are you going to stay there?"

"…Huh?" Sherry blinked several times rapidly, before glancing down at the box she was sitting on. "O-Oh! If you don't want me to stay, I can leave you to your work…"

"No! I mean…" Charlie blushed heavily then and lowered her hammer. Her voice was quiet as she scratched at her arm. It was currently covered in scarlet scales, no doubt to help shield from the heat. "…I don't normally have people watching me work. Only my dad does, and he's… _she's_ normally doing her own thing instead of really watching me. I've never had an audience."

"By choice?"

"I don't mind. It's actually… I'd like to have someone to talk to while I worked. It gets a little lonely in here by myself."

Sherry frowned at that. The forge they were in was the one Vanna had built upon Wolfhome's creation, separate from the area of the castle known as the 'Kiln' because of how hot it got. All the Stonekin metalworkers did their work down there, putting out quality arms and armor at a rate that most factories could be jealous of. Vanna and Charlie were down there occasionally, but more often than not the two dragons would be in their personal smithy working on more impressive pieces like Tyr's Fimbulvinter and Aurora's new set of armor. Vanna was currently off with Tyr, so that left Charlie on her own. Understanding dawned on her then, and she nodded. "So it's okay if I stay?"

"Well… yeah."

"Alright then. I'll keep you company."

The tiniest smile touched at Charlie's lips before she turned back to the slab of metal set before her. It was already cooling, and she gave a huff of disappointment before opening her mouth to blow flame directly on it. Sherry scooted back a bit from the heat, eyes fixed on the dragonkin as she shut off the flame and began hammering away. It was fascinating, watching shape being teased from red hot metal. Despite working at the irritated material with a hammer, Charlie attacked her piece with a methodical grace that Sherry found herself captivated by. Every strike went to its proper place without any hesitation, the dragoness's familiarity with her material showing with every motion. Sherry was so engrossed that she didn't realize that Charlie had stopped until the other girl waved a hand in her face. "Hello? Charlie to Sherry? You alive in there?"

"H-Huh!?" Sherry jerked back, dislodging the small form of Alice from her shoulder.

A red scaled wing snapped out and gently scooped up the falling Chaos Spirit in the span of a heartbeat, keeping the diminutive girl from crashing to the stone. Casting an irritated look to her Contractor, the Spirit turned to Charlie. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," A bemused Charlie pointed out, depositing the black haired girl in Sherry's lap. Her wing curled back behind her, before jerking slightly and seeming to merge back with her body. The dragoness's attention returned to Sherry. "You alright? Something on your mind?"

Sherry blinked once more, before shaking her head. "No, I was… just watching you work. You're very good."

"O-Oh. Thanks. I guess." Charlie turned away again, although her smile was larger. "You spaced out pretty hard there, so I was a little worried."

"I just… have a lot on my mind, really."

"Like what? If you don't mind me prying."

Sherry leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. Alice climbed down to the floor, where she made a beeline over to where Charlie was working. After a few unsuccessful tries, she finally was helped to the top of the nearby crate where she could see what was going on while in no danger from a sudden motion. Sherry let out a sigh. "Have you ever… have you ever had someone confess to you?"

"Confess?" Charlie paused at the question, frowning in thought. "Well… a couple of times. Some guys that were trying to get into my pants tried to 'woo' me or whatever the term is. I turned them down though."

"So you've never been in a relationship?"

The dragoness rolled her eyes. "I never said that. I had a girlfriend."

"A… A girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Oh, side note—I'm bisexual. Sorry about not making that clear."

Sherry shook her head. "No, that's fine. I understand."

"Why all this talk about relationships anyway?" Charlie asked, turning back to her work. "Boy trouble?"

"Sorta. It's really not him that's the issue."

"What then?"

"It's the _girl_ that _also_ likes me that's the issue."

"…Oh. That's rather… distressing."

"Did I add that they both kissed me?"

Charlie paused again, regarding Sherry with a different look. "…I can see where that's a problem."

Sherry put her face in her hands. "In. Front. Of. My. Dad."

"Well, that was no doubt terrible for all those involved," Charlie said with a wince. "How is he taking it?"

"He hasn't brought it up. I guess he's waiting on me to figure out what _I'm_ going to do."

"Ah, right. You gotta pick one of them." The measured beating of the metal in Charlie's hands continued, an almost reassuring noise. "…Do you like either of them?"

"They've saved my life," Sherry said, wrapping her arms about herself. Alice looked a little distressed, unable to give her Contractor any comfort. The pink haired Alicorn let out a heavy sigh. "They're both my friends. I don't want to pick between either of them."

"Then don't." When the other girl looked up in surprise, Charlie continued. "Well… you don't want to lose either of them because of this, right?"

Sherry nodded. "Of course. I've been through too much with them both."

"Then do what your dad did." Charlie shrugged. "Make a herd."

The other girl stared at her for a long minute. "I can… do that?"

"Normally? No. Considering your race was originally horses, herds aren't that crazy. Plus, there's the fact that… you know…" To finish off her statement, she reached over and tapped the tiara that was perched on Sherry's head. She had forgotten about the piece of metal, it having been returned (reforged and cleaned) after her rescue from the Thunder Isles. "I'm pretty sure you could do what you want."

"I… I am a Princess, aren't I?"

"Surprised you forgot with the whole 'horn and wings' thing."

Sherry smiled softly. "…You've got a point."

Charlie paused with what she was doing just in time for Sherry to get up, walk through the short distance between the two, and hug her gently. "Um… what?"

"Thank you, Charlie. This really helped."

"Um… you're welcome?" Charlie hugged her back awkwardly. "Er… Are you going to go tell them?"

Sherry let Charlie go, an odd look on her face. Then, with all the ceremony of a young adult woman, sat back down on the crate. "Nah. I think I want my friend to explain how she makes armor to me."

Charlie blinked several times before brightening and giving the other girl a smile. "Alright. I guess I can see how good of a teacher I am. You sure about this?"

Sherry glanced over at Alice, a twinkle of excitement in the Spirit's eyes. The Princess of Creativity turned back to Charlie. "One hundred percent. Teach me, Charlie!"

–x–

Tyr and Vanna stood together with about a dozen Wulfen, a trio of Ursa, and a very nervous Silica on the banks of a river that cut through the Everfree. The odd hunting party had agreed to hunt together in order to facilitate cooperation between the two forces, but after a short period of exploration they had sent a messenger to retrieve the Wolf Lord. Now, they looked up at the massive crablike creature that lay dead against one side of the river. It had a vaguely green shell, and was much bigger than anyone present. After a minute of silence, Vanna finally spoke. "…What the hell is this?"

Tonto, the lead hunter in the group, spoke up. "I believe it is a 'crab' as we have been informed."

Tyr's already raised eyebrow went even higher into his brow. "…And it attacked you."

"Yes—we discovered it was hostile after Silica here was beginning to show us how to fish."

"It tried to eat me," the terrified arachne said, scooting a little further away from the dead crab.

"And… you killed it," Vanna finished, eyes drawn to the spear that was jammed into what would have been the 'face' of the crab. "With a spear to the face."

"Our other bladed and pointed weapons bounced off its shell," One of the Ursa offered. He hefted his hammer meaningfully. "We cracked a few places with our hammers."

Tyr nodded slowly. "…Right…"

"Hold on," Vanna held up a hand, getting the attention of everyone. "This _giant crab_ came up out of the water, right?"

Tonto frowned. "Yes."

"And then someone stabbed it in a weak spot?"

"Only way we could manage to kill it, despite Harrold and Marti's best efforts."

"Hm hm…. I see…"

Tyr turned to Vanna, confusion on his face. "Where are you going with this, Vanna?"

"A _giant enemy crab_ appeared and they had to _strike the weak point for massive damage_." There was silence. All eyes were looking at the amused dragoness, confusion reigning over them all. Then Tyr's face suddenly twisted into a grimace, he palmed his face exceptionally loudly, and then his other hand came up sharply to smack Vanna upside the back of the head. "Yeow!"

"You _idiot_." Tyr sighed particularly loudly. "I cannot believe you just did that _in front of people who don't get it_."

"Only one had to get it."

"… _idiot_."

There was a sound like rushing wind, and then Aleksa materialized before them. She dusted off her snow blue blouse and skirt outfit before turning to her son. "I've been looking for you, young man," She said while pointing at him with a finger.

"Me?" Tyr remarked in confusion. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I… I need to talk to you."

"About…?"

Aleksa glanced around at the crowd. "Alone, Tyr."

Tyr shrugged at Vanna, who shrugged back. "We'll deal with the crab. Ooh, maybe I could save a few pieces of it for Charlie. She sure loved making armor back in that other world we visited."

"Have fun with that," Tyr said, quickly following after his mother who had chosen to start walking away. "Don't wreck anything."

"No promises dude!"

Tyr sighed, shaking his head as he followed his mother. She led him back in the direction of Wolfhome, keeping just ahead of him as they broke tree cover. But then, she stopped. Tyr drew up short behind her. "Er… Mom? What's up?"

"I need to tell you something, Snowflake," The elder Elemental said, turning to face him. She seemed a little concerned, or was it nervousness? "I've been, uh… kinda hesitant at telling you."

"Why? Is it… is it something bad?"

"No! Not… not at all."

Tyr frowned. "Then… what?"

"Snowflake… you…" Aleksa bit her bottom lip, fiddling with a strand of her hair. "You weren't your father's only child."

"…What?"

"Your father married twice after me. His second wife had a baby girl shortly before I discovered I was pregnant. After you were born, I went to see her…" Aleksa looked up at her son's shocked eyes. "You have a sister, Snowflake. A half-sister, but a sister nonetheless."

The words reached him, but he was busy staring at his mother in pure shock. "I… have a sister? Like… an actual _blood_ sister?"

"Her name is Kyanna," Aleksa informed him. "She should be about the same age as you now, unless the whole flow of time is different."

"And she… she knows about me?"

"I would believe so. I mean, after I left you in your new home, I went to see her. I told her mother to tell her about you. Just… in case, you know?"

Tyr turned away, mind rapidly processing this new information. He had a sister. An actual flesh and blood sister. "Huh. I just… Wow."

"Snowflake?"

"I want to meet her. Not right away—after we're done with all of this." He turned back to his mother, a smile on his face. Without saying anything right away, he leaned in to give her a hug. "…Thank you, mom."

"Of course, Snowflake." Aleksa smiled brightly. "When all of this is over, we can open a Door to your sister's world, pop in, and say hello!"

Tyr chuckled, releasing his mother and straightening up. "I think I'd like to do more than say hello, but I get you."

"Me too—it's been so long since I saw little Kyanna. She's probably all grown up now!"

"Well yeah. I was born not too long after, right? So she'd be a bit older than me, right?"

"True. But we'll save the visit details for later. We've got a castle to retake, right?"

Tyr nodded. "Are you sure you can handle the Cult if they show up?"

Aleksa looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Snowflake! I'm surprised at you! You might be a Chaos Mage, but your mother could still kick your ass when it comes to just straight up combat. I've got centuries of experience, sweetie."

"We will have to test that eventually," Fenrir said eagerly.

"Looking forward to it, pup."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Come on you two. Let's get back to the castle. Sherry's crew is supposed to get here today."

–x–

"Well, that's actually not that bad," Charlie said thoughtfully, holding up the small knife Sherry had just forged. After explaining roughly how she went about forging armor (Sherry had been both mortified and fascinated when she described using her own limbs to shape arm guards and leg pieces), she had decided to teach Sherry the same was Vanna had taught her so long ago. Making a knife. It was rough and inelegant, but serviceable. The dragoness held up the rough piece of metal, looking over it with a studious eye. "Your edge is a bit rough, and there's a warp in the spine, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. Very good for your first time."

Sherry smiled. "Thanks. I was trying to keep everything even, but it's hard with a hammer."

"It takes a bit of strength," the other girl said, holding up an arm. She flexed, showing off the well-defined muscles in her limb. "I've been at it for longer, so my muscles know just what to do."

"I see. Thanks for giving me the chance to try though."

Charlie gave her a small smile. "I'm always here if you want to try again."

Sherry gave her a smile in response, gathering up Alice and dusting off her skirt. "I'll drop by later."

"I might have your armor ready by then," Charlie said thoughtfully, already turning back to her work. A thought struck her then, and she held up the partially finished blade Sherry had forged. "Want to keep this?"

Sherry blinked at the offer. "You're…letting me keep it? You're not going to fix it or something?"

Charlie shook her head. She pointed to a simple, easily unnoticeable knife that was hanging on a pin in the wall over her station. It was roughly made, almost as though a child had made it, but the red scales that made up the handle could have come from no one other than Charlie herself. When Sherry's eyes widened at seeing it, the dragonkin smiled. "Yeah, that's my first knife. Dad went through the whole spiel with me too, and when I finished he gave me the blade to put a handle to it. You never forget the first step on any journey, he told me. Wisest bit of advice he's ever given me."

"So…"

"Blades can always be sharpened," Charlie said thoughtfully, flipping the blade to hold out where the handle would eventually go. "Think about what you want the handle to be made of, then come back to me."

Sherry took the piece of metal, feeling a different sort of weight in it now that Charlie had spoken. She nodded. "…Before the siege. I'll be back."

Charlie smiled. "It's a promise then. Have fun talking to your significant others."

Sherry winced at the reminder, but left the forge in generally good spirits. As if Charlie had called it, she almost literally ran into Capstone and Obsidian the moment she left. The two looked to have been waiting on her, surprise on both of their faces at her sudden appearance. "…Were you two waiting out here?"

"One of the Shapers told us you were here," Capstone said, shrugging. "Were you… were you with Miss Charlie?"

"Yes I was," Sherry replied. "She was showing me how to forge knives."

"Charlie would make a good teacher!" Alice agreed.

Sherry gave them both a curious look. "Did you two need me for something?"

Obsidian and Capstone shared a quick look before the Shaper cleared her throat. "We did. There was something we needed to speak to you about."

"…Both of you?" Sherry raised an eyebrow. "I see. Come with me."

Two surprised faces watched as the Princess of Creativity turned on her heel and started walking away. The guard and Shaper jumped to follow, trying to keep Sherry's pink hair in view. Capstone ventured a question once they finally caught up. "Er… where are we going?"

"I have things I need to do, plans I need to prepare, and we need to have a serious talk. So we're going to walk and talk."

"Wouldn't this conversation be better held somewhere more private?" Obsidian asked softly, glancing around at the other Shapers they were passing. She squeaked in surprise as she almost ran into Sherry's back. The Alicorn woman turned to her, eyes narrowed.

"You certainly thought about that when you kissed me in front of my parents," Sherry snapped back flatly. Both Obsidian and Capstone flinched at that and fell silent. The pink haired woman turned back around and continued walking. Her two companions followed, suitably chastened. As they passed into the halls of Wolfhome Keep, Sherry spoke again. "That being said… I wasn't that against it."

The two behind her blinked and spoke at the same time: "You weren't?"

"Of course not," Sherry replied with a small blush. "To be honest, I enjoyed both very much. It's just I want to know why you waited until then to do it."

"Jumping the whole 'She's a Princess' hurdle was my issue," Capstone admitted.

Obsidian blushed. "I wasn't sure if you would be alright with another girl for a partner…"

"Asking me would have worked too," Sherry pointed out with a sigh. "What possessed either of you to do it in front of my father?"

Capstone chuckled nervously. "To be perfectly honest… I forgot he was even there."

"I thought a display of courage like that would impress him," Obsidian said.

"Well, I dunno if that worked, but you certainly confused everyone," Sherry said with a shrug. "So what am I supposed to do about this?"

Capstone frowned, but Obsidian spoke up immediately. "I know that a relationship with me would be less… welcome to the average pony. If your heart desires Capstone, I urge you to choose him."

Two pairs of confused eyes turned to her. "But… what about you?" Capstone asked dumbly.

The Shaper smiled softly, folding her hands together. "I… I admit, I would be somewhat sad. But if I could simply stay by my Princess's side…"

"You'll do more than that," Sherry said firmly.

"H-Huh? Princess?"

"I'm actually really bad at this sort of thing," Sherry said after a moment, running a hand through her hair. "But you two are my closest friends. I'd be an idiot to lose either of you for any reason, especially after what we've gone through together."

Capstone frowned. "So… what do you mean?"

"It means she wants you both!" Alice said irritably, popping up on Sherry's shoulder. She sighed and shook her head. " _I tghaa', shata sghu a'a at shuthk at sha tsuna ustaftr._ "

Sherry giggled. " _Thax a'a na''uiat. Cias shan tuna tftathk_."

" _Hugh tuftftx._ "

Capstone and Obsidian stared at the two in confusion. "Er… are you two actually speaking a real language?"

Sherry nodded. "Yes, we are. I think it's an old language that Alice knows. Since we share info, I know it too."

"I… I see…"

Obsidian frowned. "So, wait—she said you want us both?"

"And that you both are very silly for not realizing that right away," Sherry smiled softly. "I can't say if there's _love_ there yet, but I care about you two a lot. And I don't want to lose either of you."

Capstone seemed a bit caught off guard, blinking several more times. "So… we're making a herd?"

"Well, you're definitely not the head of it," Sherry countered with a smile. "But yes, we'd technically be a herd."

"But… can you do that? I thought herds were supposed to have a male head?" Capstone continued. "Er… not that I'd try to force myself to be in charge…"

Sherry gave him a sly smile. "I'm a Princess, remember? I've got a bit of say in these things."

"…Oh. Right."

Another voice broke in on them then, that made Sherry brighten up immediately. "Well! Seems like our dear Princess has grown a bit since we last saw her!"

"Mayweather!" Sherry cried out in surprise as she turned to face the woman who almost picked her up bodily in a tight hug. Mayweather was rather tall and full bodied, surprisingly strong for a Pegasus. Her wild hair was tied back away in rough braids and hidden under a bright pink bandana, serving to show off her pearly whites. The pilot's grin only grew as she held out the younger Princess at arms-length.

"You're looking much better," The woman said with a smile. "Those goons didn't treat ya too bad, did they?"

"Bad, but we toughed it out," Sherry replied. "What about you?"

"It took us some time to repair the _Cinnamon_ , but we didn't break anything serious. We made it back to Canterlot okay and tried to get our message out to your dad and the Princesses. Princess Hope went flying out not too long after. Did she find you?"

"Well, not exactly. She was running from another threat—the reason why I called you and your crew."

Mayweather nodded before jerking her head over her shoulder. "I heard you had stolen a dreadnaught. Congrats by the way, and I brought more crew."

The trio looked past the pilot to see another pegasus behind Mayweather that was also in a pilot's outfit. Upon seeing that he had everyone's attention, he nodded. "Hello, Princess. The name's Fair Skies, and I was the pilot of the _Sky Fisher_. May here called me over because she needed me and my guys to run the _Cinnamon_ while she flies your dreadnaught."

"Although leaving my girl in his hands is a bit bothersome, he's the only one I trust," Mayweather pointed out.

Fair grinned. "I'll treat her well, May."

"You better, or I'll tan your hide."

Sherry giggled. "Thanks for coming so quickly, Mayweather. I was worried you wouldn't make it out of the city."

The two pilots frowned at her. "Well, we did get stopped by some of the guards. They let us go after a few questions though."

"That's good, I guess. Mayweather, go ahead and get acquainted with the _Conqueror_. Fair Skies, prep the _Cinnamon_ for combat. I'll be counting on you both."

Both pilots saluted. "Yes Ma'am!"

With that, they went off to their assigned tasks, good natured banter between the two fliers as they left. Sherry watched them go with a smile, before turning back to Obsidian and Capstone. "So… anything else you two want to ask?"

Obsidian thought for a moment. "Am I allowed to kiss you?"

"Only if I kiss back," Sherry countered with a laugh. "And not in front of my dad! I still have to explain why I'm following in his footsteps with the whole herd thing…"

Capstone chuckled nervously. "Yeah, good point…"

"You could always start with me, dear," Rarity said, a touch of amusement on her face as the three young adults nearly jumped out of their skin at her arrival. She giggled softly. "I overheard the tail end of your conversation. May I assume everything has been worked out?"

"You knew?" Sherry asked, confused.

Rarity nodded. "Your father told us all. He asked us to give you advice if you needed it—although it seems you didn't."

Sherry blushed slightly, before nodding to herself. "…Right. Where's my dad?"

"I just saw him returning with his mother. Perhaps he is elsewhere in the castle?"

"Right. Alice, can you sense Fenrir?"

Alice nodded. "Of course!"

"Then take me to them," Sherry said, beginning to walk off. "I'm in dire need of a hug from my dad and I'm getting more time in with him before I can't anymore. Capstone? Obsidian? You two are free for the rest of the day."

Sherry's two retainers watched her go, before turning to a quietly laughing Rarity. "That girl… she's so much like her father. Even though she's adopted, she loves him without question. It's rather adorable that time has not changed that."

"It hasn't?" Obsidian asked, confused.

Rarity smiled at her. "To be honest, many of us were afraid that being separated from her father would hurt her irreparably. But seeing her now… She's gone from being a mostly shy girl that was nervous of everything to a leader in her own right." Rarity let out a wistful smile. "I always thought she was a late bloomer…"

"In more ways than one," Capstone said without thinking. When Rarity gave him a sly smile, he blushed heavily and turned away. "I-I-I should go to the forge! I need to get a new weapon and probably some armor…"

He trailed off as Obsidian reached over and took hold of his hand. She smiled up at him shyly. "Um… shall we go together?"

"Um… sure."

Rarity watched them go, her smile only growing. "What are you smiling at?" Sunset asked, passing by with an armful of papers. The vampire tilted her head in confusion as the seamstress shook her head.

"Oh, nothing important. Just watching young love bloom." She turned to the other woman with a little giggle. "Let me help you with those, darling."


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 62: King's Opening

"I think something needs to be addressed," Twilight said after a moment.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. The Lord of Wolfhome had been working on refining the battle plan by himself, with a little help from Cindy. He tapped the small marble like device that was showing the schematics of Canterlot castle to turn off the display. "Well, I'm all ears, Twilight. What's up?"

"The Cult of the Sun has some very strange technology," Twilight said, moving to sit across from the man. "They've already demonstrated the ability to neutralize our magic. We don't have countermeasures for that."

"It's why I tasked Vanna, Charlie and my Mom with handling them. They can't be disabled."

"I understand your thought process, but that's not what I'm worried about," Twilight continued. "What about the Changelings?"

"What about them?"

"If they're working with the Cult, couldn't they possibly have those anti-magic grenades as well?" Twilight shivered. "I hate the sensation of losing my magic. And I can't think of a way to counter it."

"If I may," Cindy's voice spoke up, her hologram appearing in Tyr's hand. "I have a suggestion."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. Cindy had been all business the past few days, especially after the war council. She had been a fount of numerical and probability based information and was constantly running simulations on her off time. Tyr couldn't remember the last time he had heard her usual catchphrase. "What is it, Cindy?"

"The Nullification Grenades are magic based in origin," Cindy began, creating a holographic representation of the item in question. "The appropriate response to one being detonated nearby is to counter it with a magical pulse of a counter indicated nature. The pulses should cancel out, and leave you able to continue using magic."

Twilight blinked. "That's… very helpful. Thank you, Cindy."

"I am always happy to be of help," The Controller said with a little bow.

"I suppose that's one concern," Twilight admitted, reaching back to run her fingers through her hair. "There is another thing."

"What is it?" Tyr asked.

"Can you be sure this plan is going to work?"

Tyr fell silent for a moment. Then, with a tired sigh, he leaned back in his chair. "No plan survives contact with the enemy. So until we're actually in combat, this is the best we can do. I've gotten advice from everyone I can and Cindy's running simulations nonstop, but once it comes to actual engagement, anything could happen. I'm hoping everything goes according to plan, but I can't be certain."

"That's all I wanted," Twilight admitted. "I'd be more worried if you were 100% confident everything would go the way you wanted."

Tyr smiled at that, but then there was a noise from outside. He and Twilight looked in time to see Scootaloo enter the room, panting slightly. "Scootaloo? What's going on?"

"I just… came from Canterlot," the young woman said, heavily out of breath and shaking slightly. "I gotta… I gotta tell you…!"

"Take a moment and breathe," Twilight said, patting the young woman's back comfortingly. "I didn't even realize you were still in Canterlot."

Scootaloo took a few deep lungful's of air. "I was… hanging around with a few of the other messengers. Since there wasn't much call for us, we were just hanging out. Then this loud voice comes outta nowhere saying that 'Queen Cocoon of the Changelings' claims the city for her hive. Next thing I know, like, four of the messengers suddenly just turn into Changelings and attack us! I managed to get out by myself and flew here as fast as I could."

"So Cocoon has made her move," Tyr said with a small sigh. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his temple.

"What do we do now?" Twilight asked, a worried look on her face.

Tyr frowned. After a moment, he pushed himself to his feet. "…Scootaloo? Get some water. Next, I want you to find a Shaper named Harrier. I want her to ready the troops."

Scootaloo saluted before dashing out of the room. Twilight glanced back at Tyr, a confused expression on her face. "So… this is it, huh? We're marching to war."

"…Yeah, seems like it. I'm gonna go ahead and take it that you're nervous."

"Almost completely," Twilight admitted, sitting back in her seat. "Besides the siege of the castle in your world, I've never really been in a battle. At least… not one that I was preparing for."

"I've been in this position a couple of times," Tyr pointed out, sitting and letting his hand reach out to scratch a sleeping Fenrir. The wolf spirit opened a single eye to regard him, before closing it and simply staying in place. "Never leading mind you, but in big engagements with a lot of set up work."

"So what should I expect?"

Tyr paused, looking over at his studious friend. "You're going to fight?"

"This is my home," Twilight countered. "And they're threatening my people. What kind of Princess would I be if I didn't stand up for them?"

"I see. Well, the best thing is to always keep your calm. When the fighting gets thick, it'll get to the point where you're not sure just what's going on. So just keep something in your mind to keep you from panicking. Like… focus on your friends. Remember you fight for them."

"And you should drop your notions of mercy," Fenrir spoke up, stretching lightly. She didn't move too much, only adjusting so Tyr was scratching a better spot. "At least in regards of the Changelings. They will no doubt show you none, so do not look to see them surrender."

"I figured as much," Twilight countered. "Unless we defeat Cocoon first, her Changelings will keep fighting to the last."

"Right."

"Then I'll do the same," The Princess of Friendship said softly, standing up. Both man and spirit regarded her as she turned to look out the window. "I suppose I'll get ready. There's plenty of offensive spells that I need to brush up on."

Tyr nodded wordlessly, watching as she left. Once she was gone, he frowned. "I don't like this, Fen."

"The waiting, or everything in general?" The Chaos Spirit asked, looking up at him.

"Both," Tyr admitted. "The fact that we represent Carnage means that I'm looking forward to the fighting, but I'm still worried about all the other stuff going on here. The flow of chaos in the air is so much different now that Alice is around, and we have no idea what Paranoia's end game is."

Fenrir sat up, thoughtfully scratching at her tail. "You are correct, Blood-Brother. But in the end, all we have to do is slaughter our enemies. That is Carnage."

Tyr smiled, patting her head. "I can always trust you to keep things simple."

"Bloodshed is normally such a simple affair," The wolf spirit complained.

–x–

"These are wild times we live in," Solstice muttered, peeking out from around the corner. Just at the edge of his vision, he spotted a squad of red winged Changelings pursuing a group of Equestrians. Everything has been business as usual up until a few hours ago, when numerous Changelings suddenly appeared out of nowhere, capturing a number of people and taking over the city by and large. The former thief himself had dropped back into his old habits in the middle of grocery shopping, slipping into a back alleyway and all but vanishing the moment he sensed danger.

Now he was stuck. Changelings were in the air and on the ground, taking anyone they caught on the streets captive. He was sure he could get back to his shop unmolested, but what would he do from there? Hide out until something dealt with the whole situation? Grumbling, he sat back on an overturned barrel. "Guess I might as well. Maybe I'll actually see the Elements of Harmony fix stuff like they always do…"

He trailed off, noting a very curious bit of motion out of the corner of his eye. There was a woman, a unicorn in particular, that was peeking out of a nearby building. Her golden blonde hair was tied back in a respectable bun, and she was trying to keep a pair of glasses balanced on her nose. As Solstice watched, she gingerly pushed the door open. But it suddenly creaked. Loudly. The pair of Changelings at the end of the street turned almost on a dime, hissing loudly and dropping into a crouch. The woman panicked, losing her grip on the door and tumbling out into the street. "Oh boy," Solstice mumbled.

The Changelings—gangly, chitin covered humanoids—sprinted down the street towards the woman, fangs bared. She hurried to her feet, doing her best to get up before they reached her. But even then, she stood no chance against to Changelings. Making a split decision that he hoped he wouldn't regret, Solstice threw himself out of his hiding place, colliding with one of the Changelings. The impact bore it into the wall, Solstice slamming its head against the unforgiving brick and knocking it unconscious. The other Changeling whirled in surprise, hissing loudly. Hands curled into claws shot towards him, barely dodged by the former thief.

"You're not fast enough yet," Solstice muttered, slipping behind the Changeling and locking his arms across the creature's throat. The Changeling fought to get free, but the older man was strong from years of physical exertion, and he held the chokehold until the drone finally ceased struggling. Solstice let him go then, sighing quietly. "Oh boy. I haven't done that in a while."

"Did you… did you kill it?" The woman asked, getting to her feet.

Solstice shook his head. "Thieves never really have cause to kill. Are you hurt, miss…?"

"Shining Light," the woman said, dusting herself off. She paused, frowning slightly. "…You're a thief?"

"Former. I own a curio shop now."

Light still seemed a bit skeptical. "Well… I suppose I still have to thank you for rescuing me. Your name, sir?"

"Solstice Glow. Hey—you wouldn't happen to know a girl named Sunset Shimmer, would you?"

"Huh? Yeah, she used to live with me. Wait, you wouldn't happen to be her father, would you?"

Solstice grinned. "That I am. Small world, huh?"

"More like a miracle," Shining Light said with a smile. "I'm glad you were here to help us."

"…Wait, us?"

Light gestured to the building she had come out of. A small group of children were gathered in the doorway, about eight in total. "I had a class when the Changelings appeared…"

Solstice let out a deep breath. "Oh boy. This complicates things."

"Mr. Glow?"

"I didn't have this much trouble when I had Bandit helping out…" Solstice grumbled, scratching at his head. He glanced around quickly. The Changelings were still out for the count, but who knows when they'd get back up. "…Okay, You'll have to follow me. I can get you somewhere safe for the time being."

Light smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Mr. Glow. Children—come along, we need to hurry."

"Is he gonna help us?" One little girl asked as the group came up to their teacher.

"Yes, he is. Remember when I told you about my friend Sunset? This is her father—he's a nice man that owns a shop here in the city."

Solstice listened in for a minute, enjoying the sound of an adult speaking to a child. But his main focus was on their surroundings. Now that he wasn't on his own, he had to be doubly aware of his surroundings. With a hurried motion to Light, he began leading the little group into the back roads. Light proved to be very good at keeping the children silent, so much so that Solstice had to glance over his shoulder a couple times to make sure they were still following.

The Changelings seemed to have taken control of the city in a very short period of time, drones securing the air over the city and castle while smaller groups captured civilians. Solstice had to divert them down some seriously underused paths and through some older buildings. "Do you know what's going on?" Light asked in a whisper, edging up beside him as they took shelter in an old chemist's shop.

"Other than Changelings being all over the place?" Solstice shook his head. "I've got no clue. It seems like there's something else going on, but I have no idea what."

"I hope my sister is okay," Light murmured worriedly. "She was with the Princesses, but wouldn't they be in the most danger?"

"Best not to worry about it," Solstice pointed out, heading out into the street. When he didn't immediately get swarmed, he gestured for the rest of them to come along. After a moment fiddling with the lock on the building, he led them into what looked to be a holiday shop.

"This shop is…?" Light looked around as they entered. It was mostly deserted, with most of the shelves still full of merchandise.

"A holiday shop," Solstice said, leading them further into the store. "I know the person that works here—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a mint green blur smacked into his side. Light cried out in shock before a big meaty hand came down on her shoulder. She looked up to find a big, burly man with dark blue fur and pale red hair looking down at her. "Stay still," He ordered gently.

Light blinked up at him. "…Okay."

Solstice tumbled, his attacker clinging to him as he careened into a wall. Finally coming to a stop, he got a look at who was atop him. She was smaller than him, tensed muscles in every inch, with mint green fur and cherry red hair. He blinked once more. "…Yule?"

The woman paused, her own strawberry colored eyes blinking rapidly. "Solly? The hell are you doing here?"

Solstice frowned. "If you looked outside once in a while, you'd probably notice."

The small—yet surprisingly strong woman—punched him in the arm. "Oi. I know what's going on outside, it's why I had Deck lock the place up."

Light looked up at the big man beside her, who gave her a small smile. "Hi there, miss."

"I didn't think you and Stacks would get married," Solstice murmured as Yule hopped off of him.

The mint green woman grinned at him. "Ya know the big lug has a thing for small, adorable things."

Deck nodded. "It's why we got a kitten."

Taking a moment to laugh, Yule fixed Solstice with a look. "Now that we've stopped from trying to hurt one another, mind telling me why you broke in to my store?"

"I needed to get her and those kids somewhere safe, Yule Tide," Solstice admitted, pointing at Light.

"Oh?" the small woman walked over to Light, giving her an appraising look up and down. "I thought your daughter was a redhead?"

Light shook her head quickly. "I-I'm not his daughter! Sunset was my roommate for a bit, though. But I just met Mr. Glow."

"Guessing he helped you and those kids?" Deck asked gently, already helping the third of the children climb up onto his massive shoulders. Light was momentarily in shock at how fast her kids were taking to the obviously gentle giant. When she nodded dumbly, he smiled. "Solstice always had a soft spot for kids. It was his hang up, in a sense."

Light blinked. "Hang up?"

"What makes a thief stop thieving," Yule said, gesturing for them to follow her. With the children trailing after Stacks, she took them to a back room that looked like a break room. However it was stacked with boxes full of all kinds of things—food, water bottles and all sorts of other supplies. "Take what you like, Deck and I have plenty squirreled away."

"By the Princesses, were you guys planning to make this a shelter or something?"

"I like to be prepared," Deck said simply, taking a seat near the wall. The children gathered around him almost immediately. His small smile grew, and he pulled out a deck of cards. "Want to see some magic tricks?"

There was a chorus of agreement from all the kids. Solstice, Light and Yule took seats at the table. The latter of the trio smiled over at her husband. "He really lives up to the nickname 'gentle giant', doesn't he?"

"That he does," Solstice said, reaching over to a nearby box for water. He offered one to Light, who took it gratefully.

The young teacher looked back to Yule. "Er… Miss Tide?"

"Yule," The other woman said flatly. "Calling me 'Miss Tide' is way too formal for me. And the big guy is Stacked Deck, my husband."

"Um… okay. Mrs. Yule? How do you and Mr. Solstice know each other?"

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "We were in the same crew. Worked together for a while, until Solly got it into his head that he had to worry about his girl."

"We all wanted out at the time," Solstice countered. "You and Deck were together; Buster is off doing his demolition thing…"

"And we were all getting too old for the job," Yule agreed, smiling lightly. "Why'd it take you so long to visit, Solly?"

Solstice shrugged. "I've been kinda busy. Plus, I didn't want to just drop by and dredge up any undue memories."

The woman's gaze softened quite a bit, and she reached out to gently place one hand atop Solstice's. She gave it a little squeeze. "…You'd never be unwelcome, Solly. We're family, remember?"

The former thief returned her smile. "…Thanks Yule."

"Course, Solly."

"But that raises a question," Solstice said with a small frown. "What ever happened to Ghost?"

Both Yule and Deck paused at the name, before the woman scowled viciously. "That piece of trash? He's not one of us anymore. Deck dealt with him when he dared to show his face around here."

Deck made his deck of cards make a particularly loud snap as he shuffled. "Mm."

Light blinked. Yule Tide had seemed very friendly at first appearance, and this sudden shift in demeanor had caught her off guard. "What… what did he do?"

"He sacrificed one of his own," Yule muttered darkly. "That is something we don't forgive."

Solstice gave Light a weak smile. "When you work together as long as we did, your partners become like family to you. And there are a few rules we keep when it comes to family."

"Never steal from family," Yule said, as if reciting from a list. "Never leave family behind. Look out for each other. Share the spoils." She grinned then, glancing over at Solstice. "When it comes to money, ya know."

Solstice gave her a flat look, before taking a swig of water. "As if I'd share Flame Ruby."

"You know I'm joking!"

They both laughed then, with Light simply looking between them in confusion. Before their conversation could continue, there was the sound of the front door opening. They all fell silent, a sense of unease shooting through the room before a very normal—yet strangely melodic—voice spoke up. "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

Yule glanced over a Solstice, her eyes narrowed and her voice a harsh whisper. "You didn't lock the bucking door!?"

"I'm rusty, but not that rusty," Solstice shot back.

"I made sure," Deck rumbled softly.

The voice from before spoke up again. "Hello! I thought I overheard laughing…"

Yule motioned to Solstice to follow her. Deck had mysteriously vanished, the kids all herded off into a further back storage room. The two former thieves slipped silently out into the store. As they edged their ways down the isles, they heard the voice from before speak again. "No offense, but I can hear you guys as clear as day, and that's with music in my ears."

"…What the buck?" Yule hissed, confused.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I was looking for a place for me and my friends to hide out from the Changelings."

Yule and Solstice shared a short look. One of the benefits of working together for such a long time doing a job that usually required silence meant that whole conversations could be held in the span of seconds without a word exchanged. Yule stared at Solstice for a minute, before sighing and gesturing to him to 'go on'. He rolled his eyes and stepped around the shelf into view. "Hello?"

He was greeted with a peculiar sight. There were three people in front of him, one man and two women. He recognized one of them as the singer Coloratura, but he was more so confused at the appearance of the young man in front. He was simply clothed, the most notable feature of his outfit being the neon green headphones emblazoned with the shape of a stylized tree on the earpieces. Atop his shoulders were a trio of tiny fairies, all smiling at him. The young man smiled. "Sorry to disturb you. Name's Read Write, and this is my fiancé Even Tempo and my close friend Coloratura."

Coloratura smiled and waved. "Hello there."

"Nice to meet you," Tempo said.

Read gestured to the fairies on his shoulders. "And these three are my Muses, Sophia, Alta, and Tena."

"Nice to meet you!" The three Spirits of Inspiration called out in three part harmony.

Solstice blinked several times. "Er… Hello. You… how did you not get caught by the Changelings?"

"WE distracted them!" Sophia declared happily.

Tena giggled lightly as Alta groaned and facepalmed. Read gave them a little smile. "What she means is, we… 'inspired' them to search somewhere else for the time being."

"I see," Solstice said, not seeing at all. He glanced over to see Yule emerging from her hiding place, confusion on her face. "And you're not Changelings in disguise?"

"Well, Changelings certainly can't imitate us," Alta pointed out flatly.

Tena laughed softly, covering her mouth. "Alta, they are simply watching out for the others they have hidden here."

Solstice gaped. "How did you…?"

"Low noises are my forte," Tena explained, lowering her arm to her lap. "I could hear them walking about as we came in."

"I… I see…"

"I would really appreciate it if you let my friends and I remain here for the time being," Rara said sweetly, moving up beside Read. "Please?"

Solstice looked over at Yule, who sighed. "Well, we've got plenty of supplies. Deck actually prepared for almost thirty people. Plus, I guess I can say a celebrity came to my store."

–x–

Vanna entered the forge, wiping at her brow with a towel. "Well, the order's come down," He said, knowing that Charlie was inside. Indeed, his daughter was sitting at her usual place, a sort of thoughtful look on her face as she stared at a wall. She didn't respond to her entering, which immediately worried the older dragoness. Vanna paused, noting the faint traces of Dust floating around her daughter. "…Charlie?"

"Yes?" Charlie turned, revealing her glowing golden eyes.

"Er… is that you, Charlie, or…?"

The girl frowned, looking down at her hands. "It… it's me. I find there's less of a separation between me and Auriga anymore. I can still tell what's her and what's me, but there's more… overlap."

Vanna still looked a bit skeptical, moving over to her to cup her face in her hands. "Charlie…"

"I'm not going to be overwhelmed, mom. I told you before, Auriga promised she'll never try to take over."

"But we're getting ready to fight, and you'll need to use your Dust. Are you up to it?"

"I may not have to," Charlie pointed out. "I should be able to manage without it."

"And if you can't?"

Suddenly, Charlie turned angry on the spot. "Stop babying me mom! I'm not a child you have to watch over all the time!"

"I'm gonna watch out for you forever, whether you like it or not," Vanna growled back, drawing up over her daughter. Charlie realized what she had said, a sort of shock crossed her face and she shrunk back a bit.

"M-Mom, I'm sorry…"

"You should be," Vanna countered softly, leaning forward to rest her forehead against her daughter's. Her eyes closed for a minute. "…You know, the day you die is the day I cease to live. You're all I have left of Cinder, and I don't want to lose that."

"Is that all I am to you?" Charlie asked softly.

"Never just that. You're my daughter, and my precious treasure. I'd never trade you for anyone or anything. I want you to be safe because I care about you."

"This battle will be easy though."

Vanna sighed. "Sometimes the easiest fights have the biggest costs."

"I'll be fine."

"Even we have weaknesses, Sera. A stray arrow or two could do either of us in."

Charlie shivered. "Don't call me Sera. You _never_ call me Sera."

Vanna grinned. "Fine then. But you notice you've been calling me mom this whole time, right?"

The younger dragonkin blinked, before a hand shot to her mouth. "…I was?"

"Uh huh."

"And you didn't…?"

"It was cute."

Charlie glared at her. "I hate you."

Vanna simply giggled and wrapped her daughter in her arms. "There's a thin line between hate and love, my little ember."

Charlie was quiet for a long minute, one hand coming up to touch her mother's arm. "…You know I don't hate you, right?" She asked quietly.

"Of course not, Char. Now come on—whole castle's got the final check signal. Wolf Lord Tyr is readying the army to march."

"You know he doesn't like being called that."

"Bah, he'll tolerate it because it's me. Plus, check out this before-battle-gift Rarity gave us." Vanna pulled out an iron colored banner, unfurling it so her daughter could see. Emblazoned on the banner were two stylized dragons, one a dark bronze and the other a bloody red. The former was larger than the other and curled about the second almost possessively. "I think that's supposed to be us!"

"I think I'm brighter colored than that," Charlie said before laughing. "But I like it. How exactly are we supposed to fly this while we fight? It's just the two of us."

"…Hm. Good point. Maybe we should make a pole and stick it on that?"

"Only thing we can do, I guess." Charlie eyed her mother curiously. "Are you not going to spend any time with Grace?"

"She's forming a medic corps," Vanna said, setting the banner aside. "I came back here to get you since we're supposed to be last-checking down in the Kiln."

"Fun. I need to get Sherry into her armor then," Charlie muttered, getting up and heading over to an armor rack. On it was a simple yet elegant set of light armor with a candy styled swirl over the right breast. "I used a few bits from that crab too, so it's pretty tough. Hopefully I sized her right."

Vanna smiled. "Your armor is as good as my weapons, Char. It'll be perfect."

Charlie gave her mother/father an appreciative look. "Thanks dad. Don't you need to get going?"

The other dragoness shrugged. "I suppose you're right. See you later?"

"Of course." She gave her mother one last smile before she left, leaving the younger dragoness by herself. At least, for a minute. Dust flowed off of Charlie unbidden, forming into the visage of a ghostly woman with long flowing hair and the weight of years on her appearance. "…Hello Auriga."

 **Your love for your father is very plain,** the apparition 'spoke', although her lips didn't move. The amusement on her face was clear, however.

"Of course it is," Charlie countered, frowning. "Why are you forming now anyway? I just thought there wasn't the whole separation thing anymore?"

 **There isn't. But of course you have a 'voice of reason', correct?**

"…fair. Just don't go freaking out anyone by showing up. Now would you please go back? I think I see holes in my arms."

 **I simply wanted to warn you that if you use my gift in this upcoming battle, I will no longer be the same as I am now.**

"What?"

 **Simply that. Be careful, child.**

Auriga faded away, the dust repairing Charlie's body as it flowed back into her. The dragoness frowned even more, before muttering darkly, "At this rate, I'm going to have four different mothers."

–x–

* * *

 **As a side note, I may cut back on my opening statements before the chapters, seeing as I'm posting two at a time as quickly as I can get them edited. Each will have a footnote, although that's mainly for the Read Review and Return bit. But... These are kinda short chapters, mainly because these were mostly set up for the big climax of Lunar Legacy: the Siege of Canterlot. Soon! Like, in two chapters at least.**

 **The Library thanks you for your Patronage.**


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 63: The Army of the Five Banners

Tyr looked out over the field in front of Wolfhome, whistling lowly to himself at the sight before him. The full force of the allied army was arrayed outside Wolfhome Castle, fully armed and standing in formation in front of him. The Stonekin were kitted in what was obviously Vanna's style of heavy, nonrestrictive armor, formed up into neat rows with the members of the Vanguard at the head. Very few carried weapons, although those that did seemed to prefer hammers, both one handed and two handed. Silver, dark blue, red and even a few gold cloaks neatly designated their Paths. Above them flew the standard of Wolfhome. Serenity herself, in a special made white cloak, stood at the head, smiling over at Tyr from beside Petrus.

Next over were the Wulfen, significantly more than the Stonekin but much more lightly armed and armored. Unlike the neat ranks of the Stonekin, they were more in a vaguely organized mob than in ranks. Noelle and Tonto were at the head of the pack, their unease at the fact they were in such a situation obvious on their faces. However when Tyr's eyes met theirs, they drew themselves up and gave him a confident smile. Above the Wulfen pack was a slightly torn standard depicting a set of red slash marks.

The Equestrians were in formation alongside them, gleaming gold armor with their distinctive plumes on their helmets and spears at rapt attention. Ferrous and what looked to be his lieutenants stood at the front, carrying the Equestrian banner above them. Although they were bringing the least in terms of numbers, they had the most pride out of the gathered armies. This was their homeland they were fighting for. It didn't take a Changeling to see the fervor and anger the Royal Guard had at the invaders to their homeland.

The Ursa were a silent mass of armor and muscle, headed by the imposing figure of Griz in full plate. His massive warhammer was between his paws resting on the ground, his head bowed in quiet reflection. Behind him the Ursa stood ready, their bulk making them giants in comparison to their allies. Tyr knew that although they were quiet now, they'd become a roaring force of nature when the battle began. Their banner, a silhouette of a bear's head on a white field, flew above them on a halberd.

Contrasting the stoic Ursa, the Qirin were almost ghosts in the way they waited, lithe figures milling about with bows and slender swords and spears at the ready. The massive figure of Orin stood at the front of their detachment, leaning on his staff. Around him his warriors were doing some sort of pre-battle rite, antlers aglow with light. In the middle of their group was their banner, a trio of lightning bolts on a dark green backdrop.

"Quite the army we've assembled," Luna remarked, coming up beside Tyr. He glanced over at his wife, a single eyebrow raising at her appearance. Her long hair was tied into a high French braid, with only the wisps of her bangs framing her face. She was in a form fitting set of light armor with moon themes all through it. Her skirt was open at the front, revealing the fact that she wore pants underneath, no doubt for ease of movement. Luna noticed his appreciative gaze with a smile of her own. "I will not stand by while you go into battle alone, my dear husband."

"I never expected you to. But your choice of outfit today is… different."

Luna frowned and made a very pointed huff. "I refuse to fight in a dress."

Tyr chuckled. "Fair enough."

"I've never seen so many people in one place," Pinkie remarked in awe, coming up on Tyr's other side. Her own long hair was tied back as well, although her own clothing was much more casual. "At least not when a party or something wasn't involved!"

Tyr turned to look at those behind him. The Elements of Harmony, the two Dragons, his herd and Zecora were with him, a sort of seriousness over all of them. Rainbow had actually gotten into uniform, but was only armed with a single sword and a dagger. Applejack had opted to put on heavier clothing than normal, but wore armored gauntlets about her fists. Fluttershy and Rarity were in their normal outfits, the former with Valor in her lap. Twilight and Sunset were conversing off to one side, both in more battle oriented gear but still light enough to not interfere in spellcasting. Trixie was focused on some kind of small illusion she was making, no doubt to calm her nerves. Chrysalis was for once silent amongst so many people, her gaze directed up at the mountain where Canterlot stood. Vanna and Charlie were sitting together, the elder gnawing on a hunk of iron and the younger watching her hand lose coherency and turn into Dust. The Wolf Lord cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Are we all ready?"

"I've stacked and supplied all that I am able," Zecora pointed out, sniffing at a small vial. She scrunched up her nose at it before slipping it into her simple brown cloak. "I have brought as much as I could to the table."

"Fangs and claws sharp," Vanna announced, grinning as she tied her hair back.

Charlie nodded, reforming her hand. "Ready to do some damage. A _lot_ of damage."

"We've readied everyone on your order," Harrier said, arriving with Scootaloo and Vibrant in tow. Both of Rainbow's kids wore red cloaks of the Stonekin scouts, with Vibrant also having a snow white scarf with a stylized 'LB' stitched into it. Harrier noted the looks of confusion most of those present were giving her, and continued. "I asked Scootaloo and Vibrant here to help. They are much faster than most of us, so we got the message around much more efficiently."

"They gave us these neat cloaks too," Scootaloo said with a grin.

"Where'd that scarf a yours come from, Vibrant?" Applejack asked, gesturing to the piece of fabric.

"Er… Ancè gave it to me," Vibrant said, blushing a little. "She said it was Aurora's idea that we all get one…"

"Where are Aurora and the others?" Fluttershy asked.

"With the rest of the kids, Sherry and Hope," Tyr responded. "They'll be safe, Fluttershy. Don't worry."

"It's not that I'm worried, I just…" She trailed off, mumbling something else before letting out a heavy sigh. "…Yes. I am worried."

"We're all worried," Rarity assured her friend, putting a comforting hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "We're letting our children go into a potentially dangerous place. But they've all expressed how they want to stay together."

"Goldie kept saying she wanted to stay with Cori," Applejack said with a tiny smile. "And Bramley said he wouldn't let Goldie go without him."

"Evie said pretty much the same thing," Twilight said with a sigh. "She claimed she'd be able to help Aleron with her magic. Plus she wanted to be sure Ancè and Jubilee were safe."

"I guess our kids are as bad as us," Rainbow said with a chuckle. "Already inseparable."

Fluttershy gave Valor a little nuzzle. "I suppose the fact that they'll all be together makes me a bit more comfortable…"

"Your children will be fine," Chrys assured them. "Sherry will take good care of them."

Tyr let out a small sigh. Sherry and the others were already aboard the _Conqueror_ , to be dropped off with the rest of the Rescue section of the allied army in Canterlot proper once the main city was secure. He'd had one last moment with all of his kids, embracing each of them in turn before making at least a dozen promises to see them when this was all over. Already he was wishing to see them again. Sherry had been the hardest, as she had threatened to drag him back from whatever life he went to if he died. As if noticing, Luna reached out and took his hand. "We'll see them again soon, my beloved."

He nodded. "Yeah… you're right."

A horn blew, and the collected armies formed up and began marching in the direction of Canterlot. The Qirin filed towards the _Conqueror_ , being joined by Mayweather's crew and the designated soldiers for the Rescue group. Above them all, the Jötunheim was already airborne, it's impassive silver silhouette casting a shadow on those below. Much smaller yet still no less impressive was the repaired _Cinnamon_ , floating in the shadow of the Sanctuary. "I suppose that's our cue," Twilight said, looking up."

"Should we should get going?" Rarity asked.

"Just one second," Twilight said, pulling out a bag and walking over to her friends. "Since we're going to be somewhat separated during all of this, I thought to make some beacons."

"Beacons?" Fluttershy repeated, confused.

"All you have to do is say the name of your element, and they'll light up with your Cutie Mark," Sunset explained as Twilight began handing out what looked to be bracelets with colored gems matching the six Elements of Harmony. "That'll let us know you're in danger, and we'll try to get you some help."

"You all are very important to Equestria," Luna reminded them. "So keep yourselves safe, especially those that are non-combatants."

Rarity smiled. "Of course, Luna. We will see you when this horrible business is over."

Applejack and Fluttershy began to leave, Valor flying over to perch on Tyr's shoulder. Rarity came over to where Tyr and the others were, a bit of worry in her eyes. She didn't have to speak for him to realize what was bothering her. Tyr smiled and gently reached out to cup her face with one hand. "I'll be fine, my gemstone. You don't need to worry."

"I'll worry regardless until I see you all back safe," Rarity countered, taking his hand in hers. With her other, she placed her hand against his chest. "Do not be reckless. I expect you back in one piece, understand?"

That got a chuckle from the Elemental. "Of course, my lady. Your valiant knight will return victorious."

"Do not joke about this, my love. If your heart stops beating, so do ours."

Tyr's smile softened. "I know, Rarity. Knowing that you're all waiting for me is just going to make me fight harder to come back."

She blushed heavily, before leaning up to kiss him. With that done, she squeezed his hand one last time before following after Applejack and Fluttershy. Pinkie tugged on Tyr's sleeve to get his attention. Pinkie's hair had never returned to normal, but there was a bit more bounce to it than there was before after Rarity and Ancè had had their way with it. But straight hair or no, Pinkie was still his adorable pink party girl. "Pinkie Promise?" She asked softly.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Tyr replied, doing the motions.

That got a smile from her, and she leapt into his arms to hug his neck tightly. "I love you, Tyr."

"Love you too, Sunshine."

Pinkie let him go, and walked over to stand in front of Luna and Chrys. "You two have to do it too!"

"Must I?" Chrys muttered ruefully, even as Luna giggled and went through the motions. When Pinkie fixed her with a particularly fierce glare, she sighed and reluctantly mimicked Luna. "This is so demeaning."

"So is everything I do to you on a daily basis," Tyr remarked, getting a blush and little giggle from his Changeling.

"As you say, Master—erk!" She jerked sideways as Pinkie yanked her and Luna into a tight hug for a moment, before letting them go and zipping off to join Rarity. Chrys grimaced, popping her back. "Damn that hyperactive girl…"

As if she had heard her, Pinkie paused suddenly, before turning around. Chrys flinched, but she wasn't the target of the other woman's gaze. Pinkie instead made a beeline over to Trixie and Sunset. "Er…" Sunset began, but Pinkie cut her off.

"I don't really know you that well yet," She said softly, looking between the two of them. "But Honey needs all of us. So don't get hurt, okay?"

Trixie blinked. "Uh… of course."

"We understand," Sunset assured her. "I'll be watching Tyr's back."

Pinkie nodded. "Okay. Come on, Trixie!"

Trixie wordlessly nodded, letting herself get dragged off. Her eyes strayed over to Tyr, who gave her a tiny smile and nod of acknowledgement. "She's crazy," Chrys muttered.

"We love her," Luna reminded her.

"I know."

"We need to get going as well," Tyr pointed out to those still present. Zecora had chosen some moment to vanish, no doubt to join those going aboard the _Conqueror_. "It's a bit of a march to Canterlot, and we need to get moving."

"We're going with the army?" Twilight asked.

Tyr shook his head. "Not at first. We'll be up in the Jötunheim until we reach the staging area we've designated. Canterlot is a mountain city—we'll need to be organized before we charge in."

"So we're waiting on…" She trailed off, noting the Ranger descending towards them. "Ah."

"Hah," Vanna giggled. "We're waiting on Tyr's mom to pick us up."

Charlie snorted quietly, stifling her own laughter. Then Tyr started to laugh, and then they were all laughing at the hilarity of the statement. Even Chrys had a tiny smirk on her lips at the joke. It hadn't completely died down by the time Aleksa had landed the Ranger and had come out. She looked around at them all confused. "Did I miss something, kids?"

"Nothing, mom," Tyr said, smiling. He paused a moment to admire his mother's choice of battle gear. She had a tight upper body vest, knee length skirt that flowed about her legs, and her long normally wild hair was braided back into a tight bun. Her arms were completely uncovered, except for a single ribbon tied around her upper right arm. On her back was a detailed short bow, and a small box was hooked to her waist. "Nice bow."

"What's up with the box?" Sunset asked.

"Special tips," Aleksa said, patting the box. "I make my arrows out of ice, so I got my stash from the Sanctuary."

"Interesting," Sunset murmured. "And the bow has a normal string?"

"Sorta." She grinned. "Come on, kids. We need to get going. Battles don't win themselves, you know."

The group somewhat reluctantly gathered up what few things they thought they would need and filed onto the Ranger. Aleksa watched them go aboard with a little smile on her face, only dropping it as Tyr started to climb on. "Hold on, Snowflake."

Tyr frowned, mentally ordering Chrys to go aboard without him. "Something up, mom? You're not going to hit me with the 'I'm worried about you so promise me you'll be safe', are you?"

"What?" Aleksa snorted. "Hell no. You're my son—you're a badass. We'll hew through those Changelings no problem. I just wanted to see something."

"See what—oh." Tyr had his hand jerked forward by his mother and her fingers pressed into the skin on the back of his hand. The glowing pale blue mark of Harmony faded into life at her touch.

"When in the world did you meet the Caretaker…?" Aleksa shook her head. "No matter. I've met one other Chosen in my life, so I have an idea of what your blessing is."

"You've technically met another one, since Vanna belongs to Lady Gray."

"…You kids sure have gotten around in your short years."

Tyr grinned. "You could say that."

"But that's not what I wanted. Close your eyes." He did so, and then he felt his body go dormant. There was a tug on his mind, and then his eyes were coaxed open. He found himself on a familiar hill, overlooking a small town. His mother was before him, dressed in a simple sundress. She smiled. "Remember this?"

"My first actual memory I got from you," Tyr replied, moving over to her. "When I almost died to a Shadow creature, I think Jehu unlocked the mental block you left me. I saw this hill, and you were with my father."

Aleksa nodded softly. "This is my Mindscape. It was an actual place once, and I adopted it into my mind because of how comforting it is."

Tyr looked around, noting the gentle breeze and the field of lowers below them. "It's peaceful."

"Yes. Yes it is. Won't be for long, but that's not the point." She turned to him, crossing the short distance between them to take hold of his face. "I need to tell you something, and it stays between us."

"…What is it?"

"Something is wrong with this world," Aleksa said quietly, eyes dropping from his. "I feel it in the natural currents. There's a lot more at stake here than just Canterlot."

"I see. I'll be careful."

"Your girls are watching over you, so I'm not all that worried." She grinned, and poked him in the forehead. With a rush, Tyr found himself back in the real world, his mother's finger pressed against his forehead. "Boop."

He blinked. "How'd you do that?"

"Dreamer Shenanigans. I'll teach you one day, Snowflake." She giggled, before turning and heading into the Ranger. Tyr blinked a couple of times, before chuckling to himself and following after. Once he was aboard and in his seat he was immediately joined by Luna and Chrys. The latter leaned against him, while the former took hold of his free hand. Aleksa spared them a tiny smile before going to the pilot's seat.

"So what's the game plan for us?" Sunset asked, leaning over the back of Tyr's seat. "You obviously have something just for us."

"We're technically leadership on this one," Tyr said thoughtfully. "Rainbow, Twilight, you're sticking with Luna. You're leading the Equestrians, and it's better if they have familiar faces."

"As much as I do not want to leave your side…" Luna murmured, squeezing his hand, "I see the sense in that."

Tyr nodded. "Sunset and Chrysalis are with me. We'll be with the Stonekin."

"Understood," Sunset said with a nod. Chrys nodded as well.

"And we'll be helping your mother if the Cult shows up," Vanna pointed out. She leaned back in her seat. "This ought to be something to write about in the history books."

"You may just be right," Twilight murmured. "I just hope we'll be the ones to write it."

–x–

The allied army assembled on a plateau just outside of Canterlot proper. The march had taken most of the day, so a period of time to rest was left aside until the sun rose again. Tyr thanked Celestia that her paranoia wasn't keeping her from doing her job and raising the celestial body, despite Luna's assurance that she would take over if Tia didn't. Grace's spies had informed them that the Cult flotilla was a few hours out just yet—it was as good a time as any.

Resistance was weak in the city itself. A few Changelings attempted to perform hit and run attacks on the main body of the allied army, but with a few well-placed detection spells and the speed of the Wulfen, they were swiftly dealt with. The _Conqueror_ moored itself over the city square like a pointed insult, and Sherry's forces began searching for civilians. The Jötunheim and the _Cinnamon_ took up positions over the city, almost daring their air superiority to be challenged. Tyr's forces found themselves arrayed outside of Canterlot Castle, waiting on the order to attack. "Certainly strange seeing it in this way," Rainbow muttered, landing beside him.

"Positions reversed," Tyr agreed with a shrug. "Any casualties?"

"A couple of the unicorns got gooped, but other than that nothing. One of the Ursa had a wall dropped on him and he shrugged it off."

Tyr chuckled. "Glad they're on our side. Any word from Vanna?"

Rainbow was currently working as head of communications, so she was keeping up with any messages running along allied lines. She was also the one who'd have the most difficult job—keeping those lines of communication running when the battle began in earnest. She shook her head. "Nothing on their end. All clear on the back."

Tyr glanced back to where Carver and Harrier were waiting. "Your orders?" Carver asked softly.

The elemental turned back to the castle before him. Here he was, an army at his back about to assault the former home of his wife and sister-in-law. He couldn't see any actual Changelings, but there were a few royal guards along the walls who were obviously not who they claimed to be. He could sense the powerful magic coming from the keep—no doubt the Queen of this hive. Tyr shook his head. Strong or not, Cocoon would be defeated today. "Right. Harrier? Give the sappers the order. Rainbow? Spread the word—the attack is on."

Rainbow nodded, shooting off without another word. Harrier jogged off as well, heading to the group of Stonekin that were at the front of Tyr's vanguard and eying the walls. She held a short conversation with them, which ended with the lot of them brightening in excitement and nodding hurriedly. They moved forward, sending a ripple of anticipation throughout the entire army.

It was time.

The Stonekin sappers had been pulled from those Shapers who had a particular affinity for destruction over creation (ironically, all of them used to be miners before being Shapers) and had volunteered for the job of breaking the walls. No one had explained to Tyr _how_ , but they were certainly eager. "Those Changelings on the walls aren't moving," Sunset pointed out.

"They're waiting," Chrys said softly. "They don't know what we're going to do."

"No doubt they believe the walls will keep us out," Carver said, watching as the sappers advanced. A few other Shapers went with them, no doubt to protect them. "A foolish notion."

"I don't understand," Chrys continued, looking up at the walls. "Why do they simply wait? Why were we allowed to enter into the city with such little resistance?"

"Maybe we caught them off guard?" One of the Shapers nearby asked.

Tyr was thoughtful for a moment, sniffing the air. Then, without warning, he spun on the spot and buried an ice spike in the throat of the Shaper who had just spoken. Everyone gasped in surprise at the action as the Shaper collapsed, clutching at his throat. "Tyr, what the hell!?" Sunset cried, looking at him in confusion.

"Wait," Chrys said, recovering from her shock first. She pointed to the body, which slowly shifted to the appearance to that of a Changeling. "…She got infiltrators into our ranks?"

"Those attacks from earlier were just distractions," Tyr said, grinding his teeth. He should have seen this coming. "I should have noticed. They smell different, for Harmony's sake."

Carver was silent, staring down at the dead Changeling. Suddenly, her ears perked up. "Do you… does anyone hear that buzzing noise?"

"I hear it," Fenrir hissed, head popping out of Tyr's cloak. There was a bright, feral grin on her face. She was eager, her shared sense with Tyr meaning that both of them felt battle on the wind. "The bugs come!"

Tyr gritted his teeth. "Sunset. Warning flare."

The flame-haired girl blinked twice before nodding hurriedly. "You got it. Flare going up!" She threw an arm to the sky, throwing a dark red fireball into the air. It exploded into a bright star shape. Just in time, for a cloud of blackness rose from the castle. A swarm of Changelings took to the sky, hissing and screeching battle cries. A responding cry came from the allied army, howls and roars interspersed with the battle cries of the Equestrians. Valor, flying in the air over Tyr, let out his chilling screech.

"Here we go," Tyr growled, drawing Fimbulvinter. In the distance he could hear Luna's booming Canterlot voice as she began giving orders, and he could see purple light as Twilight began casting spells. "Chrissy, Sunset, stay close. Fen, you've got free reign."

"Yes," Fenrir growled happily, transforming into her warrior queen form. She grinned. "There will be blood."

"A lot of it," Tyr agreed as the Changelings surged forward.

The Ursa were already stomping into position, their heavier armor and weapons meaning they were best suited to taking the initial attack. Alongside them were the Stonekin, the Shapers adopting the 'Juggernaut' technique after seeing the Vanguard demonstrate it. The Changelings slammed into an unforgiving wall of metal and stone. Once the initial charge hit, the Wulfen suddenly sprang into action, tearing into the flanks with wild abandon. IT was vicious, brutal, and short ranged, something the Equestrians would have been caught off guard by, but the more close range oriented Wulfen and Ursa took to like a fish to water.

A group of Changelings broke off form the main assault to beeline for Tyr and his group. "Seems they know who the leader is," Chrys murmured, amused.

"I'd like to think they just didn't want to make us feel left out," Tyr remarked with a grin just as he and his group was attacked. He let his voice raise into a semi-howl. "All eyes on us! Let's make this a show!"

"Vanguard, on us!" Carver cried, and the silver cloaked Shapers leapt into action. Stone tiles shot up into the swarm, picking off the fliers with impunity. Spells began arcing up into the horde as well, fireballs and lightning bolts striking down Changelings by the dozen. But for each Changeling that went down, there were almost a dozen more to fill the gap.

That didn't matter to Tyr. The moment his blade bit into the first Changeling to reach him the overall view of the battle was lost to him. Although it was a dark greenish blood, it was still blood. He heard Fenrir howling in excitement as she leapt into combat. The Changelings actually had weapons—various spears and swords no doubt looted from the castle armory. Most still used claws to do damage. Numbers would do where skills lacked.

Sunset stuck close to Tyr, flame magic lancing out to burn any Changeling (other than Chrys, of course) that got too close. Chrysalis fought alongside Fenrir, her claws shearing into her red-winged kin. The Chaos Spirit herself was a blur of blood and limbs, hacking apart changelings in gory fashion as she laughed with pure glee. Valor was flitting from place to place, tearing out eyes and generally being a nuisance. "There's so many!" Sunset remarked, clapping her hands together. Her horn glowed brightly, and she hurled a massive fireball into the black horde. Screeches could be heard as a dozen or so Changelings burned. "Is there supposed to be this many?"

"I believe Cocoon's hive grew larger than mine because there were never any conflicts with Equestria," Chrys replied, tearing the throat out of one drone. "And they are very warlike. No doubt she expressly bred combat drones for this moment."

Tyr heard a hiss behind him and turned, just in time to catch Carver crushing a Changeling between her stone hands. "Thank you, Carvie."

The stone golem shrugged. "Of course you call me that now."

He grinned back at her, before spinning around and bisecting a drone from shoulder to hip. "Vanna sure knows how to make blades," He muttered, before throwing a cone of cold to freeze a charging group of more drones. The Vanguard happily stomped their way through the frozen enemies.

A beam of pure blue light tore through the Changeling horde, stark evidence of Luna making her presence felt. She strode through the falling corpses with a hard, determined set to her features, magic crackling about her fists. Tyr found himself staring, only for Chrys to sidle up beside him. "Falling in love again, Master?" She asked playfully, tearing apart a feral Changeling's jaw.

"Never stopped," Tyr replied, catching Luna's eye. She smiled at him, mimed blowing a kiss, and turned back to the battle. The Wolf Lord grinned and jumped back into the fray, his loyal Changeling close on his heels.

There was a rumbling noise that could be heard over the fighting, and then the walls suddenly collapsed, a massive section simply falling into dust. The Changelings on the walls looked shocked as they suddenly fell to the ground. Tyr grinned. "The walls are down. Sunset, time to—!"

He was cut off by a loud noise from above the fighting. He turned to look, the remnants of bright yellow magic heralding the arrival of about two dozen airships flying the white banner of the Cult. "They're early," He murmured.

"I am moving the Jötunheim to attack vectors," Cindy's voice informed him over his communicator. "We should be able to fend them off, Operator."

"Well then, to the gate," Tyr said, turning back to the fight. He raised his bloody sword up into the air and roared: "SHOW THEM WHAT HELL LOOKS LIKE!"

–x–

"What's going on down there?" Solar Flare asked, looking over the edge of the airship railing. "There's smoke. And other airships. Are those ours?"

"It seems our enemies have already attacked," Jury Review muttered, scowling. He looked up to the sky, where the Jötunheim and _Cinnamon_ were moving into position. "It seems they are preparing to attack. Helm! Keep us at the back of the formation—"

The side of the Sanctuary lit up, and a barrage of bright blue beams lanced out into the flotilla of Cult ships. Magic barriers sprung to life around the ships, but the firepower carried by the Sanctuary overwhelmed them, tore into the ships, and almost evaporated them in an instant. Jury's ship escaped unscathed, but when the attack was over, a third of the flotilla was simply gone. "By the Sun," One of the crewmen whispered in horror.

Jury grimaced, before turning to Flare. "You need to stop that ship. Otherwise, it will kill us all. You don't want that, do you?"

"I don't want to die," Solar Flare murmured. Then, a sort of determination came onto his face as he turned back towards the Sanctuary. Magical spells were lancing off the _Cinnamon_ , but they were too far away to cause that much damage. Flare focused his eyes on the massive silver ship that was readying to strike again. Magic gathered in his horn, lighting up akin to a small star.

"This power…" Jury murmured, a slow smile touching at his lips.

The cannons on the side of the Jötunheim flared once more, but Flare's magic was ready. He unleashed the power atop his horn in a powerful beam, arcing through the air and into the Sanctuary. The ship lit up with a pale white barrier, absorbing the brunt of the attack, but it was more than the barriers were ready to hold against. With a loud shattering noise, the barrier broke, and the full force of the solar beam bored into the Jötunheim. The shifting nature of the hull tried to compensate for the massive influx of energy, but the armor couldn't hold. The beam sheared through, tearing out the other side of the silver ship before finally petering out. Explosions rocked across the hull, and the ship itself began to list to the side.

Flare's beam continued, pain taking the poor stallion over as he tried to control his power. It clipped the _Cinnamon_ , damaging its newly repaired engine and sending it limping away from the battlefield. The beam sliced into the _Conqueror_ as well, not doing as much damage externally, but crippling the ship and forcing it to crash down into the city itself. Buildings crumpled under the weight of the vessel, dust and smoke being thrown up as an entire city block was crushed flat. Jury grinned savagely. "With this power, we can easily… Solar Flare?"

The young man was standing against the railing, clutching at his forehead. His horn was sparking, and there were cracks beginning to run along it. "J-Jury… it hurts…!"

"Get him below deck!" Jury snarled to a nearby Cultist. "Make sure all the bindings have not broken. The rest of you, prepare for landing!"

–x–

"By the Sun," Sunset whispered, horrified. The area around them was largely clear, now that the Changelings were retreating back into the castle itself. Most had not stopped to see the confrontation of the airships, thus missing the final outcome, but Tyr and his group had. All of them were in various stages of shock.

"In one shot?" Rainbow, who had rejoined them partway through the fight whispered. "That's… that's ridiculous…"

Tyr was quiet for a long minute, watching the Jötunheim list off like a wounded animal. He spotted Luna and Twilight coming over, the former with a concerned look on her face. Then, his communicator crackled to life. "O…Operator?"

"Cindy!" Hope sprang to life in his eyes, and he held his wrist up. But when Cindy's hologram appeared, his breath caught. Cindy was seated, her entire left side sheared off and sprouting wires. She was trying to hold herself together, but to little avail. Burn marks scored her body, and her clothing was ruined. However, despite the state she was in, she still gave him a tiny smile.

"I apologize for my mistake, Operator," The Controller murmured softly, tiny hitches in her voice as she spoke. "I underestimated the f-firepower our enemies could bring to bear, and did not reroute enough power into the barriers to endure that attack…"

"That's not your fault," Tyr said softly, his free hand opening and closing. Sunset said nothing, but slipped her fingers into his. "You had no idea what to expect. We certainly didn't."

"However, I still have failed. Both my main directive to protect the ship and my secondary objective to assist you. I'm… sorry."

Tyr grimaced. "Cindy…"

"I have one last task—and that is to keep the Sanctuary from crashing into the city. The crashing of the _Conqueror_ has done enough damage. I still have enough control over the propulsion systems to move the ship from over Canterlot."

"What?" There were surprised looks all around.

Rainbow frowned. "You're going to sacrifice yourself?"

"I must," Cindy pointed out. "If I do not, the city—and everyone in it—will be lost."

Twilight gasped. "But… there's no other way?"

Cindy let out a soft sigh, her smile falling away. "…I've run the numbers upon taking damage. With no further damage, there is a 72% chance that the ship's Central Core will detonate upon crashing, devastating everything within a five mile radius. There is a 16% chance that there will be no explosion, but the ship will be rendered completely inoperable. There is a 10% chance that the ship will crash, retain most functions, but never fly again."

"And the last two percent?" Tyr asked.

"The ship will be able to be restored to complete functionality." Cindy reached up to her face, her fingers coming away with a dark viscous liquid. She grimaced. "…However… there is a 98% chance that this unit will be completely destroyed despite the outcome."

"So…" Chrys looked around at everyone before looking back at the hologram. "You'll die?"

"My functions will cease completely. I… suppose that is like death."

Tyr sucked in air harshly. "There has to be something, anything we could do—?"

"Operator." Cindy's voice wasn't hard or stern, but soft and resigned. "My la-ast act will be protecting you. It was an honor to assist and serve you. You brought your mother back to see me one last time, and for that, I am grateful. Forgive my selfishness."

"You never had a selfish bone in your body," Tyr responded weakly.

Cindy smiled again. "This unit doesn't have bones, Operator."

"I know. It was a terrible attempt at a joke."

"…I thought it was fine." The Controller winced as her body jerked in a sudden spasm. "I'm running out of time. I will collect all the information I have stored in the Sanctuary into a Black Core, and seal it within the ship. It will survive the crash no matter the outcome, thus preserving the knowledge I have catalogued. As a… final request, will you please retrieve it?"

Tyr nodded. "…I'll do my best, Cindy. Thank you for all your help."

She shook her head one last time before the hologram cut out. But her voice still came through. "Thank you for letting me fulfill my purpose… Tyr."

All eyes went to the sky. The Jötunheim's engines flared once more, jerking the fatally wounded craft to the side. It suffered no more damage, as the Cultist fleet recognized the damage that had been done. With a painful slowness, it pulled itself from over the city, pushing itself out into the open sky while trying to keep from losing too much altitude. The group outside watched in rapt attention as the ship descended over the Everfree, shuddered once more, before crashing into the trees and tearing a massive swath through them. After a few seconds of grinding, it finally halted. "Well… it didn't blow up," Rainbow offered after a minute.

"Let's not jinx it," Sunset said softly, giving Tyr's hand another squeeze. "You know… two percent is still a chance."

Tyr clenched his other hand closed. "…Yeah. But I'm not going to focus on that. We need to get to Cocoon. The sooner we kill her the sooner we can deal with the cult."

Luna frowned, moving over to her husband. She gently took hold of his face. "Beloved… it is not wrong to grieve."

"I know that, Mani. But I… There's no time now. I'll grieve when this is over."

Luna and Sunset shared a look, before the latter nodded. "Okay. Let's go thrash Cocoon and then we'll go get that Black Core thing."

"I hope the others are okay," Twilight said, looking back to the city. "The _Conqueror_ crashed too…"

"We'll worry about them when the time comes," Chrys said softly. "For now, assume that they are alright."

There was silence at that. Instead of talking, they turned back to the castle where the battle was still raging. Tyr led the group in, retrieving Fimbulvinter and readying himself. Someone was going to pay for the fall of the Jötunheim, and he had one individual in mind.

–x–

Sherry spat, trying to get the dust out of her throat and eyes. The _Conqueror_ had smashed into the buildings and kicked up a massive cloud of dust. But the ship was still in one piece thankfully, although it was disabled. Already the Qirin were beginning to disembark. She heard movement behind her and found Aurora pulling herself out of some rubble. She ran to her side. "Aurora! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the younger girl said weakly, coughing a bit. "What happened?"

"The _Conqueror_ was disabled and crashed." Sherry took a moment to look around. All around her the members of her force were pulling themselves out of the wreckage. There were a number of survivors, but there were still some bodies that were not moving. She swallowed heavily. "Where… where are your friends?"

Aurora blinked, before casting her own gaze around. "I… I don't know. I was helping one of the Shapers…"

A weak cough came from nearby, and suddenly an explosion of bluish magic revealed Ancè and Goldie. "We're here," Ancè offered weakly. "I don't know what happened to the others…"

"C-Cori…" Goldie murmured, groaning slightly as she and her friend were pulled out by Aurora and Sherry. The pegasus coughed roughly, only abating slightly when Sherry patted her on the back and gently cast a healing spell on her. "Cori's gone…"

Aurora gasped lightly. "Oh no…"

A golden light emerged from another pile of rubble, and the pieces of building disintegrated to expose a golden barrier. Hope lowered the shield to allow herself, several Royal Guards, and a pack of civilians to emerge. She spotted Sherry and gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay…"

All around them, more and more Equestrians and Stonekin were pulling themselves out of the wreckage. The Qirin were descending from the _Conqueror_ , suitably shaken from the crash. Sherry spotted Mayweather being carried down by a couple of her crew. "May!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," The pilot said as they reached level ground. She wasn't fine—there was a jagged piece of metal about a foot long jammed in her thigh. When Sherry gestured to it pointedly, the other woman grimaced. "Well… you know. Other than that."

"I can heal her," Hope said, wiping her face with her sleeve as she came over. "Although you'll have to remove that."

"This is going to suck isn't it?" Mayweather asked as her crew members gave her nervous smiles. She was proven right as the piece of metal was gripped by Sherry's magic and yanked cleanly out. She gritted her teeth hard and barely let out a groan of pain.

"Well captain, most of the men wanted to make you scream, just not in that way," One off the two joked as Hope began healing her injury, who was swiftly reprimanded by a smack to the back of the head.

"Hope it was worth it," Mayweather mumbled. "Fair's not gonna be happy hearing my crew is hitting on me."

"You're married?" Aurora asked, blinking.

The pilot chuckled. "No, not yet anyways. I hope that idiot survived…"

"He's fine," Sherry said, glancing up at the sky. "I saw the _Cinnamon_ get away with some damage. Fair Skies should be alright."

"Any other casualties?"

"We… we don't know yet."

The pilot stared at her for a minute, before sighing. "Get off your butt, Princess. These ponies—er, people, I guess—are looking to you for leadership. You can't stand around confused just like them."

Sherry stared at her for a moment, missing the shocked looks of the others around them at the blatant disregard for authority. Then, she chuckled. "You're right. Don't die on me, alright?"

"You got it, Princess."

"Alright!" Sherry straightened up and turned to face the group that was slowly forming behind her. "Everyone able to move, we need to get everyone that is still alive somewhere safe. Combat units are to secure the perimeter, and any civilians should help find other survivors. We're all in this together, so do your part!"

There was a chorus of agreement, and they all rushed off to go find survivors of the crash. Aurora tugged on her elder sister's sleeve. "What about the Cult airships, Sherry? They're still up there."

"Dad's already given us what we need for that." She reached up to her ear, where the communicator Charlie had given her rested. A few modifications had to be done to make it suitable for a pony ear, but it still worked just as well. "Uncle Vanna? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, sugar, and happy to hear you're still alive down there," Vanna's voice replied, the grin she no doubt had translating through her voice. "You got orders for us?"

"Those airships are offloading troops. Deal with them for me please?"

"Since you asked so nicely. Char! Time to serious up!"

A moment later, a roar tore through the air. The Equestrians and Qirin looked up to see two dragons, one bronze and one blood red, take to the sky and fly into the formation of Cultist vessels. Caught off guard and hit from below, the crew of the lead ship could be heard screaming in terror when the bronze dragon smashed into them and tore off a huge chunk from their side. The blood red dragon latched onto another airship, rocking it as her talons dug into the deck. The few unicorns aboard attempted to throw spells at her, which really only served to piss Charlie off. She bathed the ship in fire before taking off and seeking another target. The screams of terror turned to screams of pain as the crew burned alive.

There was a screech from one of the rear ships, and several dozen griffins took to the air, weapons held high as they dived into the city below. The soldiers of the allied army jumped up to defend the innocent. Before the lead griffin could get close enough to throw his javelin, an ice arrow caught him in the throat and pinned him to a wall. Giggling madly, Aleksa slid past on a slide made of ice, bow held out and another arrow nocked in a singular smooth motion. Hopping off her slide and landing on one of the still flying ships she swiftly shot the captain, pinned his first mate to the mast, and then she threw a rather inappropriate gesture over the railing at the griffins. When they screeched at her, she aimed with a smile, whistled once more for attention, and nailed another griffin out of the sky. Seeing a more potent threat, the griffin mercenaries turned to chase after her.

But even with those three engaging, there were still Cultists dropping to the streets, drawing weapons from white cloaks before charging towards Sherry's forces on the ground. The Stonekin in her force acted first, throwing up barricades to funnel their enemies. Lightning arced from the Qirin, blasting several Cultists in the middle of their charge. The Equestrian guards leapt to the front, ready to meet the charge with the Stonekin.

And then Aurora was with them, a grim set to the normally happy face and determination in her silver eyes. "Time to prove my worth," She growled, hefting her sword and shield. Emboldened by her very presence, the Stonekin seemed to stand up even taller, locking ranks and readying to take the initial attack.

Sherry joined her, Curiosity's hat atop her head and Alice floating over her shoulder. Her horn lit up, and her voice carried to the rest of the troops. "Hold the line! We must protect the civilians!"

"Alright, we've trained for this," Aurora said, her voice carrying. "LOCK IN!"

She was answered by every Stonekin taking one hard step forward, digging into the stone of the street and bracing themselves. With a clash of metal and cries of fury, the cultists slammed against the stone line. Not one Stonekin stepped back, and Aurora's voice could be heard taunting their enemies. With the dragons fighting above and Aleksa's laughter on the freezing wind, the second front of the battle of Canterlot began.

–x–


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 64: Make Your Mark

Aleron groaned softly as he stirred from unconsciousness. He blinked his eyes a couple times to get his bearings, before realizing he was in the ruins of a building almost levelled from the crashing of the _Conqueror_. "Well… at least I'm still alive."

He pulled himself up and looked around. He didn't see anyone else at first, before a dark arm burst from under a large rock. Aleron grimaced, before pushing himself to his feet and trudging over. He picked up a particularly large rock before getting close, wary that one of the Changelings had snuck into their forces before the crash. The young man raised the stone over his head as he stepped forward.

"…Al—? Wait, wait! It's me, it's me!" Cori squealed, waving her free hand hurriedly. "D-Don't hit me!"

"Depends on your answer," Aleron said flatly, not lowering the stone. "What was I doing when we first met?"

"Y-You were reading a book! And Aurora was sitting in father's lap!"

Aleron let out a sigh and dropped the rock to one side. A minute of using magic and his hands, and he freed his half-sister. "Sorry about that," He apologized as she dusted herself off.

"No, it's fine," Cori said, giving him a tiny smile. "I understand your caution."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but…" She looked around. "I… is it just us? I was with Goldie when the ship crashed…"

Aleron looked around for moment. "I'm not sure. We weren't all together at the time… I just hope no one was seriously hurt."

"Likewise…" Cori was silent for a long minute, before looking over at her half-brother. "Al… can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Were you… were you really going to kill me?"

"If it wasn't you, yes. We're in a battle, Cori. I can't hesitate. I was hoping it was you, but I was prepared to end it if it wasn't."

Cori shivered. "You… you feel like you could?"

"I have to. I don't want to kill if I don't have to, but if I have to…"

He trailed off. His sister fell silent, watching his hands tense into fists. With a gentle smile on her lips, Cori reached over and squeezed his arm. "I'm with you, big brother."

Aleron gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks Cori. Let's see if we can find any of the others."

It took a little while, but they managed to pull Bramley and Jubilee out of the rubble, along with a two Shapers and one royal guard. Aleron checked them all for authenticity. "Not the best group for getting out of here," He murmured, "But we'll make it work. Is anyone injured?"

"We're alright," One of the Shapers, a man named Havoc said. "Not the first time we've been in a collapsing building."

Aleron looked towards the guard, a woman with light pink and green hair and pale white fur. "Are you alright, miss…?"

"Mint Julip," She replied, giving him a weak smile. "And I'm fine. Thanks for getting me out."

"No problem. Anyone have any idea where we are in relation to the rest of the Rescue group?"

Havoc closed his eyes, the amethyst in his forehead glowing for a short moment. "I believe we're south of the main group. Although it seems like there is a lot of activity that way. No doubt they are engaged."

"Then we need to get back over there," Aleron said decisively. "My sisters are going to need us."

"But the dreadnaught's in the way," Bramley pointed out with a frown. "We'll have to go around."

"Too bad we can't fly," Jubilee said thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin in thought. She frowned, then looked over at Cori. "Wait! Coco can fly!"

"H-Huh?" The Changeling blinked. "Er… yeah, I can, but…"

"It's better if we stay together," Havoc said. "Strength in numbers. Lady Cordelia will be in danger if she tries to go alone."

Cori blinked. "Lady?"

Aleron chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "It's fine, Cori. Come on—we should get going."

"What's the plan?" Mint asked, getting to her feet.

"We're going to find a building that's not shattered and get to the top of it so we can get a view of what's going on," Aleron said, folding his arms in thought. "Then, we'll have to find a way to get to the others. Jeez, I almost wish Vibrant was with us."

Bramley nodded. "His speed would a been useful right about now."

"Well, we're all we have at the moment, so we need to go. Miss Mint, did you specialize in anything?"

Mint blinked. "Er, yes. I was good at defensive spells."

"Alright. Please support Havoc and the other Shaper. You two have the lead."

Havoc nodded. A small smirk touched at his lips. "As you say, Prince Aleron. You've got the makings of a good leader."

Cori giggled as Aleron rolled his eyes. Havoc and the other Shaper pushed through a hole in the wall, with the rest of the group following. The streets were full of debris and smoke, obscuring their path even as the sounds of battle echoed from every corner of the city. Luckily it seemed to be away from them, giving them a mostly clear path down the side streets. But they didn't get too far before a cry caught their attention. "Is there anyone there? Please help us!"

Aleron's ears perked up, and he snapped his head in the direction the voice came from. "That way," He said by way of an order, and Havoc and the other Shaper moved towards it. Jubilee and Cori moved close to Aleron, with Bramley moving behind them. Mint stayed protectively nearby, but the worry seemed to be for nothing, as Havoc uncovered a pair of Qirin taking shelter in a ruined building. "Qirin?"

It was a male and a female, both jumping up at their approach. "We're allies," Havoc said quickly, holding up a hand and pointing to his Mind Gem.

The male Qirin sighed, turning back to the female. She had slumped back against the wall, hand pressed against her side. Blood was seeping from a wound she had no doubt suffered during the crash. "Is she hurt badly?" Aleron asked, moving closer.

"My sister was injured when the ship was hit," the Qirin informed him. "She needs a healer."

"Unfortunately we have none," Bramley murmured.

"Ancè was learning to heal," Jubilee murmured. "But I think she's still with the others…"

"Then we take her to them," The Qirin snapped, moving over to help his sister up.

The members of Aleron's group shared a look—they didn't know how long it would take to get to the rest of the Rescue force. Bramley let out a small sigh and moved over to the pair. "Here. I spend all day working on a farm. I should be able to help ya."

"…I appreciate that."

"Well," Havoc began, folding his arms. "The faster we get to the others, the faster she gets healed. We should—"

He was cut off by a whistling noise and then a soft thudding sound. Aleron glanced around at him, confused as to why the Shaper suddenly stopped talking. He found his answer when the Shaper collapsed to the ground, a crossbow bolt lodged in his back. "Ambush!" Mint cried, just before a bolt took her in the shoulder.

A squad of Cultists emerged from hiding places in the rubble, two of the eight carrying crossbows. "Death to the false Princess!" One of them cried.

"Cori, Jubilee, get back!" Aleron said, jumping in front of his sisters. Jubilee cried out in surprise and fell back, falling onto her butt. Her brother stepped neatly in front of her, magic deflecting another bolt into the ground. Growling lightly, he snapped his hand forward, lancing the attacking cultist in the chest with a bolt that sent him sprawling back into the rubble.

Mint threw up a hand, erecting a barrier in time to block a magical attack. The other Shaper prepared to fight, covering his arms in stone and charging forward. "What do we do?" Jubilee asked worriedly.

The Qirin suddenly jumped into the fray, brother and sister lighting up their antlers to arc lightning into their attackers. Two Cultists went down, but two more got close enough to engage them in hand to hand. Another moved to engage Mint. Aleron took all of this in at a glance, before a hand grabbed hold of his collar. "Seems we found the spawn of the wolf Lord," The Cultist grinned, lifting him up.

"Let him go!" Cori said, just as the last Cultist grabbed her by the hair. "O-Ow!"

"We'll show that fool what it means to fight against the true ruler of Equestria. Kill the boys and we'll take the girls as hostages!"

Aleron growled, a deep and angry noise in the back of his throat, reaching up to grip at his captor's arm. "No one. Hurts. My. SISTERS!"

Silver-white light tore from his body, lashing across the Cultist's arm and freezing it solid. Shocked, the Cultist let go, and Aleron dropped nimbly to his feet. The young man spun around, slamming his fist into the chest of the taller figure. His aura of cold spread even further, freezing through the man's body with ease. Once he was completely frozen solid, Aleron shoved him, knocking the frozen statue over to shatter on the ground. He turned to the second, but found him kneeling beside Cori, a glowing green hand on his head and her eyes bright. She glanced over at him. "He's… placated, for now."

"…I'm impressed," Aleron said with a surprised look.

Cori gave him a small smile. "I told you I'd support you, Al. I meant it."

"Thanks Cori. I mean it too."

The rest of the Cultists had been dealt with by then, all except for Cori's prisoner who followed her orders like a lovesick puppy. Havoc was dead, the bolt in his back finding his heart. The other Shaper was still alive, although he was injured pretty badly after charging the crossbowmen. Mint was injured, but the Cultist across from her had been smashed into the far wall. The female Qirin was slumped back against the wall, her brother and Bramley standing over her. Aleron frowned. "Is she…"

Bramley looked back at him, slowly shaking his head. Aleron winced and turned away to find Jubilee looking at him. "How did you do that?" She asked.

"Do… what, Jubilee?"

"The freezy thing!" She put her hands on her hips and gave him a pout. "When you did it, your horn didn't light up!"

"That's because it wasn't unicorn magic," Aleron replied evenly, pulling his sister into a hug. To tell the truth, he was just happy she was okay. "Remember how dad is an Ice Elemental?"

"Him and Grandma," Jubilee replied, hugging him back. Then she gasped and pushed him out to arm's length. "You're one too!?"

"Seems to be the case. I didn't know until we were in the Crystal Empire."

Jubilee looked him over, frowning slightly. "I wonder if me or Ancè can do it…?"

Aleron simply shrugged. Cori came over to him, her subjugated Cultist following loyally. "Al… what do we do now? More of us are hurt."

"Well…" Aleron bit his lip, looking around. He now had two more wounded, and no healer. "If only we had a way to send for help…"

Jubilee suddenly brightened. "Ooh, ooh! I can help, I can do it!"

"Do… what?"

The spawn of Pinkie Pie reached into her hair and yanked out her father's souvenir for her—a box of fireworks. "Daddy said to save them for a special occasion, remember?"

"I tried not to," Aleron admitted as his half-sister began rooting through the kit. He chose that moment to move over to where the two Qirin were. "How's your sister?" He asked when he got close.

"Emmelyn is dying," the male Qirin said softly, holding his sister's hand. "Her wound has gotten worse. Have you signaled for a healer?"

There was a hissing sound and then a small explosion from behind them. Jubilee squealed in delight as her fireworks shot into the sky straight up, travelled past the skyline of the city, and exploded into a bright red cross. "I did it! Ooh, that looks pretty!"

"My sister is handling it," Aleron pointed out with a small chuckle. "Is there…"

Emmelyn suddenly shuddered, her breath coming out in hitches. "Uriel…" She murmured.

Uriel looked back to his sister. "Do not worry, Emmelyn. The Equestrians have sent for a healer. You will survive this."

"No… I do not believe I will." The female Qirin smiled softly. "This wound is too great. I… love you, little brother."

"NO! You will survive, you must! Sister, I…" He trailed off, suddenly feeling Bramley's large hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at him, a frown on his face. "What?"

"Your sister took that injury protecting you," Bramley said after a short moment. His voice was soft and quiet, but something in it made them all stay silent and listen. "She knew what would happen. Yet she did it anyway."

"What… but why?"

"Because that's what older siblings do," Bramley told him. "We sacrifice for our younger siblings, and do our best to protect them. So that we can see them grow. To be better than us."

"But why _now_!?"

Bramley shook his head. "We never know what will happen. So we just prepare for what we can. Your sister did the best she could."

"…Did?"

"…She's gone," Aleron said softly, reaching out to check her pulse.

Uriel turned shocked eyes to his sister, who had closed her eyes and was leaning back against the wall with a contented smile on her face. "I…"

To Aleron's shock, the young Qirin began to cry. Bramley however just nodded to himself and hugged the poor boy. Just the act of holding him seemed to calm the Qirin down after a while. Aleron stared at his friend in shock. "Bram… how did you…?"

"I had an older sister," Bramley said softly, glancing over to where he spotted Jubilee and Cori watching and listening. Jubilee was scratching at her back, but other than that was wholly interested in the beginnings of the story. The large young man sighed. "Her name was Summer. We were real close, and she always tried to protect me and make me happy. Our parents were extreme workaholics, but they tried to make time for us. Then one day our home caught fire. Summer sacrificed herself to get me out alive. Everybody died but me."

"Oh no…" Cori whispered, tears touching at her eyes. Aleron glanced at her for a moment, before remembering Cori's particular talent. She was no doubt feeling Bramley's emotions, as reserved as the boy normally was.

"I've long since accepted that she did what she did to protect me," Bramley continued, looking Uriel in the eyes. "And now I have a little sister of my own to watch over. But I know one day I won't be able to protect her. But I know she'll be strong enough on her own. Your sister trusts that you can manage without her. Prove her right."

Uriel was silent for a long minute, before finally nodding a little. "Thank you. I… I needed to hear that."

Bramley nodded and let him go. "Will you be alright?"

"I… I will."

"Jubilee, why are you _scratching_!?" Cori suddenly demanded suddenly, whirling on her half-sister. The pink haired girl jumped at that.

"M-My leg itches!"

"Oh goodness… let me see. Maybe something got in your fur."

Jubilee happily turned her back to her sister, pulling down at her shorts. However, instead of saying anything immediately, Cori gasped. "Huh? What is it Coco? There isn't anything icky on my leg, is there?"

Bramley whistled. Aleron shot him a glare before turning to Jubilee. "Well… only if you count having fireworks on your hip icky."

–x–

"Evie. Evie! Wake up, egghead!"

Evie opened her eyes slowly, a familiar headache and grimace coming to the fore. The blurry form of Vibrant stood before her, and she squinted her eyes to try and minimize her headache. "I've told you not to call me that, Vibrant."

The winged boy rolled his eyes and moved away, letting her get up. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like someone took a bat to my head. And where are my glasses? I can hardly see."

"Well… about those…"

"…What."

"I think they fell off your face when everything happened. And I kinda… er…"

"You didn't."

"It was a total accident!"

Evie ran a hand down her face. "By the Princesses, I _can't_ believe you…"

"Well, I'm sorry!"

"Sun. Well, you're going to have to lead me around for the time being. Give me a hand, please?"

"Alright, alright…" He held out an arm to her, which she tentatively took. "Where should we go?"

"We have to get back to the others. Just… keep us from any fighting?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Vibrant began walking, keeping slow so that Evie could keep up. The streets near them were mostly deserted, so they kept moving in a straight line towards where they thought the main group was. They hadn't gotten far when they almost stumbled into Fluttershy and Scootaloo, the former leaning heavily on the younger woman. "Auntie! Scoots!"

"Vibrant? Evie?" Fluttershy blinked as they came into view. "Why are you two over here?"

"We ran to get from under the _Conqueror_ when it fell," Evie explained. "We were separated from the others. And Vibrant broke my glasses."

"Not on purpose!" The Pegasus complained.

Fluttershy sighed. "I'm just glad you're both okay. Where were you headed?"

"Back to the main force," Evie said. "We thought it was the best idea."

"Not exactly," Scootaloo said. "Everything's going crazy. The ship coming down separated everyone, and from what I've heard the Cultists are all over the place."

"But… what about my mom and Mr. Tyr?" Evie asked.

Vibrant nodded. "Yeah, Mom's up with them too, right?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "I have no idea. I can't find any of the Stonekin scouts."

"Maybe you should go," Fluttershy told her, getting all of their attention. "You can fly to your mom and get a message to Tyr. He might be able to send Rainbow or Twilight to come help us."

"That… that could help," Evie murmured. "Getting my mom over here would really swing things I hope."

Scootaloo frowned a little. "But… I can't fly that fast, and you're hurt, Fluttershy."

Vibrant suddenly perked up. "I can go! I can fly almost as fast as my mom!"

Fluttershy started. "W-wait, I can't put you in danger like that, Vibrant…"

"I'm fine with it, Auntie!" He smiled softly. "Plus, Evie can't see without her glasses, you're hurt, and Scoots isn't as fast. I'll be fine!"

Scootaloo scowled. "Quit calling me Scoots, Sparky!"

"Don't call me Sparky, Scoots!"

Fluttershy cleared her throat and gently positioned herself between the arguing siblings. "Vibrant… Are… are you sure?"

Vibrant smacked his chest with a fist. "You have my word. I'll find Aunt Twilight—or Mr. Tyr—and get this message to them. I promise you as the son of the Element of Loyalty."

Fluttershy blinked several times. "You didn't have to go that far…"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Dork."

Vibrant bristled. "Hey!"

Evie hit him in the arm. "Quit arguing, Vibrant. This is serious."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Just… just be safe," Fluttershy pleaded.

"Course! Don't trip over your own feet, Evie!"

With that he took off, almost knocking the half-blind girl over with his suddenness. With a half muttered curse, Evie found herself clinging to Scootaloo. "You okay?" The older girl asked her.

"I can hardly see," Evie explained. "I'm farsighted, and I don't have my glasses."

"Oh. Sorry. Hey wait—there's a clockmaker near here that wore glasses. I think he was farsighted too."

Fluttershy blinked. "You know a clockmaker?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "I'm a messenger. I've been all over the city for all kinds of things. Besides, Princess Celestia always needed new clocks for some reason."

Evie frowned. "Huh. Well. Maybe he has a spare set lying around that he won't miss."

"Follow me then!"

With Fluttershy and Evie in tow, Scootaloo brought them to the clockmaker's, a small building nestled in a cozy corner of a small shopping district. A gentle nudge on the door showed that it was unlocked, and they slipped inside. "I feel bad just coming in like this…" Fluttershy murmured.

"Well, I'd rather like to be able to see," Evie countered. "We can give them back when all of this is over."

Scootaloo helped Fluttershy to a chair while Evie blindly walked through the room, hands out to make sure she didn't walk into anything. "Do you know where he kept his spare glasses?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll look," Scootaloo said, jumping up and beginning to root around.

Evie kept running her hands along things, before finding herself at a door. "Scootaloo? What's behind this door?"

The pegasus looked back at her, before shrugging. "I dunno. Never asked."

"Hm…" Evie felt along the door and found a handle, which she pushed in along with the door. She stumbled around a little bit before falling against a desk. "Ouch!"

"Are you alright, Evening Star?" Fluttershy asked worriedly, trying to look into the room after her."

"I'm okay, just… ran into a desk." She let her hands run along the surface of the desk, her fingers coming against something familiar shaped. "I found some glasses!"

"Oh! That's good."

Evie picked up the glasses, a bit surprised at how thin they actually were. Sitting them on her face, she found they fixed her vision perfectly. And revealed that she was standing in what looked like an inventor's workshop, with gears and machinery on every wall. "Oh… Oh my."

Scootaloo peeked inside, spotting the younger girl standing in awe at the room. "Huh. Lot more stuff in here than I thought…"

"I want to live in this room," Evie said, eyes sparkling. "But I'll settle for making something that'll help us get to the others."

–x–

Aurora pushed through a splintering door into the temporary medical ward the Rescue team was using to treat the wounded. The initial fight against the Cultists had caused quite a number of casualties—with the suddenness of the attack and the majority of their forces scattered due to the _Conqueror_ crashing, Sherry and Aurora had had a hard time keeping the line held. The Stonekin had made their presence felt, with only one casualty amongst all of them. The Equestrians, Ursa and Wulfen that were able to rally to them suffered worse, but they still had most of their strength. Finally, at some command only they could hear, the Cultists had vanished back into the city altogether. That gave the allied army time to rest, recover, and prepare themselves. Aurora herself found an intact chair and slumped into it, shield and blade clattering to the floor beside her. With a shuddering sigh, she lowered her face into her arms.

"Something wrong, darling?"

The young Alicorn's head snapped up, finding Ancè standing over her, a somewhat worried look on her face. "A… Ancè?"

"One and the same, Aurora. Is something bothering you?"

Aurora stared at her in confusion for a moment, before resting her head into her hands. "…I've never killed before today. And I killed twelve Cultists today."

Ancè's breath caught, and before the other girl could say anything else, she enveloped her in a tight hug. "Darling, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"I'm not injured," Aurora pointed out. "I'm just… shaken."

"I understand, Ro. Do you… do you need to talk about it?"

"Not with you, Ancè, and I mean no offense. But I… I just… I know I trained for this, but I never steeled my heart…"

"Aurora…"

"It doesn't get easy," Sherry said, coming up to them. She pulled both her sisters into a hug. "But when you remember why you did it, it makes it a little easier. You saved my life today, Aurora."

The sky-haired girl blinked several times as Sherry released them. "I did? When?"

"Twelve times," Sherry said with a wink. "I'm not trained to fight, Ro. I might have the Vorpal blade, but I don't have the same kind of skill you do. With you by me, I was safe. Especially since Obsidian and Capstone are still missing…"

Aurora blinked once, before smiling slightly. "I… I really helped?"

"Yeah, you did. I'm happy you were with me."

The younger girl smiled widely, before a stern voice called out. "Ancè! I need you over here!"

"Was that Grace?" Sherry asked as Ancè gathered herself and turned to go. "What's she want you for?"

Ancè gave her sisters a tiny smile. "I've… I've been helping Grace with the wounded. She taught me some healing magic, so I thought it would be smart to offer my assistance."

"You're… helping?"

"If you want to see, you can just follow me."

Aurora and Sherry shared a look, before shrugging and following after Ancè. She moved to the back of the room, past all the lightly wounded soldiers to where the more serious cases were kept. Grace was already hard at work, needles wrapped in her magic working furiously to stitch closed a wound on a Qirin. A blade had nearly slashed open his chest, and from what they could see through all the blood he was barely holding on. Grace glanced back at them, regarded Aurora and Sherry for a moment, before locking eyes with Ancè and jerking her head towards a young Royal Guardsman holding onto a gash in his arm. "Help him, would you? I'd do it, but my focus is elsewhere."

"Of course," Ancè said, retrieving a pair of gloves and moving over to the wounded man. She grabbed some needles and thread and got to work. "What's your name, soldier?"

"L-Light Beam," the guardsman said through gritted teeth. "Aren't you a bit young for this?"

"Sometimes I think I grew up too quickly," Ancè admitted softly. "I'm old enough to help you, so please, allow me."

"I understand that. Pretty little nurse, too."

Ancè rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, now hold still."

Sherry and Aurora watched in mute fascination as Ancè went to work, disinfecting, cleaning, and then quickly stitching closed the wound with speed and finesse that only came from years of practice. "You're… surprisingly good at that," Sherry murmured.

"I hate making the comparison, but flesh and fabric are not all that different," Ancè replied, tying off the thread and wiping down the wound with a clean towel. "How's that?"

"A lot better," Light Beam admitted. "Although seeing it reminds me of how I got it."

Ancè frowned. "Well, I don't know if… actually, I have an idea." She unwrapped the white scarf around her neck and gently wrapped it around her patient's arm. "How's that?"

"It's very nice! Plus, it has my initials in it!"

"I made it not too long ago," Ancè said. "Although it is a rather fetching accessory, I feel as though it would be better served with you. Now I need to get going, so don't stress your arm too much, okay?"

"Sure thing, little nurse. Come see me again sometime, alright?"

Ancè very gently pinched his uninjured arm. "If all goes well, I should not have to. And my father is rather protective of his daughters."

"Oh? Who's your father?"

"My father," Sherry pointed out. The guard, who hadn't noticed the presence of the other two young women, paled at seeing the Princess of Creativity standing in front of him. She folded her arms. "And my little sister is much too young for you, Light Beam."

"…Y-Yes ma'am."

Ancè gave Sherry a small smile before patting Light Beam on the shoulder. "Don't aggravate your arm. If you start feeling like you are in serious pain, Let one of the other medics know and they'll get something from Golden Grove."

"Goldie?" Aurora repeated as she and Sherry followed Ancè away from the injured man.

Ancè nodded. "She's been working with Zecora, I believe. Seems she has a talent for potion making."

"Oh?"

"Yes. She even got her Cutie Mark for it. A flower in a potion bottle." Ancè smiled. "She was so busy running around helping everyone that she didn't even notice."

"You're one to talk," Grace said, appearing behind her and leaning over her shoulder. "You didn't even notice yours."

"Eep! Miss Grace, what are you talking about?"

"You wear rather short, flowy skirts with a humanoid body," Grace pointed out, pointing at her hip. The other girls blinked, and they all looked closer as Ancè gingerly pulled at the hem of her skirt. Just at the top of her hip, she found a symbol of a brush wrapped with a silk ribbon there. The end tip of the ribbon was red like it had been dipped in blood.

Ancè blinked. "…Oh. Oh my."

–x–

Vibrant had assumed getting to Canterlot Castle would be as simple as flying from point A to point B. He was rapidly proven wrong as the moment he took to the air to carry his message, he drew the attention of the few remaining griffin mercenaries, who saw the opportunity to kill something that wouldn't fight back and took it. A trio of them were hounding him, only his natural speed keeping him ahead. That didn't stop the jeers, however.

"Keep running, Pony!"

"Don't know how to fight, pansy?"

"Might as well not even fly!"

Vibrant gritted his teeth, wanting nothing but to turn around and sock one of the mercenaries in the jaw, but they were actual soldiers. The jeering continued as he raced onward. Suddenly, one of them choked, and Vibrant whirled around in shock. One of the Griffins dropped out of the sky, an ice arrow buried in his neck. "Oy!" Aleksa's amused voice called. "Quick picking on the kid! Have some fun with me!"

Vibrant looked down, spotting the ice wielding woman perched on a rooftop readying another arrow. The griffins were ready this time, and it missed, but her point had been made—ignore her and die. "Get the female," one of the griffins growled, hefting his weapon as he turned to face Aleksa. "The kid's not a threat!"

"He's got that red cloak like the scouts," The other said. "He's probably a messenger!"

"Then you get him!"

The griffin huffed, but flew after Vibrant. He jumped at the sudden attention, before bolting away. The griffin was closer now, but still couldn't catch up to him. He could easily outrun the griffin. At least he could, before a bolt of magic shot up from the ground and smacked him in the chest and out of the air. Suddenly losing all feeling in his body sucked, but at least it kept him from feeling too much pain when he smashed through a window. When he finally slid to a stop, be cursed softly. "Buck. That _hurts_."

The crinkling of glass signaled the griffin landing, a savage sort of glee on his face. "Not much fun killing a child, but battle is battle, and cutting the lines of communication is vital to victory."

There was a crack of magical sound, and then a pair of Changelings appeared. "We shot down a spawn? How pointless."

"It was a messenger, bug," the griffin said scowling at the Changelings. "And I coulda gotten him on my own. I didn't need your help."

"You seemed to be struggling," the same Changeling said. "So we provided assistance."

"Whatever."

The Changeling turned and looked towards Vibrant, who was still trying to get feeling back into his body. "Should we probe his mind for memories? Perhaps we can discover what his message was."

Vibrant winced at that, attempting to scoot back against the wall. The other Changeling, a female one, spoke up finally. "I'll do it," She said, moving over to the young pegasus. He attempted to move away, but a firm hand gripped his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna tell you anything," Vibrant growled out as well he could.

"You don't have to," The Changeling replied as her horn lit up. Vibrant winced and prepared himself for pain, but all he got was a soft nudge on his mind. [I'm not going to hurt you, little one]

His eyes snapped open and he found himself looking into a pair of gentle blue eyes instead of red ones. […What?]

[I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Cienna] The Changeling's thoughts whispered to him. [I'm here to help you]

[How?]

Her eyes flicked to the side for a split second. [I can handle them long enough for you to get away. Just be fast]

[I can do fast] Vibrant thought back.

"What's taking so long?" The griffin demanded.

"It takes a moment," Cienna replied smartly, reverting from her somewhat kind persona to that of her Cocoon inspired one. Her eyes even returned to red. "Wait."

"My squad mate is back there fighting the Ice Demon, and he needs my help!"

The other Changeling turned a disinterested frown at the griffin. "If he is fighting that ice woman, then he is already dead."

"You…!"

[Now!] Cienna's thought echoed in Vibrant's mind just as the paralyzing spell wore off. Cienna spun around, eyes turning back to blue as she flung a disabling spell at the other Changeling, knocking him back into the wall as she revealed her actual form. The griffin seemed surprised, but reacted in time to evade a second stunning spell and draw his weapon.

"Traitor!" He growled.

"Not the first time I've been called that," Cienna countered, readying another spell. She glanced back at Vibrant. "Get going. I know not what message you carry, but you need to go quickly."

Vibrant worked his wings and turned to the window. "Are you… are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Die, bug!" the griffin roared, sword held aloft as he charged Cienna. The Changeling cried out in surprise, her readied spell going wide. She was able to dodge the attack, but now she was in close with the griffin and had her advantage of magic removed.

"Go!" Cienna said, glaring at Vibrant who had not yet left.

Vibrant didn't have a choice then, for the other Changeling had recovered and was readying a spell. Instead of leaping out of the window, he shot across the room and into the Changeling, forcing him back into the wall. Although the Changeling was larger and had magic, Vibrant had physical strength drilled into him by Captain of the Equestrian Guard and the Element of Loyalty herself. One Changeling was no challenge.

Several particular facts had been taught to Vibrant by both his father and his aunt. Pegasii had the advantage of having two other limbs to fight with. Earth Ponies were much stronger. And Unicorns had magic to aid them in a fight. It was also a glaring weakness. Vibrant grabbed the Changeling's head, gripped it tightly, and smashed his head backwards. But in a way that the Changeling's horn hit the wall first. The force of the blow shattered it on impact.

Cienna and the griffin were distracted from their fight by the sound of a magical explosion and a scream of pain. They both looked to see Vibrant over the convulsing body of the other Changeling. "His horn's broken?" The griffin murmured.

Vibrant backed off of the Changeling as it began foaming at the mouth. "That's… ew."

"His magic is backfiring," Cienna whispered in horror.

The griffin blinked, before turning to the remaining Changeling. "Perhaps I should break yours too…"

He advanced one step, but then Vibrant appeared over his shoulder, between his wings. The griffin squawked in surprised a moment before screaming in pain as the young Pegasus took hold of his wings and snapped them in two places. He grinned. "Auntie Heart Song taught me that. And being a Pegasus myself I know how to do this!"

More snapping, more cries of pain. The griffin had actually fallen to all fours under Vibrant's attack. "Get-Get off me you—!"

"Not likely," Vibrant growled, red eyes bright with glee. "You were going to hurt a friend of mine. So it's only fair I hurt _you_."

The griffon screamed under the young Pegasus's ministrations, until he could scream no more. Then Vibrant broke his spine, and he lay still. Blood splatter was all over the room, especially over his white fur and hair. He looked like a demon with his red eyes as he looked over at Cienna, who was still staring at him in horror. "You… you… why do you _know_ all that…?"

"My aunt is a professional torturer," Vibrant said with a nonchalant shrug as he licked blood off his hands. "And my dad's a berserker. I get it from their side of the family. And I couldn't just leave you—that's from my mom. Loyalty, you know?"

"I…" Her eyes narrowed and shot past him. "Move!"

"Huh?" He only had time to say that as Cienna jumped up and pushed him aside, the sword meant for Vibrant's back cutting into her back. The rabid, magic addled Changeling hissed in fury as his intended target got away. "Cienna!"

"…Oh," Cienna whispered, collapsing sideways to the bloodied floor. Greenish blood leaked out of the wound to mix with the dark red of the griffin's.

The other Changeling turned from his fallen kin, but Vibrant was already behind him, locking his arms about the bug's throat and constricting its airflow. His weight dragged them both to the ground in a mass of struggling limbs. But Vibrant didn't let go, keeping his hold on the Changeling with a manic grin on his blood covered face.

He didn't let go until he was sure the Changeling was dead. And only after snapping its neck to be sure. His aunt had taught him thoroughly.

Getting up, he looked around the room. The griffin was dead. Cienna wasn't moving. The Changeling at his feet would not be getting up any time soon. There were more enemies that he could go after, more blood to be spilled, but—

The image of his adoptive sister, Evie, and Fluttershy came forward to his blood-rage addled mind. He had a small internal conflict, and then he sighed. "Friends and family first, right? Being loyal is _hard_ …"

–x–


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 65: Regime Change

"We've cleared the main yard," Carver informed Tyr, coming across him pulling Fimbulvinter free of a dying Changeling. The Wolf Lord was covered in Changeling blood, sprayed about as he had hacked his way through the horde. Tyr seemed rather satisfied though, walking over to his diminutive guardian with a small smile on his face. She, unlike many of the Vanguard, had opted for an actual weapon, a heavy warhammer that was splattered with green blood. He raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to continue. "Casualties are low, and morale is high. We're ready to assault the castle proper."

Tyr nodded, glancing around. Sunset was with Twilight, the pair of them using magic to check for any hidden enemies. Luna was organizing the Royal Guard in preparation for the final attack. Chrys was near her, sticking close. Fenrir was sitting on a small pile of dead Changelings, apparently basking in the afterglow of combat. She had her head tossed back and was sunning herself on the pile. "How are you doing, Carvie?" Tyr asked, turning back to his Shaper.

"Me?" Carver blinked. "I'm… I'm alright."

"Good." Tyr smiled at her, before looking towards the others. "Twilight, Luna, Sunset, Chrissy, come over here."

After a moment, they all gathered, including Fenrir who decided to hang off of Tyr's shoulders. "What's up, Tyr?" Twilight asked. Out of them all, she was the least battle-worn, only a few scuff-marks and dirty spots on her clothing from having to avoid attackers.

"We've cleared out the castle yard," Tyr informed them all, gesturing for Chrys to come over to him. She did, confusion on her face until he reached out to gently rub at her head. She smiled and moved closer to make it more comfortable for him. "And now we need to deal with Cocoon. Any ideas?"

"Well," Twilight began, "She's probably in the throne room. Going there and dealing with her immediately would be effective."

"Cut the head off the snake," Luna pointed out. "A solid plan, but she will no doubt be guarded. She is their queen after all."

Sunset stretched, grunting softly as she popped her joints. "Couldn't Wolfy just cut his way through? He and Fenrir could make short work of her."

"A fair point," Chrysalis said, "But she won't simply come face us."

"We use pride against her," Tyr said, getting all of their attention.

Sunset blinked. "Pride? How so?"

"She hasn't bothered facing us herself, has she?" Fenrir pointed out. "No doubt she feels we are below her."

"We've cut our way through her soldiers," Luna rebutted imperiously. She waved a hand to the carnage about her, where Wulfen, Ursa and Stonekin were systematically ensuring each and every Changeling was dead. From what it seemed, the Stonekin found curious amusement in stomping on heads. Luna turned her attention to the castle, frown deepening. "We've certainly shown we are a threat to her."

"We've cut through _drones_ ," Chrysalis pointed out. When everyone looked at her, she shook her head. "They were expendable. Bred to do nothing but fight and feed. Cannon fodder, as my Master would say. The higher caste Changelings are no doubt within the castle, protecting Cocoon herself. They had magic and actual tactics. The fight will be much more difficult the further in we go."

"Then what do we do?"

Sunset looked up at the castle. "We'll have to go in after her. That sounds like so much fun…"

"There'll be plenty of blood," Tyr pointed out.

His fire haired vampire grinned, fangs bared. "You just know how to make a girl smile, don't ya?"

Tyr smiled right back. "Plenty of practice."

"I see, but I'm not a fan of Changeling blood." Her red eyes flicked from his neck to his eyes. "Yours, on the other hand…"

"Save it for later," He chuckled. "As long as you don't suck me dry, I'll give you as much as you want."

Fenrir snorted. "Do not promise her that. I'd hate to have to hurt her."

"I'll be good!" Sunset protested.

Luna shook her head as the others laughed. "Really, we have no sense of location for these things. We are still in battle. Save this for when we are not trying to reclaim our home?"

Tyr rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Fine, we can—" He was cut off by a rush of flame from the side. He turned to see everyone looking at Chrys's feet, where a circle of blood red flame had surrounded her. Before Tyr could even ask what was going on, the flames shot up suddenly, swallowed the surprised Changeling, and vanished altogether. "…What?"

"That was Changeling magic!" Twilight said. "Cocoon could teleport Chrysalis from here?"

"So that's how she wants to play it," Tyr growled, turning his attention to the castle. "Carver, get a message to the army—!"

"Tyr!" Rainbow's voice cut off whatever order Tyr was about to give. The small group looked to see the Element of Loyalty and her son flying towards them. A few eyes widened at the blood-covered state of Vibrant, but the young pegasus seemed quite pleased with himself.

"What happened!?" Twilight asked, staring at Vibrant.

Rainbow glanced over at her son, before sighing. "He's fine. None of it is his."

"I got in a fight!" Vibrant said, grinning.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Seems he takes more after his dad," He remarked to his rainbow haired friend.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "No kidding. But Vi just told me the Rescue group is scattered all over the place when the dreadnaught fell. Sherry's trying to keep it together, but she needs help."

"Plans only go well during the planning stage," Tyr said ruefully. "Sunset, Twilight, go after Chrys. You two are the strongest magic users here besides Luna, and she's going to be helping Sherry. If Cocoon is as strong as we were afraid of, Chrissy will need you. Carver? Secure the castle by any means necessary. Rainbow, I need as many pegasii that you can find that can control the weather. I'm going to make a storm."

–x–

Chrys groaned slightly, pushing herself off of the floor. "That was a rather rude way of saying you wanted to talk," She growled.

Seated in a twisted version of the Canterlot throne was Cocoon, her long pale red hair draped over her shoulders and her eyes fixed on the prostrate Chrysalis. Her dark lips curled into a smile. "I had to get you away from those ponies, my dear Chrysalis. Especially with that monkey treating you like a pet."

"He's a human," Chrys snapped. "And I do not mind him treating me that way."

Cocoon shook her head. "Poor, poor Chrysalis. Failed to protect her hive, and now she suffers in servitude to the Equestrians. I feel for you, truly I do. To know that your entire hive is dead."

Chrys glared at her counterpart. Her response was tinged with venom. "Thank you for reminding me, Cocoon."

"I meant nothing by it, my cousin. I simply wished to talk to you."

"Sending a messenger would work just as well next time," Chrys pointed out, getting completely to her feet. She looked around, seeing that they were the only two in the throne room. "What did you want to speak to me about then?"

"Cooperation," Cocoon said. "We are the same race, cousin."

Chrys eyed her red tinged counterpart with cool disinterest. "Oh we are? I hadn't noticed."

Cocoon scowled. "Your pride does little to help you, cousin. You are on the losing side—in the end I will prevail despite you."

"Then why ask me for help? If you have everything in hand as you say."

"We are both Changelings," Cocoon pointed out. "The same race. Queens, with power to grow ever stronger. Your hive may be dead, but you can grow with us."

Chrys folded her arms. "We've never seen eye to eye, Cocoon. And you still have no incentive for me to help you."

"We strive for the same things. Why not side with one another, instead of fighting against each other. You certainly aren't enjoying your servitude to that… ugh, human, are you? We are above these lesser races!"

"That hasn't stopped them from slaughtering your drones in droves," Chrysalis reminded her.

Satisfactorily, Chrys saw Cocoon's sneering visage crack just a tiny bit. "That could not be avoided. That human is… a demon on the battlefield. Him and that white haired ghost… I was not prepared for them. His presence has brought this army to bear against me, not by any effort by the Equestrians."

"That much is true," Chrys replied. Her Master had gathered an army and personally led them to siege Canterlot personally. He and Fenrir had carved a bloody swathe through the Changeling drones with happy smiles on their faces. The sheer joy from the duo made Chrys's own heart soar, and she'd followed them to slaughter with glee. However, she kept her expression neutral, not letting the happy memory put a smile on her face. "He is the reason the Wulfen, the Ursa, and the Stonekin are here."

"Precisely," Cocoon hissed, coming down from her throne to stand before Chrys. "And yet he finds strange solace in seeing you as a pet."

[Not exactly strange] Tyr's thoughts echoed softly in Chrys's head. [You enjoy it, so I enjoy it]

"He cares about me," Chrys said, lowering her head to hide the smile that was there. She heard the wind whipping at the windows, knowing that her Master was close. "We share a… connection, if you will." [And I love him, more than you'd believe]

[I believe it] Tyr's thoughts replied.

Cocoon was silent a moment as she watched Chrys's hand go unbidden to her neck, where her collar still resided. "…Does he own you?"

"In a sense," Chrys said slowly. "I am tied to him, and he is tied to me."

"So… you could control him in turn?"

Chrys frowned. Her bond with Tyr would never allow her to do that, but Cocoon didn't know that. "…If I put in enough effort. Why?"

"Then my plans can be altered," Cocoon said thoughtfully, moving off to one side and folding her arms. "I know that prude Jury is going to try and back stab me, but with that wolf-demon on my side, I could easily overpower him and that blasted sun spawn…"

"Sun spawn?"

"Jury engineered a replacement for that Sun Princess the Equestrians have. He plans to tout him as 'the hero' of Equestria. Your human is interfering with that plan of his. And he is doing it very well."

Chrys shook her head. "He'd never help you."

"Oh? What if his favorite Changeling asked him?" Cocoon flew over to stand directly in front of Chrys. One slender hand came up to cup her chin. "I'm sure you could bend him around your little finger with ease. If not, and that silver haired spirit is more than just a warrior, then there is always another option."

"Another option?" Chrys frowned at her. "And what would that be?"

Cocoon stared at her with a single eyebrow raised. "…Your 'daughter'? The one you bore with his genes? I've heard that the human is very protective of his offspring. Claim her as a 'hostage' and he'll do whatever you say."

[What!?] Tyr's furious thought coincided with Chrys's, but she kept her outrage from showing on her face. The growing snowstorm outside spoke volumes, however. "…Why would I do something like that?"

"What?" Cocoon frowned. "We need his power. Unless… You care about that drone."

"She's not a drone," Chrys snapped, glaring at Cocoon. "She is my _daughter_ and I will not use her as a bargaining chip."

Cocoon stared at her in silence for a long minute. "Perhaps so. But we will need to find a way to get your human on our side." Chrys suddenly started laughing. Cocoon stared at her in confusion, watching as the other Changeling almost double over with laughter. "What… what is so damned _funny!?_ "

"That you think I'm on your side!" Chrys said between chuckles, turning a smile up at Cocoon. "You're much more of an anger-fed idiot than I imagined. Turning me against my Master, the first one to ever show me kindness and care? The one who treats me like a pet at _my_ insistence, despite his obvious wish to do otherwise? He is the first in who knows how many years to truly welcome me in his heart and care about me. The first one who has ever meant the words 'I love you'! And you think words will sway me against him? You're a fool."

Suddenly Cocoon exploded in rage. "You insolent—You throw away a chance for greatness for servitude!?"

"I throw away your foolish designs for the comfort of a _home_!" Chrys shot back. She smiled warmly. "You wouldn't understand. You are always searching for food, for the next meal, but I have nothing like that. I am full every day simply by looking into my Master's face and seeing him smile. Seeing him embrace his daughters and his son. Even as he loves another, I feel all that love as if it radiated from my very core. He gave me my daughter, and my life. He gave me a home."

"…You truly believe that."

[She knows that] "I know that," Chrys replied softly, smiling beatifically.

The room had grown colder, as the storm's rage outside seemed to die down a little at her words. The only one who noticed was Chrys, who gave the window a glance and smile. Cocoon growled, catching her attention. "Then… if you are not with me, you are against me. It pains me to do this, but you must die."

Her hands glowed with red colored magic, and she lifted slightly in the air. Chrys scowled, igniting her own magic. She had no hope of beating an anger fueled Changeling Queen on even terms, but she took her Master's advice seriously.

Play to her strengths.

She threw up a cloud of smoke that quickly obscured her from view and provided valuable cover from the first few magical bolts came flying down at her. Throwing up more smoke, she began filling the entire throne room with smoke. Cocoon roared in fury, sending more bolts through the haze. Chrys stayed silent, watching the magical attacks before aiming and sending back a green bolt of her own. She was rewarded by a cry of pain.

"Of course you hide behind tricks," Cocoon snarled, voice echoing through the otherwise empty throne room. "Stand and face me!"

Chrys rolled her eyes, horn lighting up and projecting her voice across the room. A little trick she had learned from many years of infiltrating, it served her well now. "That would be stupid. I'm not an idiot like you, Cocoon."

"ARGH!" another bolt of magic landed where Chrys had thrown her voice. "Where are you!?"

"Wherever I choose to be," Chrys hissed, charging a powerful bolt and hurling it at where she heard Cocoon's voice. She didn't hit, but she hard Cocoon's sharp inhalation as she avoided the attack.

The game of cat and mouse continued, Cocoon's strategy of wilding throwing magic availing her nothing against Chrys's sneaking about. It was rapidly becoming one sided in favor of the infiltrator. Chrys grinned savagely to herself. "I thought you were going to kill me, Cocoon? Or was that just false bravado?"

"If you weren't so afraid of me to hide behind smoke like a coward, I would have!"

"My Master believes that surviving is much preferable than dying honorably. I mirror his belief."

"…You…!"

Chrys grinned, readying her magic once more. But there was a shift somewhere in the field of smoke. Before she could react, Cocoon burst from the smoke, savage glee in her eyes as she smashed into Chrys and bore her to the ground. "What the!?"

"I've got you this time," Cocoon hissed, hands closing around her neck. "Now stay still and die!"

"You know… choking is a fetish of a few individuals," She choked out.

"…What?" Cocoon's grip slacked in confusion just long enough for Chrys to swing her legs up to her chest and plant her feet against her assailant. She kicked upwards with all her might, dislodging Cocoon before she could react. The red-haired changeling managed to hook her fingers in Chrys's collar however, and it came away with a loud tearing noise.

"My collar!" She cried out in horror. Then, fury. "You _whore_!"

"Oh?" Cocoon glanced down at it. "Does this mean something to you?"

Chrys was almost shaking with rage. "More than you could ever know. Now GIVE IT BACK!"

Cocoon gave her a small smile. "I see. Well, maybe I'll just…" She dropped it to the floor and set it on fire with magic. "Oops."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Chrys propelled herself across the hall, hitting Cocoon in the chest and smashing her into the far wall. "I don't know enough languages to curse you! THAT WAS A GIFT FROM MY MASTER, YOU _BITCH_!" Her hands morphed into claws and she hacked into the other Changeling, who struck back with equal gusto. "YOU WILL _NEVER_ UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT TO ME!" Dark viridian blood spilled in equal measures before they finally broke apart. Both were panting from the exertion of battle. Then, the doors to the throne room burst open, grabbing their attention as violet magic dissipated the smoke.

"Chrysalis, we're here!" Twilight said, she and Sunset running in. They both were a bit bedraggled, as if they had had to fight their way there, but other than that they were whole and healthy.

"You both came," Cocoon said, Chrys's head snapping to look at her. She found an exact copy of herself, injuries and all, standing across from her. "Seems my friends have come to help me."

"Oh crap," Sunset muttered. "Changelings. Should have seen this coming."

"She's a fake!" Chrys said. "I'm the real one!"

"Which is what the fake would say," Cocoon countered.

Twilight frowned, looking between the two of them. "Unfortunately, only Tyr has something he can use to reveal identities…"

"Can't we just dispel them? That should work, right?" Sunset suggested.

"It would if Cocoon was a normal drone," Chrys said. "She no doubt has enough power to resist a simple dispel."

"And her collar is gone…" Twilight murmured.

Sunset frowned. "So we're stuck doing it the hard way, huh…"

"Well, this is easy!" Cocoon said brightly. "Ask me something only I would know."

"You've had spies on us for who knows how long," Chrys pointed out harshly. "That's hardly an accurate way to fix this."

Sunset raised a hand. "I believe I can figure this out."

Twilight looked at her in confusion. "How?"

"Just trust me on this one, and be ready to blast one of them." Sunset walked over to the two Changelings, Chrys flinching back a bit and Cocoon looking grim. The vampire stopped a few steps away, frowning. She sniffed the air a bit. The two Changelings watched in mute interest as she closed her eyes and kept smelling the air.

"Um… not to rush you, Sunset…" Twilight glanced back at the door. "There were a lot of Changelings back that way, and I don't know if that firewall you put up is going to last much longer…"

"I know, I know," Sunset opened her eyes and rolled them. Then with a quick nod to herself, she walked over to Cocoon. "This is the one."

Cocoon looked relieved. Chrys looked horrified. The chosen Changeling smiled warmly and walked over to Sunset, throwing her arms about her neck. "I knew you'd choose right, Sunset. Seems our Master was right to place his trust in you."

"Of course," Sunset grinned, showing off her fangs. She glanced over at Chrys. "Besides, you've got a particular scent."

"I do?"

"Of course. _You don't smell like Tyr at all_."

Three pairs of eyes opened wide. Cocoon tried to push away from Sunset, but the vampire had her in a death grip. Sunset released one arm up to grab at her chin and pushed up her head to expose her neck. "R-Release me!"

"The things I do for love," Sunset muttered darkly, before burying her teeth into the Changeling's throat.

The scream that pulled itself from Cocoon's mouth before Sunset crushed her windpipe with her jaws was horrifying. Twilight was watching in morbid fascination, only barely registering the arrival of a few dozen Changelings from the hall. They looked ready to attack, but upon seeing Sunset and Cocoon—who had reverted to her normal form—locked in a death embrace, they stopped. They all watched in silence as after drinking for a moment or two Sunset tore away, opening Cocoon's throat in a gory mess. "By the Sun," Twilight whispered, horrified.

Sunset dropped Cocoon's limp and lifeless body to the floor, wiping her mouth with a sleeve. She glanced over at Chrys. "I'm never asking you to feed me. Changeling blood is _disgusting_."

Chrys shook off her shock in time to make a witty retort. "I won't ask then. I prefer my Master's teeth after all. He's rough but gentle."

"I agree with that…" She grinned. "You alright, Chrissy?"

Chrys sighed, but gave her a small smile. "I could be better, but…"

"How did you know!?" Twilight suddenly blurted out. When they both looked over at her, she blushed. "You… How did you know that was the fake?"

"Because Chrys here smells so much like Tyr it's impossible for me to mistake her," Sunset pointed out, hooking a thumb back at Chrys. "The moment I got close I could tell."

"…Oh. Wow. But…" She glanced down at the body.

Chrys sniffed. "It's light compared to what I was going to do. She burned my collar."

"…Right then. Well, what about them?" The trio turned to face the Changelings, who were standing there watching them impassively. "…The way they're standing is creepy."

"Their queen is dead," Sunset pointed out. "What happens to them now?"

"They'll list around until another Hive takes them in, or they die from not feeding," Chrys said. Then, her eyes opened wide. "Or… I could do something else."

"What?"

Chrys straightened up, walking over to the gathered Changelings. Their emotionless eyes followed her every step. "Which one of you has the most intelligence?" She demanded.

"I do," One slightly larger than average Changeling approached, actual pupils in their eyes.

"Your name?"

"Carapace, my lady."

Chrys grinned. "Your queen is dead. You will pledge yourselves to me, and serve me and my Master."

Carapace looked back at the other Changelings. When he turned back to Chrysalis, he had what looked to be hope in his eyes. "Will we… will we have food?"

"I promise you," Chrys reached out to lift up his head. "You will never go hungry."

All the Changelings started at that. "Truly?" Carapace asked.

"Yes. But you must surrender to the allied army. They will be waiting for you below. If they harm any of you, tell me. I, my herd-mate Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle will vouch for you."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Uh… not to be the naysayer, but…"

"They will follow my orders to the letter," Chrys assured her. "Their queen is dead, and I am the only Changeling—bar Cori, of course—with leadership capabilities. They will follow me. The color will change as well with time."

Twilight frowned. "One of these days I need to sit down and study Changeling social structure…"

Sunset rolled her eyes with a small chuckle. "Never change, Twi. Never change."

"What? What did I do?"

"It's nothing," Sunset assured her as the Changelings began leaving the throne room. She looked over at Chrys. "So what do we do now? Castle's secure."

"We get to Sherry and help her…" Chrys said, just before Tyr smashed in through the window, cold air flowing into the throne room. "Master!"

"Everyone get down!" Tyr yelled, flying across the room and bearing Sunset to the floor. Chrys, who was closer to Twilight, pulled her away at the sound of his exclamation. And not a moment too soon—the side of the throne room caved in as an airship smashed through the wall, grinding to a stop before it reached any of them.

When the grinding stopped and silence fell again, they all found it safe to look up. "You sure know how to make an entrance," Sunset murmured as they began getting up."

"Madman tried to fly in a snowstorm," Tyr remarked, dusting himself off. Just as he made it to his feet, Chrys flew to him and embraced him. He smiled warmly and hugged her back tight. "I'm glad you're alright, Chrissy."

"She… she burned my collar, Master," Chrys whined.

Tyr gently kissed her forehead. "We can always get Rarity to make another one. Don't worry."

"Okay…"

"Who was on that airship?" Twilight asked, sitting up. "And why did you make them crash into the castle of all things?"

"I didn't make them crash," Tyr pointed out. Then, his look turned grave. "The one you need to blame is—"

There was the sound of a hatch opening, and all present turned to witness Jury Review and Solar Flare emerge from the ship along with a half dozen Cultist guards. "You are becoming more of a hindrance than I imagined, Tyr Winter," Jury snarled.

"I've been told that's a good thing when it involves madmen with delusions of grandeur," Tyr shot back, drawing Fimbulvinter. "You wanna make this easy and surrender? Your Changeling Queen is dead, and all her Changelings belong to me now. Your army is shattered and it's only a matter of time before the rest of my forces link up and wipe you out. Make this easy on yourself."

"You think you've won?" Jury shook his head. "Cocoon was a liability. Equestria has no place for Changelings, and she would have stabbed us in the back given a chance. You've saved me the trouble of ending her myself."

Fenrir appeared, growling lowly. "This is the culmination of your plans, Paranoia? Show yourself and stop skulking in the shadows!"

A shadow formed over Jury's shoulders, becoming the rough shape of a humanoid figure. " **Demanding as always, Carnage. Have the years not tempered you any?** "

"I see the years have not cured that foolish notion of hiding behind idiots with ambitions larger than their brains," Fenrir shot back with a snarl. "Convince your Contractor that you have lost. Otherwise I will send you back to Etro myself!"

"That will not happen," Jury said, scowling. Then, he grinned. "Despite your own power, you will fail here. For you stand against the future King of Equestria."

Solar Flare stepped forward, horn lit up. Light flooded the hall, as outside the sun pierced through the cloud covering. Twilight gaped in awe. "But… but only Princess Celestia…"

She didn't finish her statement. Solar Flare suddenly shot a hand to his forehead. His horn was sparking wildly, and several of the larger sparks actually exploded into actual spells. Jury turned a shocked look towards him. "No…! The bindings are breaking now!?"

"What's going on?" Chrys asked worriedly.

Twilight, ever the source for information, spoke up. "Whatever spell he's using to control the sun is overloading… he wasn't born with magic so it's backfiring because of the spell's power!"

"Shields!" Tyr snapped, grabbing Chrys and throwing up a barrier of ice. Sunset threw up her own shield, which Twilight copied a second later. A second almost too late, as Solar Flare's horn exploded and filled the hall with light, heat and magic.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 66: Fall of Canterlot

"I feel like we're lost," Jubilee murmured, looking around.

Aleron kept silent, unfortunately having to agree with his half-sister. The remainder of their little group was in a bad way—Mint was still injured, but her injuries were mostly superficial. The remaining Shaper—Hard Edge, was on the edge of death. Bramley and Uriel were a little scuffed up, and Jubilee was mostly alright. But they needed to get back to the main force soon if Hard Edge was going to survive. He sighed. "I wish dad was here…"

Behind them, a loud noise rocked the entire city. They turned to see a massive sunspot receding from the side of Canterlot Castle, smoke billowing in the aftermath of the explosion. "What in tarnation was that?" Bramley asked.

"Something bad," Aleron said softly. "We need to keep moving. That way we—"

A clicking noise caught his attention, and they were all immediately on guard. But a moment later a small ticking machine came flying around the corner, a purplish crystal set atop it. It flew straight to Aleron and stopped right in front of him. Before anyone could question it, Evie came around the corner, Fluttershy and Scootaloo in tow. "Aleron?" Evie remarked, blinking.

"Evie!" Jubilee cried out in glee.

"Mom!" Bramley said, immediately going to his mother's side. "What happened?"

Fluttershy smiled as Scootaloo transferred her over to the much stronger Bramley. "Hello Bramley. I only twisted my ankle—other than that I'm fine."

"What is this thing?" Aleron said, looking at the small machine flying in front of him.

Evie, in the middle of trying to pry off a very happy Jubilee, looked over at him. "Oh that? I built that in a clockmaker's shop. The crystal is enchanted to locate magical signatures. I gave it what I remembered of yours and Aurora's, and it found you."

"That's amazing," Aleron said, reaching up to gently catch the flying drone. It's propeller stopped almost as soon as he touched it. "You built this?"

"Yeah, I did." She smiled. "It was a lot of fun."

"So what happened to you guys?" Scootaloo asked, looking over them. "You look rough."

"We got ambushed," Mint informed them. "Prince Aleron got us out safely."

"You did your part too," Aleron countered, shaking his head. "Regardless, we're kind of lost. What about you?"

"We're trying to skirt around a Cultist outpost," Evie said, glancing back. "If you were heading that way, you'd walk right into it."

Aleron groaned. "Wonderful. Could this day get any worse?"

"Don't tempt fate," Uriel said quietly.

"I guess. Did you get close to it?"

"I led us around it," Scootaloo said. "We're not fighters."

Aleron looked around at them all. "…Right. Fluttershy, can you help Hard Edge please? He was injured and none of us know how to help."

Fluttershy frowned, but nodded. "I can do my best. But without any first aid equipment…"

"…I have a solution for that. Evie, Scootaloo, I need you two to get me close to the Cultist camp."

"Wait, Aleron! That's dangerous!" Fluttershy protested immediately.

Evie nodded in agreement. "Al, that's not a good idea. If we get caught—!"

"We're the kids of two of the most powerful spell casters in this world," Aleron pointed out, putting a hand on her shoulder. "All we need to do is put an invisibility spell on me, and I'll sneak in, find some medical supplies, and get out. Easy."

"Easier said than done," Evie countered, frowning at him. "You'd have to maintain that spell for who knows how long."

"I can do it. Trust me."

Evie and Fluttershy shared a short look before the daughter of the Princess of Friendship sighed. "…Fine, Aleron. I trust you. But we don't need Scootaloo—I know the way back. She should stay here with the others."

"You two…!" Fluttershy began, and then sighed. "Fine. Just… be careful?"

"We will, Miss Fluttershy," Aleron assured her. He turned back to Evie. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Evie nodded. Before they could leave Jubilee and Cori suddenly ran up to Aleron and hugged him from both sides. "If you don't come back, we're coming after you," Cori whispered in his ear. Jubilee nodded into his shoulder.

"I'd expect no less," Aleron admitted, hugging them back. They let him go then, and he and Evie quickly hurried off down the way she and her group had come. Aleron stayed close behind Evie, the pair sticking to the shadows of the buildings as they traced their way to the Cultist camp. But as they got closer, they could hear the sounds of battle from up ahead. Evie stopped, a confused look on her face. Aleron came up beside her. "Think the army is here?"

"No, it's far too little noise," Evie informed him. "Plus, we've sensed your sisters nearby."

"True enough. Let's get to a place where we can see."

Evie nodded in agreement. Together they worked their way into a nearby building and edged over to the far wall, where they could peer out of a window. The sight before them was nothing sort of terrifying. The Cultists were in a rout, several of their number dead from ice arrows lodged in places arrows shouldn't be. They were flinging spells and shooting arrows up above them, where Aleksa rained down frozen death with abandon. She was standing on a platform of ice above the camp, loosing arrows with a methodic repetition and an accuracy that was terrifying to witness.

And to top it all off, she was trash talking with every shot.

"Come on, it's like you guys aren't even trying to dodge!" She laughed, nocking and letting another arrow fly into the camp. There was a cry of pain in response, and then another body dropped. "I'm not even getting tired, and I'm sure as frostbite not going to run out of ammo!"

"Someone get up there and kill her!" A cultist who seemed to be in some sort of leadership position demanded. He was answered by an arrow to the throat, and his orders died on his lips. Then, a moment later his head exploded into a mess of blood and gore.

"Keep standing still and pointing at me," Aleksa said with a grin. She formed another arrow shaft of ice, jammed it into the box on her hip, and with a click attached another explosive arrow head. As the next Cultist tried to take command of the situation, she lined up another shot. "Just makes you an easier target!"

Evie and Aleron watched the Elemental continue her rampage, with no signs of stopping. "Maybe we should… go and find those medical supplies," Evie offered.

"Might be safe enough," Aleron agreed. "Veil spell now?"

"Yeah. Together?"

Aleron gave her a small smile. "Yeah."

They both lit up their horns, and with a single breath, they vanished from sight. Using magic alone to keep close, they stole into the camp, ducking and dodging past panicking Cultists. They were making good progress until they heard one Cultist cry out—"The grenade! All our casters are down, use the canceller!"

Aleksa watched as a blue sphere was thrown into the air and exploded in a bright flash. She blinked the flash away, a curious look on her face at whatever it was that had just exploded. "Um… Was that supposed to do more than be really bright? Because other than slight irritation at staring into a glorified flashbang, I—oh hell."

The fix of everyone's attention wasn't Aleksa anymore. Instead it was the two young unicorns that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the camp. "This is certainly not good," Aleron said as Evie winced in pain.

Before any of the Cultists could move on the two, Aleksa dived down from her perch and landed right in front of them. And she was not happy. "What the hell are you two doing here?" She demanded, walking up to them. "This is _no_ place for you two to be!"

"We've got wounded, grandma," Aleron shot back, not backing down. "If we don't get Hard Edge some kind of medical help, he'll die!"

Aleksa frowned. Then she flicked him in the forehead. "Points for standing up to me, grandson. But next time, wait until the fights over. Or tell me to stop screwing around and just wipe these idiots out."

"You're one woman against an army!" One Cultist said, "And now you don't even have the advantage of being at a distance!"

"Advantage?" Aleksa grinned, raising her arms and letting her ice-white aura flow out. "I was making it _fair_."

With a flick of her wrists, the aura surged out, coating the area in frost like after a fresh snow. The Cultists caught in the wave were frozen solid in whatever position they were in, creating a macabre array of lifelike statues in the space of a second. "Oh Sun…" Evie whispered.

"You… you're a lot stronger than I thought," Aleron murmured in shock.

Aleksa grinned and patted his shoulder. "Takes a lot of work to get the title of 'Monster' little one. Now, let's find those medical supplies, shall we?"

She walked off towards one of the tents the Cultists had set up, no doubt for their wounded. Evie followed in a daze, with Aleron close on her heels. But he was quickly stopped by the sound of someone moving. "Al?" Evie called out. "Is something the matter?"

Aleron frowned, ears twitching slightly. "I thought I heard—?"

Before he could finish his sentence a figure dashed out from a nearby building, white cloak trailing as they ran. They slipped on the frozen ground and stumbled, dropping a thick black tome they had been carrying. "Seems I missed one," Aleksa said thoughtfully.

"The emblem!" Evie gasped. "That's a dark magic symbol!"

"And… they're running away," Aleksa said as the Cultist recovered, gathered up the tome and started running. She nudged Aleron forward. "Go after them!"

Aleron blinked at her, before running after the fleeing Cultist. With the lead they had, it required the young man to cast a quickness spell on himself to even consider catching up. But just as the Cultist tried to round a corner, Aleron slammed into them from the side, knocking them to the ground and sending the book flying. Trained from years of having his sister wrestle with him let Aleron quickly jump on top of the Cultist and pin them down. "Alright, don't struggle or I'll have to…?"

He came face to face with a scowling peach colored girl with long golden hair. "Get off of me!"

"What the…? You're a girl?"

The girl suddenly reached into her cloak, pulling out a small knife and hammering it into Aleron's leg. He cried out in pain and loosened his grip, letting the girl toss him off and onto his back. She scurried over to the book and snatched it up. "Hesitate and you die, follower of the false Princess! I must get this book to my father before—"

Before either could do anything further, there was an explosion from behind them. When Aleron turned to look, he saw that Canterlot castle was burning. "…Dad…?"

"It must have begun," the girl said with a small gasp. "My father will need the book to—!"

She didn't get to finish. Aleron threw a spike of ice that caught her right in the throat, dropping her almost immediately. "Hesitation gets you killed," He muttered, wincing as he put pressure back on his wound.

"Al!" Evie came running up, dropping to her knees beside him. Her eyes went wide at his wound. "Y-You're hurt!"

"I lost focus," Aleron replied, gritting his teeth and looking up to see Aleksa come over in Evie's wake. "I got her though."

"Good throw, especially wounded," Aleksa said, setting don't a box with a red cross by his side. "Evening Star, patch him up would you please? I think that book is attempting to run away."

Evie and Aleron blinked and shared a quick look, before looking past Aleksa to where the book was indeed sliding slowly across the ground away from them, as if riding on a shadow. "…That's creepy," Evie murmured.

"You don't say," Aleron agreed.

–x–

The throne room of Canterlot castle was smoking after the detonation of Solar Flare's horn. The only things still standing in the aftermath of the explosion was a dome of rapidly melting ice and a dome of orange hued magic. The ice dome cracked, and then shattered, revealing Tyr and Chrys. "That was… too close," The Elemental murmured, looking around.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Chrys whispered, struggling to rise. "Were you a second later, we might have perished."

"You okay?"

"Magical detonations like that tend to drain the area of latent magic. I am simply feeling the aftereffects."

Tyr wrapped her in a half-embrace, pulling her to his side. Ae she happily slid into the embrace, he looked around. "Sunset? Twilight? Are you two alright?"

"I'm shaken," Sunset said, pushing herself to her knees. She was lightly smoking, and her horn was sparking. Tyr and Chrys made their way over to her, the former gently helping her up to a sitting position. She gave him a grateful smile. "But alive. I'm gonna be useless for a while though."

"We should be okay. Seems Jury overestimated his 'king'." Tyr looked over to see a dead Solar Flare in a shallow crater, the top part of his head exploded out. There was a black scorch mark where Jury used to be. "…And he's dead. Hm. I was actually looking forward to killing him."

"It looks like Twi is down," Sunset said, pointing past Tyr to where the aforementioned Alicorn was unconscious on the ground. "Must not have gotten the shield fully up in time…"

There was a soft noise across from them. They turned to look and all of them gasped in surprise to see Celestia standing over the scorched remains of Solar Flare. Her wings folded gently behind herself as she moved closer. "…I am reminded of a story I read in your world, Tyr," She said softly.

Tyr narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling Fenrir's magic and his own Elemental nature working to heal his wounds. Chrys and Sunset were in no condition to fight, and Twilight was completely out of it. With that in mind, he stood and stepped forward protectively. He kept his blade handy, but didn't raise it. "…What story was that, Celestia?"

"Poor Icarus, flew too close to the sun," She murmured. "His wings burned up and he plummeted into the sea."

Sunset edged closer to Tyr. "Where are you going with this, Princess?"

Celestia's horn glowed, an inky black and green light forming around it. Solar Flare's body glowed the same way, before a black shadow-like substance came off of his body. "What is that?" Chrys asked, grimacing.

"Dark Magic," Sunset whispered, horrified.

"Tia, no!" Luna arrived them, terror writ on her face as she landed in the massive hole left behind from the explosion. "That magic… do not take the Nightmare Curse!"

"Nightmare Curse?" Chrys repeated, confused. "What is that?"

Luna glanced over at them, Tyr blinking in shock at how deathly pale she looked. "The Nightmare Curse is the magic that took hold of me when I became Nightmare Moon. It gave me power at the expense of my self-control!"

"You were much weaker than I," Celestia said sharply, watching as the physical manifestation of the Nightmare Curse swirled about in front of her. "Perhaps a… stronger mind is needed."

"Sister, no!" Luna pressed, moving forward. "Please, don't do this…!"

"You tried to undermine me once," Celestia shot back harshly. "I welcomed you back, but I always held my misgivings. And now, you stand before me, allied with Changelings and vampires and wolves, ripping apart my city and destroying my castle. And now I must defend _my_ nation from these new threats."

"Tia!"

Celestia took the dark magic and led it to her chest, absorbing the black magic into herself. She cried out in pain, before clenching her hand to her sternum and dropping to her knees. Luna ran to her sister's side immediately, but the change shot through her with fervor, her morning colored hair taking on the appearance of fire and her pale white coat turning a brilliant combination of red, white and gold. She radiated light like a small star as she rose to her full height, her pale pink eyes ringed with gold and the white replaced with pure red. Flames washed down her, forming into a brilliant golden dress with sun themed emblems. "Oh, that's not good…" Sunset murmured.

"T-Tia?" Luna whispered, backing up a step. "Are… are you okay…?"

Celestia's burning eyes swiveled to her sister. Her voice sounded like sound itself was burning. "I am better than okay, 'sister'. This curse could not overpower me."

Luna's mouth dropped, a shocked sob escaping her. "Tia no… why… why would you go down this path!?"

"Paranoia has sunk his tendrils too deep into her mind," Fenrir hissed, fur bristling as she took up a position beside Tyr. "Even though the death of his Contractor has banished him back to Etro, his magic still remains."

Tyr frowned. "So… we're boned?"

"Yes. Very."

Celestia gave her sister a dark smile. "Actually… I feel even more powerful than I ever remember."

"That's the Curse talking, sister," Luna countered. "You have to—!"

"That's enough," Celestia ordered. "This power… I have need of it. I should have claimed this power ages ago, to create a perfect world for my Ponies."

"What… what are you saying?"

Celestia gave her a baleful smile. "I believe we should have done this a long time ago."

Before anyone could react, Celestia slammed her hand into Luna's chest, shocking the small woman before blasting her backwards out of the castle with a beam of red-gold light. All that escaped Luna as she was expelled from the ruined castle and into the city below was a startled yelp. "Luna!" Sunset cried. Chrys hissed loudly and shot after the falling Princess, hoping to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Mani!" Tyr roared, drawing his weapon and struggling to his feet. He turned his hate filled gaze to Celestia. "What in the frozen hells are you _doing_!? That was your sister!"

"My traitor of a sister," Celestia replied darkly. "And the obstacle in my way to creating a perfect world for _my_ ponies. They deserve a leader with the power to protect and lead them to the position of power they deserve."

Tyr scowled. "At the expense of your own flesh and blood? This is madness, Celestia!"

Celestia raised a single eyebrow. Magic enveloped her hands. "No, my dear Tyr. This is the rise of a **Queen**."

"Tyr MOVE!" Sunset cried, slamming into Tyr's side just as a beam of light engulfed them both and sent them sailing out of the castle as well.

There was silence in the throne room then. Celestia stared at the damaged area impassively, before sighing. "Perhaps his strength would have been useful. But his loyalty to my sister is unshakable. Therefore… oh?" Her eyes alighted on the prone form of Twilight, still unconscious. A slow smile began to grow on her face, and she went over to her. "Hm… You always were my dearest and _faithful_ student, weren't you, Twilight? Perhaps I can give you more… responsibility now."

The black aura slid off of Celestia's fingers and stabbed into Twilight's chest, the sensation shocking the younger woman into consciousness. Black inkiness began creeping over Twilight's body, converting her using the power of the Nightmare. When it reached her heart, a violet light tore itself from her body alongside a scream of pain. It coalesced into a star shape before cracking and shattering into tiny magical shards.

–

"Can't believe you got into a fight, squirt," Rainbow said as she and Vibrant flew towards the Rescue group, in order to figure out what was going on. The young boy had somewhat cleaned up, but he still bore most of the marks from the small scuffle. "Your dad is going to flip."

"Hopefully that's a good thing," Vibrant replied with a grin.

"Who taught you how to fight, anyway?"

"Dad did. Auntie Heart Song taught me torture procedures."

"You're waaay too chill about that, Sparky."

Vibrant groaned at the nickname. "Come on, mom. You know I hate it when you call me that."

Rainbow grinned at him. "You know that's why I call you that… ugh?" She suddenly reached up to press her hand against her heart.

"Mom? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just…" Rainbow winced slightly, before jerking rigid and groaning as a pale red light tore itself from her chest. It formed into a lightning bolt, and then shattered.

"MOM!" Vibrant cried as the Element of Loyalty suddenly went limp like a rag doll and dropped from the sky, smashing through an upper floor window. He flew after her, finding her completely still. "Mom? MOM! Wake up! Mom!"

–

"Aleron, Evie!" Scootaloo said as the two returned from the Cultist camp. "Did you get the supplies?"

"We got them," Evie said, lifting up the carry case. "How's Hard Edge?"

"Still alive," Uriel said softly, kneeling beside the wounded man. "But he will not last for much longer."

Evie hurried over to the supine man, opening the kit and getting to work. "Scootaloo, help me over to him," Fluttershy called out.

Scootaloo made her way over to her while Bramley moved up beside Aleron. The smaller boy was holding the slightly twitching grimoire to his side, glaring at it. "…Something up with that book?"

"It's possibly possessed," Aleron replied. "My grandma said it's safe as long as I'm not a megalomaniac, so I should be good."

"…I hope so. Don't need any—?" He broke off as Scootaloo cried out in surprise. Everyone turned to see the young woman struggling to hold up Fluttershy, whose eyes were wide and her hand clutched to her chest. As they all watched her in shock she dropped to her knees, pink light filtering from between her twisted fingers. Bramley gasped. "Momma? What's—what's wrong?"

"My heart… it hurts…?" Fluttershy whispered. The pink light before her condensed and formed the vague shape of a butterfly before shattering into tiny motes. Fluttershy's eyes unfocused, went dull, and then without warning she dropped forward, face planting onto the ground.

"Oh Sun above," Evie whispered in horror as Bramley cried out and ran to his mother's side.

Aleron stared in shock before he felt something smooth slide around his body. Logic leaned over from behind him, hair tickling his cheek. "I have need of you, Moon Child. Come." Her voice brokered no argument, and he was whisked away as panic ran through his group.

–x–

"Auntie Rarity?" Aurora called, seeing the elegant woman standing beside a collapsed building.

Rarity glanced back, smiling at the young girl. "Oh, hello Aurora. Was there something you needed?"

"No, I… what are you doing over here?"

"I was helping Pinkie and Applejack—oh, here they are."

Aurora watched in surprise as a big slab of masonry was shoved aside, with Applejack and Pinkie emerging from the rubble along with a family of Equestrians. Pinkie grinned. "Hi Roro! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Aurora replied, watching as Applejack ushered off the family they had extricated. "You two are helping the evacuation?"

"Felt right," Applejack pointed out, watching the family of three hurry off. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Pinkie and I are the strongest out here not counting the Stonekin. So we figured we could help out."

"Yep yep yep!" Pinkie said. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but some thought gripped her and she snapped her head to the side. Her eyes went wide. "…Honey?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow, seeing Rarity turn and look the same direction. "Er… something going on you two?"

"I can't place it," Rarity murmured, eyes narrowing. "But I thought I felt something…"

The three Elements of Harmony froze then. Aurora stared at them in confusion for a moment before they all shot hands to their chests as one. "What the… I just felt a pain in my chest," Applejack murmured.

"So did I," Rarity agreed. "What was…?"

Pinkie's sudden gasp of shock drew their attention, where they witnessed blue light filtering between her fingers. It gathered into a little balloon shape before shattering. The pink haired woman's eyes rolled back into her head and she crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Applejack was next to fall, the orange apple forming in front of her breaking as well. She staggered for a moment before collapsing as well.

Rarity stared in horror at the sapphire blue gem that floated before her. Her free hand reached out for it, but it shattered before her fingers could touch it. "No," She whispered, before slumping to the ground.

Aurora cried out in terror. "M-M-Medic! Someone—Grace! GRACE!"

"Your medic friend is too far away," Logic's voice murmured as she appeared behind her. Aurora shuddered at her voice, spinning and drawing her blade before she could think twice. Logic slammed the sheath over it without hesitation, fixing the young girl with her cold gaze. "But I have alerted another. I have need of you, Wolf Child. The Tree of Harmony is dying, the roots corrupted by the touch of Chaos. You and your brother are needed."

Aurora blinked. "Al? Why would you—?"

"There is no time. I will explain soon."

Leaving the three incapacitated, Logic whisked her away. Not even a minute later, a hooded figure arrived, striped tail swishing behind them as they walked. "Seems the world is in danger once more," Zecora muttered ruefully. "And now I've become part of it—what a troublesome chore."

"You could have stayed home," Anansi said, appearing on her shoulder.

"This is where the struggle will be fought; should we not be present in order to do as we ought?"

"Fair. Suppose we should start by getting those three to safety."

Zecora looked up into the sky, where her Chaos tinted eyes could see the already forming tear in the fabric of the world, the blue-white tinge of Order magic already seeping into the world. "…I fear nowhere will be safe soon; such a luxury would be a very welcome boon."

–x–

Celestia watched as the converted Twilight Sparkle sat up, a hand going to her head. "What… I felt a sharp pain…?"

"I granted you some of my new power," Celestia informed her. "You have been changed, much as I have."

Twilight blinked up at her, seeing her darkened skin color and the ends of her now dark purple hair. "I feel… I feel _powerful_."

Celestia knelt beside her changed student, a dark smile on her face. "You _are_ powerful, my dear and faithful student. I have raised you up once more to rule at my side."

"To… rule?"

"Yes. We are beset on all sides by our enemies. There are even traitors in our midst. Together we must cleanse our lands and gather the loyal. To that end, I have shared my power with you."

Twilight beamed. "Of course, Princess. You know I'd always follow you."

"It is no longer 'Princess', my dear and faithful student. Our land needs a Queen, and I will rise up to the responsibility."

"I… I see. What does that make me then, my Queen?"

Celestia smiled and gently caressed her face. "Perhaps… You are in need of a new title for your new powers."

Twilight gave her a vicious smile, accented by the dark hue of her eyes and her tiny fangs. "Perhaps… Midnight Star will do?"

"A very apt name. Then I shall be known as Queen Sol." The newly titled Queen Sol smiled and helped her student to her feet. "Come, my student. Together, we will usher in a new era for our Ponies!"

She ended her statement with a flourish, only to come face to face with a blizzard standing in the wrecked section of the castle. "Long live the Queen," Aleksa said darkly, frozen wind whipping about her. In a far cry from her normally cheery demeanor, her face was a picture of cold fury, her silver eyes aglow with power and narrowed sharply.

Queen Sol raised an eyebrow. "…Have you come to pledge your loyalty?"

"Shove it up your ass," Aleksa snapped. She pointed one finger at the new queen. "The one thing someone could do to piss me off and you did it. You **hurt my son**."

"Your son was standing against progress," Midnight Sparkle said, frowning. "Queen Sol had to remove him in order to bring—!"

"I don't want to hear it," Aleksa cut her off. She held out her hand and a spear made of ice formed in it. As she spoke, the very storm around her was making her voice echo, as if nature itself was snarling at them. "I'm not allowed to kill you, but I'm sure as hell going to KICK YOUR ASS."

Queen Sol let out a sigh. "You're up against most likely the two most powerful individuals in the city. You expect to win?"

Aleksa raised an eyebrow. Then, she snapped her weapon forward in an attack stance. Several dozen more spears of ice formed in the air around her, all aimed at her two targets. "So you're going to give me a proper fight? Let's go then, pony princesses. _Maybe_ I'll burn off my anger before I kill one of you."

–x–


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 67: A Line Made of Sand

"Where on Earth did Aurora get to?" Sherry asked, looking around the makeshift Allied camp. "And what happened to the Elements?"

"We're not sure," Grace said, kneeling beside the unconscious Rarity. Her horn was lit up, and she had one hand on the woman's forehead. "Zecora brought them to us like this. And they haven't moved except to breathe since they were brought to me."

"Something in them is… broken," Alice said, frowning from her spot on Sherry's shoulder. "I don't know what it is…"

Sherry looked around. "Well, Grace, try to figure it out. Everyone else, be on the lookout for—"

"Princess!" Sherry turned just in time to catch an elated Obsidian as she flew into her for a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Obi? Where have you been this whole time?"

Obsidian grinned through her dirt and blood stained face. "I was with Capstone! We were separated because of the ship crashing, but we ended up with each other. We've been trying all this time to get back to you."

"Took us a good bit," Capstone said, coming over with a slight limp. He was also wounded, but was grinning widely. "Sorry we took so long."

Obsidian let Sherry go so that the Princess of Creativity could go over to embrace her guard. But Sherry grabbed her hand and dragged her over with her to hug them both. She squeezed them tight. "I was afraid I lost you both…"

Capstone smiled warmly. "You'll have to try harder than that to get rid of us."

"So you are reunited with your guards," a calm voice said. The trio turned to see Serenity and Petrus approaching, the latter in full battle equipment and the Seer in her usual dress. She smiled. "Also, I find myself seeing the need to congratulate you all on your new 'relationship'."

Grace snorted from behind them, shifting her attention to Applejack. Capstone and Sherry both blushed lightly, while Obsidian simply looked proud. "I am happy to have both of them in my life," Sherry said softly. "They're willing to lay down their lives for me, and I am willing to do the same."

Petrus winced at that, and Serenity looked sad. "…Yes. I understand that feeling entirely."

Sherry was about to ask what she meant, but before she could a voice rose up over the din of the camp. "The sky, the sky!" A guard nearby called, pointing upwards. "What is that!?"

More voices joined the first, and soon everyone was looking upwards. All except Sherry and Grace. The two shared a short look, both grim faced. The medic scowled. "…I swear, if there's a magic blue gate in the sky I'm going to _cut someone._ "

"The feeling is mutual," Sherry said, gritting her teeth. After mentally counting to three, they both looked up. There was indeed a massive marble accented gateway with swirling blue magic inside of it in the sky. "Oh, COME ON!"

"We just can't catch a break," Grace said, wrapping a bandage around Rarity's arm and standing up. They all looked up as what looked to be long boat-like vessels slid out of the swirling blue void, each filled to bursting with heavily armored Zodiac warriors. Larger vessels came from the gate next, carrying large beasts of war in them.

"What are those?" Obsidian asked, confused. "And did you just cut Miss Rarity, Miss Grace?"

The medic stared at the young Shaper, unblinking. "…Maybe."

"Zodiac warriors," Sherry said, eyes narrowing. "They attacked us in my father's world, and now it seems they've come here as well."

"So more enemies," Petrus murmured.

Sherry let go of Obsidian and Capstone, opening her wings to lift high enough into the sky for the whole camp to see her. "Everyone! Defensive positions! We have to hold this camp!"

The camp surged into motion, Grace jumping up and barking orders to the medics to get the wounded into buildings while Sherry directed the other guards into position. And it came not a moment too soon. With their transports dropping them down relatively close, the Zodiac warriors came charging down the streets, heavy armor clanking with every step they took and their impassive helmets making them a faceless horde. The Stonekin in their path quickly threw up fortifications, with the magic users and Qirin forming a firing line behind them to rain magic and lightning down into the oncoming ranks. No doubt unprepared for such an assault, the Zodiac forces were halted in the streets, forced to take shelter from the onslaught of ranged attacks. For a moment, the battle halted. "We can hold them!" Capstone said from beside Sherry.

Sherry's heart lurched as the familiar sound of a Zodiac war beast echoed through the air. The attack suddenly slowed, as most of the Zodiac soldiers moved aside from their attack, shields held out before them. "What's going on…?" Serenity murmured.

She didn't have to wait long. The ground began to rumble below them, and soon enough the building sized living ram the Zodiac brought came barreling down the street. Sherry gritted her teeth. "… _Curiosity_."

The hat appeared, and Sherry wasted no time in drawing the Vorpal Blade. Disregarding the shocked cries of Obsidian and Capstone, she darted down to the front lines, Alice flying alongside her with a mad giggle trailing behind them. The Allied forces watched their de-facto leader move to stand in the way of the rampaging beast with quiet awe. The war beast didn't stop charging, even with the fact that the young woman stood in front of it. However, it didn't react very well to several tones of dragon landing on top of it, smashing it into the ground to grind it to a stop just a few inches short of Sherry. "Vanna?" She breathed, both in relief and surprise.

The dragon glanced back at her, gave the approximation of a grin, and proceeded to tear into the war beast. However a moment later a spear smashed into the dragon's side, sparking lightning at the impact. Vanna paused what she was doing, craned her neck around, and fixed her golden eyes on the slender Zodiac Knight perched on a nearby building. "Hm, I figured that would work," the helmeted woman said thoughtfully.

Vanna shifted down to her human form, minus her draconic wings and eyes. "Lightning doesn't work on dragons that eat metal," She informed the knight.

"…I see."

"So which one are you?"

"I am Aquarius, Knight of Familiarity. I appreciate your information, however. I will put it into the log."

"Crap. You adapt to weaknesses, don't you."

"Well thought out. Your name, miss?"

Vanna curtsied. "Vanna Pyrros, Traveler of the Gray Lady, and her Voice on this plane."

"A Traveler? I hadn't expected to see one of you here."

"We come and go where the Gray sends us."

Aquarius held out her hand, and her spear flew back to her. "Well. I would be remiss if I did not ask you to stand down, Miss Pyrros. As a Traveler, you have no obligation in this fight."

Vanna frowned, before folding her arms. "Well, I would be remiss in not telling you to just sod off. Politely."

"I see. Very well. I challenge you to battle then!"

"I thought that's what we were doing. Charlie! Hit me!"

A second after she spoke a large cylinder smashed into the ground beside her, launched from who knows were. Vanna went over to it, opened a side hatch, and pulled out what looked to be a hammer of some kind. The dragonkin lifted up the massive hammer with ease while moving away from the cylinder. "Interesting weapon," Aquarius said, readying her lance.

Vanna dropped the hammer head to the ground, twisting a section of the handle which caused the head to extend open and ignite the back like thrusters. The dragonkin grinned. "You've got no idea, doll. Come on, let's have some fun!"

Aquarius tilted her head to the side. "…Fun?"

"Boost IGNITION!" The explosive force of the thruster's afterburner sent Vanna flying up towards the knight and obliterating the top of the building. Aquarius dodged away, only for Vanna to smash her hammer into the Zodiac Knight and knocking her clear into a building. With the duel under way, the Zodiac forces began their march back down the street.

Sherry was too busy watching Vanna and Aquarius fight that it took Obsidian grabbing her to get her attention. "We need to move back!" The Shaper was saying.

Suddenly, Serenity and Petrus were there with them, hands sweeping up around them. Stone walls surrounded the group, shielding them from a sudden hail of crossbow bolts. "Please be more careful, Princess Sherry," Petrus said. "We can't let you get hurt."

Sherry blinked. "…Oh. Okay. Thank you."

Serenity gave her a small smile. "Of course. Shall we get you back to our lines?"

"Y-Yes. Thank you. Again."

"Petrus?"

The male Shaper smiled grimly. "I'm with you, my love."

The two Shapers (assisted by Obsidian when she got over her shock) opened a path behind them and covered it with crisscrossing outcroppings of rock. Under this kind of cover, they extricated Sherry back to friendly lines. "I'm… sorry for spacing out like that," Sherry said, glancing about. The majority of the allied forces were still moving to shore up the defensive lines now that the threat of the war beast was dealt with.

"It's fine," Serenity said, smiling. "That is why we are here. To protect those that need it."

"Protect those…?"

Serenity shook her head, and then she turned to Petrus. "I… I believe it's time, my dear."

Petrus sighed. "Is there no stopping it?"

"You know of all things that a Seer cannot escape her fate."

The male Shaper nodded. "I understand. I'm with you till the end."

"Petrus… Thank you."

"Of course."

Obsidian looked between the Seer and the other Shaper in confusion. "What… what are you two talking about?"

Serenity gave the younger Stonekin a small smile. "Child… When our darkest moments are upon us what should we do?"

"Um… Stonekin endure, Seer. As resolute as the stone."

"Good. Never forget that."

The two girls looked on in confusion, before there was a terrified scream from the other side of the camp. Suddenly another war beast came smashing through a nearby building, a platoon of Zodiac crossbowmen marching out from behind it to take up positions. A singular knife accompanied by a loud frustrated curse snapped out from the camp into them, killing a single one before the war beast charged into the defenders.

Sherry looked on in confusion right before Grace grabbed her and Obsidian and yanked her into cover. Behind them, a second draconic roar split the air as Charlie made her case with the second war beast. "Quit standing around like you're lost, Sherry!" The redheaded knight snarled, shaking her lightly. When Sherry's shocked eyes snapped to her, the knight's features softened almost imperceptibly. "I know this isn't what you expected. But you can't just stand around, alright?"

"R… Right…"

"SHAPERS!" Serenity's voice suddenly echoed above the din of battle. Sherry turned to see Serenity atop a platform, arms held wide and seer stone floating about her. "Do not despair! Stand against this threat!"

As if energized by her very presence, the Shapers pushed back against the Zodiac forces, smashing, crushing and knocking aside the more heavily armored knights. Inspired by their stubborn allies, the Qirin and the Equestrians fought just as hard. For one glorious moment, they were pushing them back.

Then, everything went wrong.

Petrus suddenly jumped up, embracing his wife. Serenity looked surprised for all of a second before she smiled sadly and hugged him back. A moment later, and a beam of blue light pierced through them both. They both died instantly, the seer stones dropping to the ground with a dull clatter. A stunned silence settled over the allied armies.

Then, a heavy sense of despair settled over them all and without warning the Stonekin began to flee. Not just retreat, but throwing down what weapons they had and running. The disconnect from one moment being as solid as the stone itself to being as unstable as sand was devastating. With the Stonekin gone, the defense both literally and figuratively crumbled. The Equestrians were next to break, unable to hold the line without the Stonekin. The Qirin held for a bit longer, but with no front line capabilities they had to retreat as well. It was rapidly becoming a rout. "We're falling apart," Obsidian whispered, horrified.

"What happened to the Stonekin?" Grace asked, drawing her knives and beginning to pull Sherry back.

"The Seer…!" Obsidian slumped to her knees, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "Without the Seer we can't…"

A hand reached down to squeeze her shoulder. The Shaper looked up to see Capstone standing over her, a small smile on her face. "Come on, Obi. We've still got Sherry, don't we?"

He turned his gaze to Sherry, who looked grim. Something settled in the Alicorn's mind, and she nodded. "…He's right. We're not done just yet."

Obsidian sniffed, letting Capstone lift her up. "But…but without the Seer…"

Sherry shook her head. "We can do this without the seer. As long as we don't give up, we can win this fight!"

Capstone nodded. "Don't give up on us yet, Obi."

"We just need to get to the castle and my father," Sherry assured her. "He's got the rest of the army—they'll be able to help us."

"So get moving," Grace snapped, pushing through them to throw a knife at an approaching Zodiac knight. "And I'll cover our backs."

Sherry nodded, opening her wings once more to look over the retreating forces. "Everyone! Retreat to the castle! We'll regroup with the main force!"

Grace looked over the increasing number of Zodiac forces who were brushing aside the last of the outward defenses. "…Hopefully it'll be enough."

–x–

"Seems like things are kicking off out there," Yule murmured, glancing through the blinds on the window.

"Sounds like it," Solstice murmured.

Yule let go of the blinds, turning to look at the little group in her shop. Deck was still with the kids, although he was simply watching over them while they played a card game. Tempo, Rara and Light were holding a conversation of their own, while Read sat nearby with his headphones on and his Muses arrayed about him. "So, what do you think we should do, Solly?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can just sit around here and wait for this to all blow over, but it doesn't seem to be dying down just yet, does it?"

Solstice frowned. On top of that, there had been the explosion, the buildings rumbling, and then the weird gate thing appeared in the sky. "You have a point. But what are we supposed to do?"

Yule shook her head. "I dunno, really. We're three retired thieves against an army or something that has come from another dimension. I think we're way out of our league here."

"Ooh!" Suddenly, the tiny voice of Sophia caught all of their attention. She was sitting atop Read's head, and she was sitting up and looking towards the door.

"What's up, Sophia?" Read asked, eyes tilting up to look at her.

"We're going to have visitors!"

Tena lifted one of her rather large sleeves to her mouth. "Oh my. Sophia is right. You may want to move away from the door, Miss Tide, Mr. Glow."

Yule and Solstice shared a quick look before deciding to obey the tiny black haired fairy and moved away from the door. A moment later, there was a soft knock on it. Then, a feminine voice. "Since it seems our 'breach and clear' method was expected, I suppose the polite way would be preferable?"

"Yes, I'd like for you to not ruin the door of my shop," Yule said flatly.

"Then may I come in?"

Yet again, Yule and Solstice looked to Read, who had somehow become the one to make decisions on this sort of thing. The young man had stood up, his Muses on his shoulders. He nodded. "Keep the kids and the girls back," Yule told Deck. The large man nodded and ushered the kids into the back. Tempo and Rara went with him, but didn't go too far.

Solstice went up to the door and after counting to three, opened the door. Standing there flanked by a pair of faceless Zodiac warriors was a blonde woman in a lighter style of metal armor and armored skirt. Her eyes were a bright green, and she kept her hair pinned back away from her face. "…Hi there," Solstice offered.

"Greetings," The young woman said, her voice soft and gentle. "My name is Virgo, and I am the Knight of Innocence. Your name, sir?"

"Uh… Solstice Glow. My friend here is Yule Tide."

Yule nodded in greetings. Virgo responded in kind, before her eyes went to Read. She blinked in surprise. "You… I sense the presence of your spirit. Are you the one…?"

"No," Alta said, standing up on Read's shoulder. "We woke at the same time as the Spirit created by Etro."

"The name is Read Write," Read said by way of greeting. "And my little friends are the Muses, or the Spirits of Inspiration."

The three fairies waved. "Hello!" They greeted in three part harmony.

"How adorable," Virgo said with a smile. "I did not know a native Order Spirit was here in this world."

Read frowned slightly. "Wait. You didn't know? Why are you here then?"

Virgo frowned, and glanced behind her. "Leo… He is fixated. But you know not of what we have to deal with, and nor should you. Perhaps after this battle we could… talk more?" She looked hopeful.

There was a cough from behind Read, and Tempo came up behind him. "He's taken, honey," She said sternly.

"What?" Virgo blinked several times. Then, a heavy blush ran through her pale skin. "No, I—no! That's not what I meant, it's just… Leo says making friends is pointless and I've never truly had one…"

Read smiled. "That, we can do."

"How old are you anyway?" Tempo asked, frowning at the girl. "You look rather young."

"I think the name is kinda a giveaway," Solstice muttered.

"I'm fifteen," Virgo said with a little pout. "This will be the first time everyone in the Zodiac was deployed to a world. I've never been outside of the Temple before."

"Really? Then why…?"

"Well, this is a peculiar sight," An amused voice said from outside. Virgo's two escorts turned with weapons singing free of their sheaths, but before they could act they were pinned to the wall with spiked chains.

Virgo cried out in shock, but before she could do anything a hand dropped on her head from behind. It belonged to an average height, dark skinned man with black braids that ran down to the base of his neck. He grinned, violet eyes glowing. "J-J-Jehu!"

"Ah, don't freak out on me Virgo," Jehu said softly, letting her go. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The Zodiac Knight blinked, before turning to look at him in confusion. "W-What? You… You're not?"

"Two things," Jehu said, his manic smile becoming a much softer one. "One, I only kill people actively trying to kill me. Two, I don't kill adorable girls."

Virgo blushed but petulantly hit him in the arm. "I'm not adorable!"

"Doing that does not help your case."

"What the buck is going on?" Yule asked, completely dumbfounded.

Jehu glanced over. "Oh right. I'm Jehu Striate, Arbiter of Chaos and technically the bad guy, if you ask Virgo's leader. I'm here to make sure you all don't become brainwashed slaves and whatnot."

The Equestrians gaped. "Brainwashed?"

Virgo looked confused. "What…? Is that… is that what Libra was working on…?"

"Probably. I couldn't tell you." Jehu shrugged. "But that aside, I'm not killing you."

"Thank… you…?"

Jehu smiled at her, then looked over at Read. "So. You're the one who Genesis picked."

Read blinked. "Er… yes?"

"Good. Take care of those three, and always listen to the music of the heart. Virgo? You're coming with me."

Virgo blinked. "Huh? I am? But Leo…"

"If he gets mad, I'll kill him. Come on, little one." He gently ushered her out the door. Jehu turned to look at those in the store and smiled. "Have a good day, and stay safe!"

And then they were gone. A stunned silence permeated the room for a minute, before Yule smacked her forehead. "What the actual hell just happened?"

"I'm not completely sure," Solstice said slowly. He looked over at Read. "…You know them?"

Read shook his head. "Not even. But what that guy said gave me an idea."

"Another one?" Tempo said, exasperated.

"Oh come on! This one's good!" He grinned. "We just need a find a way to play music that the whole city can hear."

–x–

Chrysalis felt something prodding her chest, waking her from unconsciousness. She opened her eyes to see a very confused and somewhat unhappy Bright Soul above her. "Good. You're still alive."

Chrys blinked. "Bright… Bright Soul? What… what are you…?"

"Get up. I need you to explain why Princess Luna is almost dead."

That phrase was enough to jar the Changeling to full wakefulness, and she sat up quickly. Words tried to spill out of her mouth, but the only thing that escaped was a groan of pain. She hunched over, everything in her body hurting along with the pounding headache from mana drain. Bright watched her impassively, waiting until Chrys was able to speak. "Mis… Mistress… she lives?"

"Lucky for you, the Crystal Empire has very competent medics," Bright replied looking up. Chrys followed her gaze to discover that they were in the middle of a circle of Crystal Guards, all with their weapons angled at her. Off to one side was a team of medics doing everything one without magic could do to stabilize the still unconscious and magically drained Luna. She had several bandages covering exposed skin, and most of her battle attire was burned or singed. A cold chill gripped at Chrys's heart.

"She's… she isn't…"

"She's still alive," Shining Armor said, walking up. He was fully armed in crystal styled armor, his helmet cradled in the crook of his arm. He looked grim. "It was close though. If we hadn't been here…"

He trailed off, but mainly because Chrys had slumped to the ground in relief. She hugged herself tightly. "She's alive… thank goodness she's alive…"

Bright and Shining glanced at one another, before the latter cleared his throat. "What happened in the castle?"

Chrys was silent for a moment, before she looked up at him. "…Celestia has taken the Nightmare Curse. She struck down Luna, and I believe my Master and Sunset were attacked as well. Have you… have you found them?"

"We didn't know to look," Shining admitted. "We had only arrived when that explosion took place. And are you sure it was Celestia? We know she left before us, but she said she had gone to help Luna…"

"It was her," Chrys replied evenly. She fixed Shining with a flat look. "Find. My. Master."

Shining was silent for a moment. "Is he even still alive? I know he's strong and all, but if it's Celestia…"

"It was her," The Changeling repeated. "And Tyr is still alive. I know this. Find him."

"We may not have the chance," Bright Soul said with a sigh. When Chrys glared at her, she shook her head. "Not that I wouldn't try. There's bad news all around, Chrysalis. Sherry's forces are on the retreat—Serenity, the Stonekin Seer, has fallen. With the Stonekin breaking, and the news that Princess Luna and Tyr have fallen, the allied army is routing all over the city."

"Not to mention these armored knights appearing out of that gate," Shining Armor muttered, glancing to the sky. The Gate was still open, but it seemed the Zodiac was done calling in their forces for the moment. "From what I've heard, the city is overrun."

"Then why are you here?" Chrys countered imperiously. "Come to throw your lot in with the new Queen?"

Shining shook his head. "We are reinforcements. For _your_ side. When we figured out how bad it was here, Cadance nearly led the army herself. But I couldn't let her go, especially with Flurry…"

Chrys struggled to stand, only managing with Bright Soul's assistance. "Fine then. Do as you wish, but I am going to find my Master and Sunset. They may still be in danger—!"

"But you're in no condition to go after them," Bright said, gently leading the Changeling over to sit beside Luna's immobile form. When Chrys looked at her in confusion, she smiled. "I'll go. I owe him, after all."

Chrys seemed torn between staying with Luna, and going after Tyr. After a long, conflicted moment, she sighed. "…Very well. I will place his well-being on your shoulders."

Shining raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this, Bright?"

The Lunar Knight retrieved her spear from nearby, a small smile on her face. "I'm sure. I owe it to Princess Luna to make sure her beloved husband isn't dead."

"…Right."

"Also, tell your guards to stop watching Chrys like she's still a threat. I'd rather not come back to find you all dead."

Chrys blinked. "Dead?" Bright's response was to point up at the surrounding buildings. Perched on balconies and ledges were the remaining Changelings from Cocoon's hive, watching their new Queen and her mistress like hawks. It was obvious that if any of the Crystal guards moved to harm either of them the entire swarm would be on them in moments. Chrys gasped slightly. "Wait… they're here?"

"Who do you think brought you to us?" Bright gave a rare smile. "Keep an eye on Luna for me, will you?"

"You never need to ask." Chrys turned to the knight and smiled back. "Bring my Master back to us, Bright Soul. And thank you."

The knight waved a hand and began walking away, the sound of Shining ordering his men to stand down following her off. Chrys turned back to Luna, taking one of the Princess's hands into her own. Finally sensing their queen was in no danger, the Changelings drew back, but kept their vigilance. "So… how has the battle been going?" Shining asked, moving to Luna's far side.

"We were doing fine until Celestia arrived," Chrys replied flatly, ignoring the Prince. "Sunset killed Cocoon after I challenged her to a duel. Solar Flare and Jury Review attempted to attack us, but Solar Flare could not control his magic and his horn exploded. Then Celestia arrived."

"And she… she attacked you all?"

"Yes."

"I… I just…"

Chrys glanced at him, and then shook her head. "Where is your wife?"

"She stayed behind with Flash. Heart Song and Ace came with us, however."

"Then you brought good help." Chrys returned to Luna. "Now please… I want to be here for her."

Shining stared at her for a long minute. "…You actually, really love her, don't you?"

"A foolish question." Chrys smiled down at Luna's face, reaching up to gently smooth back her night-themed hair. With a surprising amount of tenderness, she placed a kiss on the Moon Princess's pale forehead. "I loved her the moment I knew just how much Tyr loved her."

–x–

"We're in a terrible position," Grace informed Sherry, giving her report while she worked on Capstone's injured leg. All around them Grace's medical corps were hard at work, trying to stabilize the wounded and get as many of the soldiers back to fighting condition as possible. It wasn't looking the best, especially due to the nature of injuries the soldiers had suffered.

"Our numbers?" Sherry asked quietly.

Grace let out a sigh. "Would be better if the Stonekin were still willing to fight."

Sherry looked back, behind the lines to where the surviving Stonekin were gathered up into a group. An air of defeatism had settled over them, and none of them looked willing to continue. "…Losing Serenity literally broke them, didn't it…?"

"The Seers held the Stonekin together for a long time," Obsidian informed them, her voice quiet. She hugged her knees to her chest. "You could… you could call them the heart of the Stonekin. Without her, we…"

"We can still survive," Sherry said, cutting her off. The Alicorn knelt in front of her friend. "Don't give up on me just yet, Obi."

"Princess!" One of the royal guards chose that moment to interrupt, dropping to his knees before her. "A messenger from the main group has arrived."

Sherry stood up straight, frowning slightly. "A messenger? Who was it?"

"One of the Wulfen. He informed us that the castle has been completely secured."

Grace sighed as all the others brightened at the news. "Good news on that front, at least."

The guard winced. "However… Princess Celestia has taken the castle herself. She is claiming the title of Queen. Our allies are currently holding the lower levels, although they report Lady Aleksandra entered the throne room to engage the Princess…er, Queen, herself."

Silence. Sherry's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. "…Oh."

"We've also been given reports that the Changelings have switched sides and now follow Chrysalis."

"That's… good news?"

"Indeed. The Crystal Empire forces are also present in the city. But…"

Grace sighed. "More bad news."

"I apologize. Princess Luna has been seriously injured, and we have reason to believe Lord Tyr and Lady Sunset were slain by the newly titled Queen Sol."

Sherry's breath hitched, her skin going deathly pale. For a moment she was speechless, horror creeping into her every feature. Her mother was hurt so badly that even the Equestrians were worried, and her father…! "My… My dad… he's…?"

"Calm down, Princess," Vanna's voice said, as she and Charlie landed nearby. Both dragonkin were covered in scratches and cuts, but were still intact. Vanna's hammer was covered in blood, and Charlie was rubbing blood out of the tips of her hair. The elder dragoness glanced over at the messenger. "…Chrissy's still alive, isn't she?"

The guard blinked. "The Changeling Queen? Yes, she was with Princess Luna from what I was told."

"That means my dad is still alive," Sherry finished. She reached up and clutched at her chest. The young Alicorn let out a ragged yet relieved sigh. "After everything… if he were to die, I don't think I could take it…"

"So we're down all our major players," Grace muttered. "Damn it. Aleksa went flying off to the castle too…"

"We're still here," Charlie pointed out.

"Although we're not on the level of those Zodiac knights," Vanna muttered, glancing down at her hammer. Most of the mechanical parts were wrecked and it was dented in several places "I only barely managed to beat the one I fought, and I'm almost certain she was one of the weaker ones. I don't doubt you'd be able to stand on par with one, but that's considering you unleash your Dust."

"And the Elements are still out of commission," Grace pointed out. She sighed, placing her head in her hands. "I'm running out of juice, Princess. We're all starting to drag…"

Vanna went over to her girlfriend and pulled her into a hug. "You need to rest, Gracie. If not for you, for me and the baby."

Grace sniffed. "At least let me give birth before you start using her as blackmail."

The dragoness perked up. "Her? It's a girl?"

"Yes, it's a girl. And yes, you can give her a boyish nickname."

"Score!"

Charlie walked over to the pair, kneeling in front of Grace. The medic looked at her curiously, watching as the blonde dragoness placed her hands on her stomach. "I will protect you from her," She told the growing baby solemnly.

"Hey!"

Sherry giggled lightly at the display. Seeing this—hope in the face of despair—lightened her heart. Capstone and Obsidian, sitting together and using each other for stability, smiled as well. Then, another guard approached. "Er… Princess?"

"What is it?" Sherry asked, frowning at the guard. "…I hope it isn't more bad news."

"No, it's…" The guard glanced back behind him. "…The leader of the armored knights wishes to parley."

"Parley?" Sherry frowned. "I suppose that's just code for 'wants us to surrender'."

Vanna hefted her hammer to her shoulder. "We gonna humor him or what?"

"I suppose we should," Sherry said, getting up. She put on her best royal demeanor and cleared her throat. "Take me to him."

"We're going with you," Capstone said, nudging Obsidian. The despondent Shaper nodded weakly.

Sherry smiled at him. "Of course. I'd be upset if you weren't."

The guard got up and started walking, Sherry following after. Obsidian and Capstone got up as well, falling into step alongside her. Vanna and Charlie followed, if only to be doubly sure that the girl would be safe. "Where's Hope run off to?" Vanna asked as they started approaching the outer limits of their perimeter. It was mostly manned by the Qirin and the Royal guard due to the lack of willing Stonekin.

"She's helping the healers," Sherry replied, thinking of where she last saw the golden Alicorn. Hope, not exactly perfect when it came to healing magic, was using her vast magical power as a sort of Leyline, becoming like a living battery for the unicorn healers so that they could keep working even longer. On the downside she had to essentially go to sleep to maintain the spell, meaning her ability for defensive magic would be unused. "She's indisposed."

"Alright. You sure you up to this?"

"…I am my father's daughter," Sherry said solemnly. Vanna didn't reply to that, instead simply nodding and adjusting her grip on her hammer. The little group navigated through the makeshift camp, reaching what could be considered a front gate. Waiting on them was the stoic mien of Leo, his plumed helm and lion mane like neck covering giving him away. He was flanked by a tall knight wielding a bow, and a female knight carrying a shield. Behind them was a platoon of unmoving warriors. Sherry stopped her group a few paces away.

Leo tilted his head slightly. "…I had not expected to see a young woman like you in command."

"My father placed me in command of this group," Sherry replied evenly. "…And you are?"

The knight inclined his head respectfully. "I am Leo of the Zodiac, bearer of the Concept of Obedience. I command the Zodiac forces here. Your name?"

"Sherry Winter, Princess of Creativity and the Contractor of Curiosity," Sherry replied regally, Alice taking a seat on her shoulder. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Leo eyed the small Chaos Spirit for a moment before speaking. "I have come to offer you a chance at survival."

Vanna snorted softly. The taller knight behind Leon scoffed. "As if you'd understand how magnanimous our commander is being at this moment, Traveler. We've routed your forces—it would be a small matter to end you all."

"You keep saying that until I get around to shoving this hammer up your ass," Vanna replied flippantly.

The Zodiac night growled, but Leo help up a hand. "This accomplishes nothing, Sagittarius."

"…Very well, Leo," the knight said, stepping back.

Leo turned his attention back to Sherry. "So. As I was saying, I am offering you a chance to preserve your people."

Sherry was silent for a moment. Everyone was looking to her now, and she let out a soft breath. "…Your conditions?"

Capstone gaped. Obsidian looked resigned, and the two dragonkin shared a short look. Leo nodded. "Complete and total capitulation of all your forces. Your troops will lay down their arms and surrender. Then, we will root out all traces of Chaos from this world and establish this plane as a Zodiac protectorate."

"I don't know if you noticed, but Alice is a Chaos Spirit," Sherry replied.

"True. But she is a fledgling spirit. Perhaps her nature can be… altered?"

Alice shivered, hiding herself as best she could in Sherry's hair. The Alicorn frowned. "I don't think that's a good thing. You should never change someone—or something's—nature simply because you don't like it."

Leo was silent for a moment, no doubt appraising the young woman before him. "You have steel in you, girl."

"I get it from my father," Sherry replied. Then, she smirked viciously. "I think he might have killed you once?"

"…I see. You are the child of Tyr, aren't you?" Leo nodded to himself. "I see it in you. As I am sure you will refuse my generous offer, I will grant you at least a small boon. I will give you one hour. Either change your mind or be destroyed. Cancer? Stay here and relay their message back to me."

"As you wish, commander," the female knight said. Leo nodded slightly, before turning away and leading Sagittarius and their escort away. Cancer stayed in front of Sherry at attention, waiting. After a moment, she stepped forward, the red filigrees and tassels on her armor waving slightly as she moved. She gave Sherry a small bow. "I am Cancer, the Zodiac Knight of Understanding. For the time being, I will be in your care."

Vanna snorted. "Awfully polite for the enemy, aren't you?"

The knight straightened up. "I'm a medic, Miss Traveler. And I don't see the point in being haughty towards enemies. Perhaps, in another life, we would have been allies."

"…I see. Can't really trust you without seeing your face."

"Oh, I forgot." She reached up and removed her helmet, shaking free her long copper colored hair. Her bright, pure pink eyes looked upon them all. "Is this better?"

"She's… rather pretty," Capstone murmured. Obsidian elbowed him in the side.

Sherry frowned. "You're a healer? I didn't think the Zodiac had healers."

"Not very many," Cancer replied sadly. "Ever since Libra developed the cloning method, we've simply created armies of drones."

Vanna looked thoughtful. "Drones, huh…?"

Cancer shook her head. "But that is beside the point. Have you any wounded? I'd be more than happy to help."

Charlie blinked. "You're… offering to help out?"

"Is that… is that wrong?"

The group shared a short collective look. "Well… no. Help is always welcome."

The copper haired woman gave them a warm smile. "Well, show me to where I'm needed."

"Follow me," Charlie said, turning and beginning to walk away. "I need to head back that way anyway. It's probably time for me to show my last resort."

Vanna blinked, before turning sharply to her daughter. "You sure, Char?"

"We're about to end this either way," the younger dragonkin said softly. "We'll have to pull out all the stops."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Vanna reached up and scratched her head. "I wonder if I have any demon drug or dash juice in my pack…"

She followed after as Charlie and Cancer headed to the medical station. Sherry looked up towards Canterlot Castle, which was currently wreathed in a blizzard. There was a core of light somewhere near the center, and violet lightning arcing through the tempest. She wasn't sure what exactly was going up there, but she hope it was going the right way. Until then, she had an hour to pray that her father was on his way.

–x–

"Someone doesn't look all too happy," Genesis said, she and Terminus landing on the rooftop behind their sky haired sister. Harmony was looking out over the arriving Zodiac troops, her mouth flattened into a hard line.

"They're starting to test my nerves," The Keeper of Time said grimly, folding her arms. "Invading a plane like this on the pretense of 'preserving it'… Feh!"

Terminus frowned as her sister continued to curse in several dead languages. "That's the reason they gave?"

Harmony sighed. "Considering that this whole conflict was instigated by a spirit of Chaos, they feel they have rightful cause to… 'balance things out'."

Genesis giggled. "And is that not _your_ job, dear sister?"

"Regardless of whose job it truly is, we can't participate."

The other two Caretakers shared a look. "We… we can't?"

"This still counts as an internal conflict," Harmony said with a frustrated sigh. "Celestia's actions place the whole plane at risk, and the Zodiac is claiming they're here to stop her from ruining this world."

"And we can only step in if _their_ actions directly place the plane at risk," Terminus finished. She grimaced. "Have we really tied our hands so tightly?"

Harmony shook her head. "Not particularly. But Logic is up to something—seems she's placing her own influence in this."

"And we're stuck watching?"

"For now." Harmony's eyes narrowed. "But I've got faith. Tyr's the focus of this story—until he's dead, we can't count him out."

"Plus…" Genesis held up a finger. "Jehu is still running around down there somewhere. And we have literally _zero_ idea what he's up to."

Harmony stared at her sister for a long minute. Then, she let out a groan. "Oh, by the Crux… He could be doing ANYTHING down there…!"

–x–


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 68: Rally to the Argent Banner

Aleron felt his senses return to him slowly, as if filling in the color to a painting. When his sight was completely clear, he found himself standing in a darkened copse, the body of a dying silver tree in front of him. He blinked. "Wait… I know this tree…"

"Al?"

He started at his name, turning to see his twin standing just a few steps away. Her armor was dented and scarred in some places and she had some scratches on what bare skin she was showing, but she was staring at him with her silver eyes as wide as saucers. He had barely opened his mouth before the young armored girl ran to him and embraced him, pulling him tightly against her. "…Ro? You… what are you…?"

"You're okay! I thought you might be hurt but…!"

"I'm fine… Mostly."

"Mostly?"

Aleron managed to get her to let him go long enough to gesture to his wounded leg. "One of the Cultists caught me off guard. Evie patched me up well enough."

Aurora eyed him curiously. "…Of course you somehow managed to get hurt when I wasn't around."

"Same to you," Aleron shot back softly, reaching up to brush his sister's hair away from a shallow cut on her cheek. "Those are going to scar."

She grinned, eyes glittering with mirth. "That means I'll have battle scars!"

"The love of two siblings is a pure thing," A murmuring voice said.

They both turned to see Logic approaching them, slithering past them to the dying tree. "What is this place?" Aleron asked, watching as the lamia moved closer to the crystalline tree to gently caress one branch. A single leaf fell, fluttering to the ground before turning to dust upon hitting the ground. "And what is that tree?"

"This is… _was_ the Tree of Harmony. As you no doubt can see, it is dying."

"Dying?" Aurora blinked. "Why… why is it dying? That's a really bad thing, right?"

"That means the Elements themselves will be lost," Aleron said, eyes wide. "But… but how?"

"Chaos," Logic replied, turning away from the tree. She turned back to the twins. "But before you misunderstand, my brother Discord has nothing to do with it. It has to do with the Spirit that infected Celestia. She has spread the infection to Twilight Sparkle, and through her actions has destroyed my Elements."

Both Winter children paused at that. "… _Your_ Elements?"

"Who else could create something that could so easily defeat a being of pure chaos?" Logic pointed out. "I planted the seed that became the Tree of Harmony. I placed the tools that Celestia and Luna would eventually use to end his reign of chaos."

"So… wait," Aurora held up a hand. "Discord is your brother, right? Why would you make something specifically meant to stop him?"

"Because a balance needs to be kept," Aleron finished. "If Discord holds sway, there has to be something to stop him. So that's why the Elements exist."

"Not simply for Discord," Logic corrected. "The Elements were to be my protection for this world—an equalizer for the threats no mere mortal could stand against." The Lamia turned back to the tree, a single note of sadness in her voice. "Yet my slumber… was it the wrong choice? Without me here to tend to you…"

"…Logic?"

"I stray," The lamia muttered darkly. "My time asleep has dulled my senses."

"So what happens when the tree dies?" Aurora asked

Logic was silent. "What you have seen. Armies from other worlds invading and killing those who cannot defend themselves. Death on a massive scale. But you two can end this conflict."

Aleron blinked. "Us? What can we do?"

"I have to agree with my brother," Aurora said. "I fought in the battle today—I held my own, but I'm nothing like my dad. And those new soldiers… I don't think I could fight one of them…"

"Your battle need not be with your strength or your weapons," Logic pointed out, gesturing to the sword still held—sheathed of course—in Aurora's hand. The lamia slithered close, one pale hand reaching up to touch just above Aurora's heart. "You can fight with your heart."

The sky haired girl blinked, her own hand coming up to touch at her heart. "My heart? But…?"

"Your strength lies in your courage," Logic breathed, as if the word itself was euphoric. She turned slightly. "Perhaps I should have made Courage an Element…"

Aleron folded his arms. "What are you trying to say, Logic?"

"The morale of your father's army is cracking," Logic shot back, eyes fixing Aurora in place. There was an intensity there that made the twins freeze. "The Stonekin Seer has fallen, and with that their will to fight has been lost. Your adoptive sister has been given an ultimatum—complete surrender which will end with her death, and fighting to the last which will mean her and the army's death. Your father is nowhere to be found. Your mother lies on the edge of death. All of Equestria hinges on what happens in the next few hours. On _you._ "

Aurora was trembling slightly—Aleron reached out to place a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "And… what exactly must we do?"

"Your sister must hold the line," Logic said, turning back to the dying Tree of Harmony. "You must aid your adoptive sister. She cannot do it alone."

Aleron frowned. "And me?"

"The book you carry—it is the key and the lock. The Nightmare Curse is a thing that predates the beginning of this world. Neither I nor Discord created it. It is pure evil, malign and harmful to anyone that comes into contact with it."

"So you can't kill it?"

"I cannot. But you can." Logic turned back to him. "You hold its origin in your hands, and the key to its destruction."

Aleron blinked. "You're saying… I can destroy the curse?"

"Not alone. But you can figure out what to do."

Aurora turned to her brother, a smile on her face. "I know he can. My brother is the smartest person I know."

Logic went to the tree, going to the center part and placing her hands against it. "Sleep well, my creation. You are replaced but not forgotten." She moved away, cupping her hands together with a faint light gathering in them. After a few moments of focus, the light faded and she was holding a pure white seed. She stared at it reverently. "…The absence of all color, or the presence of all light…?"

"Is that…?" Aleron stared at the seed in quiet awe, jumping slightly as the lamia slithered over to him, pulled up his hand, and put the seed in it.

"Plant this somewhere safe," Logic ordered him, firmly closing his fingers around the seed. "And then find my Elements new Bearers."

Aleron frowned. "But where… Wait. I know."

Aurora blinked. "What? Where?"

The male twin turned to his sibling, a small smile on his face. "The Tree of Harmony can grow in a cave, right? We could plant the new one in Stonehome, and the Stonekin would be able to guard it! Not to mention Sycamora is still there…"

"Oh that's perfect!" Aurora said, clapping her hands. "But then… how am I supposed to… Oh! Serenity had a daughter!"

"She did?"

"Yeah! I met her once before! With Serenity…um… 'gone', shouldn't she be the new seer?"

"If that's how that works," Aleron admitted. "But what about the Elements? What do we do about those?"

Aurora grinned. "Easy. There's six elements, and we just so happen to know all six kids of the former Elements!"

"Is… is it really that easy?" Aleron directed the question towards Logic, who shrugged.

"As long as they embody the concept of the Elements, then they can wield them," the lamia informed them. "I never said it had to be six wielders or anything like that."

Aleron sighed. "Then I'll see what I can do about deciphering the book."

Logic slithered between them, wrapping her arms about their shoulders. "Haste then, is necessary. Hold tight."

Both twins shuddered as Logic's magic dragged them to Wolfhome, right in front of an unamused Accord. The young Stonekin girl was dressed in a simple white dress, a vest reinforced with metal, and her short black hair was pinned back to expose her opal. She was waiting patiently, sitting on a stone chair. Upon seeing them, her lips curled into a rueful smile. "I suppose this proves it then…" She muttered.

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, frowning.

"I had a vision," Accord said softly, standing up. "Where you three appeared in this spot. I had hoped… No. I have to take my mother's place now—"

Aleron walked forward, suddenly pulling the much smaller girl into a hug. As her eyes widened in confusion, he gently reached up to stroke her hair. "You're not the Seer yet, Accord. And we won't think anything less of you if you cry."

Accord's wide eyes stayed that way for a few seconds, before she slowly began to tear up. Her smaller arms came up so her hands could twist themselves in Aleron's clothes. As the young man held her she began to cry, softly at first until she was full on sobbing into his chest. After about a minute, Accord calmed down enough to at least speak, although she was still shaking and hiccupping softly. "I… What do I do now…?"

"You take your mother's place, as she intended," Aleron said, continuing to stroke her hair comfortingly. "You know you're strong. You just need to have faith in yourself."

"But… My visions…my emotions…"

"You'll get the hang of it," Aleron assured her. "You don't have to rush into it all at once."

Accord was silent for a few moments, before her grip on Aleron tightened. "I… I don't have… my family is g-gone…"

Aleron hesitated for just a second before squeezing the small girl tightly. "Then you'll be part of our family now."

"W-what? Wait…!"

"No, that's perfect!" Aurora came over just as Aleron brought the younger girl out to arm's length. She grinned when Accord looked at her in confusion. "You've got—hold on, let me count—five sisters and an awesome brother!"

Aleron winced. "Wait. I really have that many sisters?"

"Yup!"

"I… I really need a brother or something…"

There was a tiny noise as Accord began to giggle softly. "T…Thank you. Thank you both. I'm glad… I'm so happy you were here…"

Logic slithered forward. "I indulged this because the young one needed it, but we have no time to waste."

Aleron nodded. "You're right. Accord, we need to plant a seed. A seed for a very special tree."

"A seed?" Accord thought for a moment. "Does it need sunlight?"

"As long as the Tree is in a place where magic flows," Logic informed them.

"There is a Leyline that runs through the crypt," A crackling voice asked. They turned to see Sycamora standing there. The Wood pony was now a wood woman, mimicking the appearance of the other Equestrians minus the fact that her body was made up of plants. Her 'clothes' were also made up of very long leaves. She put a hand on her hip. "Come—you've already said you are in a rush."

She turned and walked off. Logic slithered after her, with Aurora and Aleron beginning to follow. However, just as Aleron began to walk away, Accord grabbed his hand. When he glanced at her, she was blushing and looking away from him. "…C… Can I…?"

Aleron gave her a gentle smile. "Of course."

With Accord holding his hand, Aleron caught up with his sister as Logic and Sycamora led the way to the Crypt. They made good time, taking the path down into the dimly lit tomb. Once they were inside, they were immediately made aware of how much larger the crypt had become since they had last been inside. "Whoa…" Aurora murmured, looking up at the massively enlarged chamber. "When did all this happen!?"

"When the armies marched, it seemed like the most logical thing to do was prepare for the inevitable casualties," Accord said softly.

Aleron found his eyes drawn to an opening near the back, where an emblem of a wolf was carved into the stone above a door. He shook his head, walking over to the middle of the room. There were multiple tiers of the crypt now, with stairs leading up to each level. Near the middle of the room was a sort of raised dais. "What is that for?"

"The Stonekin told me it would be used for internment practices," Sycamora said, moving over to it. "It lies right over the Leyline."

"Then that's where we plant the seed," Aleron said. He glanced at Accord. "Can you make a spot for it?"

"Sure," The young Seer said, letting go of his hand. She walked over to the dais, knelt at the center of it, and placed her hands on the stone. After a moment of focusing, she cracked a hole into the middle. "Does this work?"

"It should be adequate," Logic said, nodding to Aleron. He nodded, and moved over to the hole. With a little bit of reverence, he let the pale white seed slip past the stone and into the dirt below. Accord grunted softly as she twisted her fingers into the stone, cracking it all over and converting it into gravel. That way, the tree wouldn't fight just to break the surface.

Aleron nodded. "That should do it."

"You might wish to move back," Logic said suddenly.

The young man glanced back at her, before scowling and pulling Accord away. No sooner had they moved away that the ground began to rumble and shake. As they all watched in shock, a massive trunk of crystal began to grow out of the ground, cracking and breaking through the stone with ease. As the structure grew in size, it became more and more treelike with branches breaking off to spread against the top of the chamber and roots extending through the earth to create an almost spider web like construction across the floor. Once the transition was over, they were left with a massive crystal tree that gently lit up the entire main chamber with a comforting glow. "…Well then," Sycamora murmured.

"Wow…" Aurora whispered, looking up at the tree. "Was… was the tree always so big?"

"This way it will be stronger," Logic pointed out, going to the newly grown tree. She placed her hands against the crystal like bark, watching as a star shape formed in the upper junctions along with five socket like growths. "More resilient. Here it will be safe, and the magic of the tree will permeate the land about it."

Accord was busy looking up at the roof, where the branches almost reached. "Will… will it get any bigger?"

"Only if I want it to," Logic said, turning back to them. In her hand were six white gemstones, and she placed them in Aleron's hand. "Come, Children of the Moon. We still have much to do."

"Right. You need to come with us, Accord," Aurora said, putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. When she looked over at her, the older girl smiled warmly. "We've got some depressed Stonekin to whip back into shape."

Aleron looked over at Logic. "Can you take us?"

Logic looked thoughtful. "I have enough power left. I might have to sleep for some time afterwards, but in order to save this world… grab hold. I do not care to leave one of you behind."

The three children gathered to her, Aleron grabbing one of her arms and Accord and Aurora held hands and grabbed hold of him. With just a blink of her eyes, Logic brought them back to Canterlot, displacing them in the middle of an abandoned street. The lamia staggered, slumping down on her tail. "Logic!" Aurora cried, but the Spirit of Order held up a hand.

"I'm fine. But I am… out of practice after several thousand years of sleep. You must go on your own from here."

"But we…"

"You know what you must do—go quickly."

Aleron gripped his sister's shoulder. "Come on, Ro. We can do this."

"You've got it easy," Aurora countered, frowning at him. "You just have to decipher an evil book. I have to stand up to an army. Well… after finding said army."

"I can help," Accord said, looking off in the distance. "The Seer stones my mother carried… I can sense them calling out to me."

"Well… right. You know what? I can do this." She gently slapped her cheeks. "Alright. Let's go Accord!"

"Huh? Wait, how are we—EEK!"

Aurora pulled the smaller girl onto her back before letting her wings spread wide. With one powerful stroke they were airborne, Accord clinging to Aurora for dear life and crying out in terror. Aleron shook his head. "Gotta love my sister. I suppose now I have to work out how to kill a living curse…"

While her brother began delving into magical secrets that had been forbidden for ages, Aurora made a beeline towards the castle, where the sounds of marching footsteps promised the location they were looking for. Accord clung tightly to her, the Stonekin fear of being so high up making her shut her eyes tight as the wind rushed about them. "Are you okay, Accord?" Aurora asked.

"Just imagining how quickly I'd die if you dropped me," Accord whispered back. "It'd be pretty quick, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not going to drop you. Just open your eyes and look."

"But…!"

"Trust me!"

Accord struggled with that statement for a moment, before slowly and tentatively cracking open her eyes. Then, they snapped open in shock. "W…Wow…"

From the height Aurora was flying at, once could see almost the entirety of Canterlot, from the mountain city and down to the Everfree Forest. Looking past the smoking remains of the Jötunheim, the town of Ponyville could be seen, and even further past that the mountain fortress that was Wolfhome was faintly in the distance. A person could see for miles. "Well? Not so bad, huh?" Aurora asked.

"Well… I will admit, I have stopped worrying about falling to my death…"

Aurora opened her mouth to reply, but her silver eyes suddenly narrowed. "…Better hold on. I need some speed."

"Speed?"

"Looks like time just ran out," Aurora murmured, eyes scanning the city below her. The Zodiac Knights were advancing on the allied army, their advance only slowed by the terrain and the defense being put up by Sherry's remaining forces. The Stonekin were still part of the defense, but their morale was shattered, and they fought more frightened than she had ever seen. "They're close to breaking…"

"We need to get down there," Accord murmured into her ear. "Quickly, Aurora!"

"Hold on tight!" The Alicorn girl twisted into a dive, shooting down towards the ground. Accord squealed and clung to her back, holding on for dear life as Aurora dive bombed towards the allied encampment. Several of the noncombatants looked up at her approach, pointing and saying something or other. The child of the Princess of Dreams grinned to herself, pulling out of the steep dive and landing on the ground without incident. "…Here we are."

"One day, I _may_ ask to do that again," Accord murmured, shakily dropping to the ground. "But no time soon."

"AURORA!" Suddenly, Aurora was swept up in an embrace by none other than her adoptive sister Sherry. The older Alicorn hugged her tightly. "Oh, by Etro I thought I had lost you…"

Aurora blinked, before happily hugging her sister back. "I'm fine, Sherry. Wait, what do you mean 'lost me'?"

Sherry held her little sister out at arms-length. "You simply vanished, sweetie. Where did you go?"

"Oh! Logic needed me!"

"Logic?" Sherry frowned. "Where… where is she now?"

"Recovering," Aurora said, glancing around at Accord. "She… she had something she wanted us to do."

"Princess!" A guard ran up. "The Zodiac forces are preparing another push. We need you!"

Sherry looked around at him with a pained look, before turning back to her little sister. "I don't know what Logic asked you to do, but—!"

"Where is my mother's body?" Accord asked suddenly, walking up beside Aurora.

"You're… Accord, right?" Sherry's sad frown grew. "I… Your mother…"

Accord shook her head. "I… I know. I need the Seer Stones…"

"…Oh. She's…" Sherry trailed off, eyes glancing towards the Stonekin area.

"That's where we're going then," Aurora said roughly, turning Accord that way. She gave her sister a smile. "Don't worry, big sis. I'm here to help."

The sounds of fighting began to grow, and Sherry turned her attention that way. "…Fine. Whatever you're doing, it better be safe and done quickly. Alice, we need to go!"

"Okay!" The Chaos Spirit appeared at her shoulder, hanging on as Sherry made her way back to the front lines.

Aurora watched her go, before turning to follow after Accord. The Stonekin were waiting around, depressed looks on all of their faces. But upon seeing her and Accord, some of them brightened up. "Seems you're here to rescue us again, little Princess," an older voice said, the tiniest trace of humor in it.

The two girls turned to see Shale, seated up against a wall with his arm held tight over his chest. "Shale…!" Aurora gasped, blinking.

The old Shaper chuckled. "Seems you've found me in a… less than favorable position, little princess."

"What… what happened?"

"I fought one of those Zodiac warriors. He ran me through."

"Are you…?"

"It's fatal, and the Equestrian guard is hard pressed for healers," Shale said with a sigh. He leaned back against the wall. "This is… well, this is where I finally meet my end."

Accord gasped slightly. Aurora looked grim, kneeling beside the Shaper. "…I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, little Princess. It's… it's ours." He looked around at the other Shapers. "We're broken. Losing the Seer was… devastating."

"That's why I'm here," Accord said softly.

Shale nodded. "I'm sorry we couldn't protect your mother, little one."

Accord was silent for a long minute, before shaking her head slowly. "My mother… well, my mother and father both… they knew what they were walking into. My mother had a vision of her own death the day of the strategy meeting. She told my father and I right after. I… wanted her to be wrong for once…"

"Unfortunately, Seer visions are never wrong," Shale sighed. "I've been around long enough to know."

"…I know."

Aurora frowned, but Shale reached up to his neck. With painful movements, he unclasped his golden cloak. Once he was done, he handed the golden fabric to Aurora. "You're what we need, little Princess. Lead in my place. Help the others to stand and fight."

"…I can do that," Aurora said softly.

The old Shaper smiled. "…Thank you, Aurora."

There was a soft sigh, no more than an exhalation of breath, and Shale closed his eyes one last time. Accord's eyes widened sharply, but she shook her head and bowed slightly. "…Thank you for your sacrifice, Shale. You will be remembered."

Aurora stood up, pulling the rather large cloak about her shoulders and fastening it. It was heavy, but not in the way she expected. More so it was heavy because of the responsibility it carried. She stood up and faced the other Stonekin. Many of them were watching in confusion and the tiniest bit of hope. A few had even straightened up at the apparent 'passing of the torch'. Aurora glanced over at the girl beside her. "Accord… the stones?"

The young Seer raised a hand, and her opal glowed brightly. Serenity's set of seer stones came floating to her, lighting up with rainbow light as they orbited her head. Her eyes opened wide for a moment, before she smiled softly and nodded to Aurora. "I'm ready."

"Just focus on me." Aurora walked forward, walking in front of the gathered Stonekin. She frowned slightly, looking over them all. They were for the most part still capable of fighting, but their confidence had been shattered. Shaking her head, she scowled down at them all. "I can't believe you're all being such cowards," She snapped.

All attention went to her. Aurora folded her arms. "The Stonekin creed is 'resolute as the stone', correct? Then why are you sitting here cowering while others fight for _your_ lives?"

A couple of the nearest Stonekin opened their mouths to reply, but Aurora pressed on, walking into the crowd with Accord at her side. With Shale's cloak about her shoulders it was like a whole new kind of authority had come to her. "I understand why Serenity's death hit you all hard. But my father could be dead out there and yet I'm still here. Accord is still here as well. You've experienced despair—and now you know what to fight against."

"My mother would be ashamed to see you all like this," Accord said, opal glowing a faint red. "She always told me that the strength of the Stonekin was in our mental resilience. We do not break. We do not shy away from duty."

"Now that you've felt the despair from losing your Seer," Aurora said, clenching her fists. Accord glanced her was sharply, seeing the pained look on the young girl's face. "You understand what everyone else has to lose. What others have already have lost. What some of us feel like we have lost." Her eyes closed, and the trembling in her hands seemed to calm. "…My parents could be dead. My brother could be dead too. But I'm still standing here, asking—no _demanding_ that you stand behind me as I go and protect what could possibly be left of my family. So I only have one thing to say to you."

She took a deep breath, before her silver eyes snapped open and fixed everyone watching with her determination. "TIME FOR YOU LOT TO QUIT ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!"

She turned on her heel, striding out of the group. Accord followed after silently, but then a noise from behind them made them both stop and turn around. To a man (and woman), every Stonekin had risen to their feet and were following after her. Accord's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow…"

Aurora grinned. She walked a few steps more and knelt on the ground, fingers wrapping about cold metal. When she stood, the banner of Wolfhome—tattered, torn yet still visible—flew above her. Her hands lit up with magic, and her voice carried above them all. "We stand together, or we fall alone! Are you with me!?"

The Stonekin all stood at attention, fists slamming against their chests. The noise reverberated through the ground below them and echoed about the city like the peal of thunder. One approached, who Aurora quickly recognized as Etch. The Senior shaper bowed her head low towards her. "We apologize for our weakness, Wolf Princess. We're ready to fight at your side."

Silver eyes sparkled with glee and Aurora grinned widely. "Good. Now let's show these jerks the boot. Stonekin! WE ENDURE!"

–x–

 **It's time.**

Charlie opened her eyes, leaving what was a sort of trance in response to her inner voice. Before her were laid the bodies of the fallen, unable to be truly dealt with because of the conflict still going on. Stonekin and Equestrian, Ursa and Wulfen… all were equal in death. The young dragoness frowned slightly. "So the young wolf returns and urges the mountain to stand once more, hm?"

 **I find it amusing that you speak in such a way when you access your Dust, Charlie.**

Charlie snorted softly, feeling the first wisps of the golden material begin to detach from her. It went like breathing, yet she could feel herself growing lighter. "At least I'm not doing it on purpose."

 **Fair. Are you prepared? This will be more than you have ever done.**

"I've done more stressful things," Charlie said, getting up and walking out into the makeshift graveyard. "This should be easy."

She could feel the mental nod Auriga gave her. **As you say. Begin when you are ready.**

Charlie let out a soft breath, before holding her arms aloft and letting the Dust flow freely from her body. A shudder ran through her as the golden mist covered the whole graveyard, lighting it with an unearthly glow. "Okay. I wasn't aware that would feel so _good_."

 **The act of giving itself brings unmatched pleasure,** Auriga replied sagely.

"Yeah, yeah. Help me with the words?"

 **Of course.**

" **The voice of a World speaks,** " Charlie intoned, voice taking on an authoritative timbre and weight. Her entire body glowed with golden light. She began walking down the rows of bodies, her golden eyes blazing with Dust. **"And it demands you listen. You have fallen in defense of your home and honor—broken, used and lost. Yet now I give you a second chance. A chance to give your lives in one final way in defense of what you love."**

Her voice rumbled, the Dust about her swirling furiously. With a sudden concerted surge, the Dust flowed out like a river, finding any way possible into the surrounding bodies. Charlie winced, feeling her body's coherency beginning to falter even as her own core of Dust worked to replace itself. But she pressed on regardless. **"Stand again, warriors. Struggle again, soldiers. Bask in the light so that you may face the darkness!"**

Beside her, one of the fallen Equestrian soldiers jerked to life, golden light suffusing his eyes. His wound, a gash torn into his shoulder with a Zodiac blade, rapidly stitched itself together with golden thread. Charlie raised her arms higher. **"Rise, broken ones, and be broken no more! Auriga speaks, and you must listen!"**

The light filled the area, and more and more of the fallen began to rise. Charlie watched in quiet awe, her arms falling to her sides as she watched her army of the fallen rise once more. Their wounds healed and light returned to their gazes. Although upon further inspection, none of the Stonekin had risen. The golden Dust could not revive them, shying away from their inert bodies as if they were the stone themselves. She shed a single golden tear and moved past, the Dust flowing with her.

However, there were plenty of warriors that had risen, and now they stood waiting for her orders. "It worked," Charlie said, dropping to her knees as the power of her Dust ebbed. Her arms were raw and she resembled a Changeling in certain areas, but it was done. Her body was already beginning to regenerate as the Dust began to rapidly replicate in order to replace what was lost. The ground thudded beside her, and she looked up to see a Dust fueled Ursa and Wulfen standing beside her. The Wulfen offered a paw to help her up, and the Ursa let her climb onto his back. "…Well. I suppose I hadn't expected this."

"Your orders, My Lady?" the guard that had awoken first said, approaching her. His voice was like sand sliding along a beachfront—no louder than a whisper but carrying the weight of a battle cry.

From atop her Ursa mount, Charlie looked over the gathered warriors. She nodded to herself. "We go to war once more. The living still need us!"

–x–


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 69: Dusk Till Dawn

Tyr awoke to distorted noise and an odd feeling of weightlessness about his body. Never one to freak out in an unknown situation, he rapidly took stock of his surroundings. He could see light above him, rippling and waving through whatever medium he was in. Opening his mouth, he tasted water. So he was submerged. Not exactly a bad thing, given his Elemental nature. He righted himself and surged up to the surface.

Gasping for air and feeling the magical nature of his body adjust for processing air instead of water, Tyr returned to the world of the living. He found himself in a square like hole in the middle of one of Canterlot's streets, partially sunk in order to accommodate the pool he had been placed in. "Oh? You've recovered."

Tyr turned his head to the voice, noticing the long and slender pale legs a few inches away from his vision. He followed them slowly up to a pair of hazel eyes looking down at him. Isabel, book in her lap, smiled at him as he met her eyes. "…Stop saving my life," He mumbled, spitting up water.

"Stop needing me to," Isabel countered merrily, continuing to read from her book. Then, she giggled. "Although I can't take all the credit. Your vampire mistress over there shielded you from whatever attack left you unconscious."

"…Vampire mistress…? Oh, Sunset!"

"Over here," came Sunset's voice in response to his exclamation. He glanced around to the other side of the pool, where the vampiress was seated against a wall. From behind her dirty and bedraggled flame themed hair, Sunset gave him a weak smile. "Nice to see you're still alive, Wolfy. I have to admit, I panicked a bit when she dumped you into the water. Thought she was trying to kill you."

"She tried to bite me," Isabel pointed out.

"Gut reaction to you dumping my… er… boyfriend into a pool of water without so much as a 'hello'!"

Tyr sighed, shaking his head. "Sunny…"

The flame haired vampiress pouted. "I was scared she was killing you!"

"I told you he'd be fine," Isabel said with a little huff as if the very idea offended her. "I've dealt with Ice and Water elementals before. And Tyr is a close friend."

"Well I didn't know he was able to breathe underwater!"

Tyr chuckled but in her irritation Sunset had sat up, thus revealing her major injury for saving him from Celestia's last attack. A large burn mark was down the right side of her body, but the main draw of the wound was that Sunset was now missing her entire right arm. Tyr sucked in a sharp breath. "Sunset…What… what happened?"

Sunset blinked, before she followed Tyr's gaze to her missing arm. She tugged a bit at her shirt, which was also torn a bit. Her expression darkened a bit. "Celestia. That blast she sent at you was way more than a warning shot or a disabling shot. If it had hit you, there'd probably be a hole where your stomach should have been."

"You knocked me aside… You took the hit for me?"

"I'd rather not have my boyfriend becoming a vampire already, thanks."

Tyr reached down under the water to gently rub at his stomach. "…Well, as happy as I am to find my internal organs aren't evaporated, you still lost an arm for me."

"I think you might want to hear the extent of your other injuries first, Tyr," Isabel informed him, reaching into the bag beside her and pulling out a piece of candy that looked like a small Celtic cross. She held it out to him. "Here. Chew on this for a bit."

"What is it?" Tyr asked, taking it and popping the candy into his mouth. His taste buds were immediately suffused with brightness, and he felt more awake than before. "…Whoa. What the hell was that?"

"Tombstone Candy," Isabel said, lifting up another piece to one of the Tragedy performers that appeared at her side. It took it over to Sunset who accepted it with a little hint of skepticism. "It's full of pure mana gathered from the moon of the Shadow Realm."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "…You get mana from a moon?"

"The moon is the only magical thing in the Shadow Realm," Isabel replied. "Now eat your candy. It's good for you."

"…Okay…" She did so, and her eyes went wide. "Oh wow. That…that felt good."

"I know, right?"

Tyr cleared his throat. "So… What about my injuries?"

Isabel glanced over at him, a frown forming on her face. "Considering you just fought a woman that controls the sun here… You had severe burns across the majority of your body, Tyr. Taking into account that you're an Ice Elemental, that's your weak point. The heat seared you both so badly that I had to immediately put you into that pool. If it wasn't for Sunset, and your Elemental physiology, you'd no doubt be dead."

"Suffice it to say, Alpha," Fenrir shimmered into existence beside him, her own small body battered and bloody. "We were very lucky.

Tyr blinked. "…Oh. Well. Thank you, Fenrir, Sunset."

The girl blushed slightly, looking away. "…No problem, Wolfy."

Isabel giggled. "Such an endearing nickname."

"All my girls have one for me," Tyr said, pulling himself out of the pool. He noted he was still in most of his clothes, only his external armor had been taken off. Once he got out of the water, he felt all his clothes become quite warm for a moment, before he was completely dry. He glanced over at Isabel, one of her hands glowing a faint white color. "…Thanks."

"Of course!" She grinned. "Not the first time I've had to use that spell."

"Right…" He frowned, glancing over at Sunset. "About her arm…"

Isabel's smile fell, and she shook her head. "I can't regrow limbs with my magic, Tyr. At least… not with any kind of speed."

Sunset struggled to rise, using her remaining arm to pull herself up. "We don't have the time. The others still need us."

Tyr frowned, standing up straight as well. "Sunset, you don't need to keep going. You've already given enough…"

"I'm seeing this through," Sunset countered, frowning at him. "Don't try and leave me behind."

"Sunset…" Tyr reached out to gently hold her shoulder. "I don't want you to get hurt any more than this. You almost died _._ _Again_ , no less. I'm not losing you again."

The flame haired girl blushed slightly, and she shook her head. "Look. Being with you and the others… I was always on the outside back in the other world, ya know?" She frowned, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Even with the other versions of the girls, it always felt like the others weren't completely sure how to treat me. I was a friend, yes, but not as close as I wanted to be."

Tyr frowned. "So… that's why you came back? To find a place to belong?"

Sunset shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I was expecting to shack up with Twilight for a bit and talk to Celestia. Maybe get my own place and waste my endless days as a vampire by myself… Until you."

"Me?"

"When we ended up wandering the Frozen North together… it was odd. Having someone else that was actively looking out for me. You even let me… let me feed off you."

Tyr frowned at that. "I wasn't going to just let you die."

Sunset chuckled and rubbed at her neck. "Yeah, I know. And then when we got back and I was tossed in prison… you saved me again. For really no gain, unless you count what happened after. I guess I'm trying to say… You stole my heart. My non-beating, undead heart. Herd or not, you're going to have a vampire looking out for you."

"You know," Isabel suddenly spoke up, back to reading her book. "I noticed a book on Elementals the other day. Apparently, Elementals technically don't have a 'lifespan'. Tyr's technically immortal."

Both Tyr and Sunset glanced her way, before the former chuckled. "Seems you're stuck with me, Sunset."

"I was going to say the same thing," Sunset said with a laugh. When Tyr met her gaze again she was smiling warmly. "Look Tyr… thanks. Even if taking me was sort of spur of the moment, I'm glad you did it and I didn't lose it in some seedy hotel with someone I hardly knew like I had originally planned…"

"Let's just be glad Luna is getting into the whole polygamy thing like I am," Tyr said ruefully, reaching over to pick up Fenrir. The wolf spirit flailed slightly at being caught off guard, but quickly settled onto his shoulder as always. "Otherwise, she'd have killed us both."

Sunset winced. "Yeah… Pinkie gave me a 'talking to' when she got me alone."

"Alpha," Fenrir spoke up. "I understand this sort of banter is normal amongst mates, but the rest of your herd is still in danger."

"She's right," Tyr said with a nod. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

Sunset gave him a vicious grin. "I haven't lost my fangs yet, Wolfy."

The Ice Elemental grinned back. "Then keep up, Sunny! _CARNAGE!_ "

With a surge of magical energy, Tyr armed himself in his full chaotic garb, retrieved Fimbulvinter, and took off down the road. Sunset made to follow, but Isabel spoke once more. "Sunset, was it?"

"Huh?" The vampiress glanced back at her. "What is it?"

The platinum blonde fixed her with a look that chilled Sunset to the bone. Vampires typically weren't too afraid of most individuals, being practically indestructible save for fire and magic, and Sunset was experienced in both. But nothing had ever chilled her to the bone like the hazel gaze from Isabel Striate. "I would like for you to help Tyr and keep him safe. He is like a brother to my sisters and I, and we would not be happy if he were to be irreparably harmed during all of this."

"I… I see."

Isabel's cold look gave way to a warmer one. "On that note, hurry along. Oh—and as a side thought, I have a bit of good news."

"Good news?" She frowned. "Like what?"

"Tyr is a Chaos Entity. The longer you're around him, the more your own body changes."

"Er… And?"

Suddenly the woman was in front of her, pale hand touching her chest, right above her heart. Sunset froze in place, shocked Isabel had crossed that distance so quickly and with the faint sense of danger she sensed. After a moment of listening, Isabel closed her eyes, smiled, and moved away. "It's already started."

"What?"

"You weren't a vampire long, were you?"

"No, not really… why?"

"Your heart is already beating again," Isabel told her with grin. "Perhaps after sleeping with him for a while, you might actually have a baby of your own?"

"…what." Sunset stared at her for a long minute, before color suddenly filled her cheeks. Without a word, she turned on her heel and ran after Tyr.

The platinum blonde watched her go, the tiniest of smiles on her face. She closed her book and reached up to touch her necklace, a bright pink gem set in a silver chain. It glowed faintly. "Everyone? He's on the move. I repeat: Carnage is on the warpath." She stood, the seven performers of Tragedy gathering around her. A wicked grin split her features, and the normally pristine skin on her face around her mouth flaked as though it was dry like solid sand. "Come, Tragedy. The real fun begins now."

–x–

Aleron braced himself against a wall, feeling the entirety of his internal organs attempting to escape from inside of him after what he had just read. Behind him was Logic, her impassive gaze fixed on him. "…Are you dying?"

"I'm sick to my freaking stomach," Aleron replied, shuddering. "…If all it takes was to _read_ the spell, I can't imagine trying to cast it…"

"Can you continue?"

"I don't need to," Aleron said, scowling. "I know what I need to do . Now all I need is Evie and the others."

"Perhaps I can…?"

The young man stood up, horn and hands lighting up. "Actually, better idea. DISCORD!"

The dragonequus appeared then, a chess piece in his claw. He looked around in confusion, eyes alighting on his reclining sister. "Wait, what? Hey! I was just about to checkmate the Smooze!"

"I didn't summon you this time," Logic replied calmly.

"…You didn't? Then who—?" He turned and found Aleron watching him. "…You did? The little crossbreed from Luna? How in the world did you manage that one?"

"I am still her son," Aleron replied coolly. "And I need your help."

"And why should I help you?"

Aleron's eyes narrowed, and the gray aura about his horn and hands twisted into a dark black and green coloration. "Because if you don't Equestria is going to _burn_. And then the Zodiac is going to march over the charred remains and KILL YOU TOO."

Discord frowned at him, reclining back in midair. "I hardly doubt they could harm me. You mortals and 'freaking' out all the time…"

"The threat is real," Logic cut in. When Discord looked around at her, she sighed. "The Zodiac have the ability to either destroy or imprison us both permanently. We cannot allow them to win."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Discord frowned. "The kid's hopped up on dark magic and he summoned me. Why?"

"Because I need the rest of the Legacy Brigade," Aleron replied. Then he shook his head. "I mean, Evie and the others. I need them here."

"That's it? You didn't think to use your fancy new magic for that?"

Aleron scowled. "I'm not using the dark magic for that. I need it for one specific thing."

"Oh?" Discord raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"Destroying the Nightmare Curse," The young man replied solemnly.

The dragonequus paused, mismatched eyes looking over the child of the Moon rapidly. "…Done." He snapped his talons.

In that instant, all the remaining members of the Legacy Brigade appeared in front of them, minus Aurora. "Wait, what!?" Vibrant blinked, looking around in shock. "How the buck did we get here?"

"Although I don't agree with your choice of words, I'm confused as well," Ancè said, blinking. Her eyes fell on Aleron, and they widened. "Al?"

"AL!" Jubilee squealed, rushing to her half-brother. She caught him in a tight hug. "I was so worried when you vanished!"

"I was too!" Cori said somewhat angrily, coming over to him with Ancè. But a soft smile broke on her face. "…I'm glad you're okay."

"Where are we?" Goldie asked, currently being slightly crushed in a bear hug by her brother. "Also, I can't breathe, Bram."

"Sorry Goldie," the bigger sibling murmured, putting her down. "Just happy to see you're safe."

"Why are we all here anyway?" Evie asked, looking between Discord and Logic. "Is… is something happening?"

"I needed you all here," Aleron said, letting go of his magical aura. He glanced up at the castle above them, no longer surrounded by the blizzard. "We have to stop Celestia."

There were a couple gasps. "Stop the Princess?" Evie asked.

"Yes," Aleron replied. "It's really her that's up in the castle. She's taken on the Nightmare Curse like my mother did so long ago."

Vibrant folded his arms imperiously. "So what, she's gone evil? Is that what you're saying?"

"…Yes."

Ancè frowned. "You know I trust you, Aleron, but are you sure?"

The male unicorn fixed her with a flat look. "I know you felt it too, Ancè. That dad was hurt."

The amateur hairstylist gasped, before shaking her head. " _That's_ what that was? I thought… I thought I was just worried about the soldiers…"

"So what are we supposed to do?" Bramley asked. "I saw momma Fluttershy pass out. We need the Elements of Harmony to fight the Nightmare thing, right?"

"They're all unconscious," Cori said with a small frown.

Aleron shook his head. "The Tree of Harmony died, you guys. Logic gave us a new seed to replant it. There's a whole new Tree of Harmony, and Elements as well. Your parents still have the rainbow magic, but there can be new Bearers of the Elements."

They all looked at him. Finally, Goldie spoke up. "You mean… us?"

"…Precisely. The six of you have been with your parents long enough to feel the Element they embodied. With all of you as the new Bearers, we can purify Celestia."

"But how do we get up there?" Jubilee asked. "Only Vibrant, Goldie, and Cori can fly."

There was a loud crash behind them, getting all their attention. When they turned to look, they found Aleksa pulling herself out of a pile of rubble. She was scuffed, cut and bruised in several places, but it hardly seemed to faze the small woman. She was already in the process of dusting herself off and fixing her hair. As the kids watched, her wounds were rapidly regenerating, the wind about her stilling and seeming to flow back into her. She turned her attention back to the castle, scratching her head. "Hm. I guess trying to _not_ kill someone is a lot harder than just killing them…"

"Grandma!" Cori exclaimed.

The elder Elemental glanced around, noticing the group across from her just then. "Hm? Oh, hey there kids. What are you all doing here?"

"Aleron called us," Bramley replied, slightly confused. "He said… wait, what happened to you?"

"Yeah!" Jubilee bounced. "It looks like you've been in a fight!"

"I _was_ in a fight," Aleksa pointed out, hopping out of the rubble and walking over to them. She stretched. "A rather good one, until I remembered I'm not supposed to kill either of them."

Aleron frowned at that. "Either? What do you mean?"

"Seems Miss Tyrant up there corrupted someone else," Aleksa said, scowling at a tear in her sleeve. "Someone she called her 'faithful student' or whatever. I think it was that Twilight Sparkle girl—ooh."

Her eyes had tracked over to see Evie staring at her open mouthed. "My mom?" Evie whispered.

"Er… yes. I don't think I hurt her too bad. I seem to remember smashing her through a wall. Or two."

"You did _WHAT!?_ "

"She's fine, she's fine!" Aleksa held up her hands. "From what I could tell, that Curse or whatever has toughened them up. Maybe. She's still alive, at least…"

Jubilee giggled and poked her friend in the side. "My grandma can beat up your mom!"

"Regardless," Aleron said, seeing Evie glare at his half-sister and wishing to get control of the conversation again, "If we purify Celestia, Miss Twilight should recover as well."

"But how do we do that?" Goldie asked. "We don't have the Elements."

"Your exposure to the previous Elements will be enough," Logic said. "Along with the magic Aleron has prepared. You will feel their pull, if you are truly chosen."

"I feel like this is a shot in the dark," Vibrant said, but before he could finish his sentence, Aleron was in his face.

"It's worth a shot," the other boy said with a low growl. "And I'm not going to waste time arguing this. Either we try it this way, or my next best option is tearing apart Celestia's _soul_. And consider the fact that I'm wholly considering that the more pragmatic option."

Vibrant blinked, but said nothing. Evie walked over and put her hand on Aleron's shoulder, gently pulling him away. "Al, calm down. We're all worried here. We don't know what we can do, because our parents haven't had the Elements in so long."

"You must make a vow," Logic pointed out, straightening up. When all eyes went to her she looked over them all in turn. "I sense the power within you. You must simply put a name, a _feeling_ to it."

"I'm confused," Jubilee pointed out.

Ancè gave her sister a comforting pat on the back. "I think she means that we have to identify with one of the Elements."

"Well, that's easy I guess," Vibrant muttered. "I'm obviously Loyalty, because of my mom."

"You can't just assume it because our parents were the Bearers before us," Evie countered with a frown. "For all we know, Bramley could be something like Generosity or Goldie could be Laughter!"

"I think Bramley is Honesty," Jubilee said softly, thoughtfully. "He told the truth when he helped that Qirin after he lost his sister."

"I only told him what he needed to hear," Bramley said softly. But no sooner had he spoken that a green light formed in front of him, rapidly transforming into a green gem in the shape of an apple. "…Huh."

Vibrant shot Evie a look. The violet haired girl rolled her eyes. "I guess Ancè is Generosity," Goldie offered softly. When everyone turned to look at her, she blushed. "S-she went out of her way to learn healing magic so she could help all the soldiers. She even gave away her scarf!"

Ancè chuckled nervously. "You saw that, Goldie? Oh, well I suppose I have learned from my mother's example…" She trailed off as a blue gem appeared before her, formed into the appearance of a coiled ribbon.

"Ooh, ooh!" Jubilee bounced up and down. "I _know_ I'm Laughter! I love fun, and helping others smile and laugh and everything!"

The others were forced to agree with her, especially since a bright pink gem in the form of a firework explosion formed pretty much in her hands. Vibrant rolled his eyes. "So what was that about not knowing which Element we get because of our parents, Evie?"

Evie scowled at him. "So we're like our parents. That's supposed to be normal."

"Yeah, if you say so. I'm Loyalty because I know what comes first—needs of the many outweigh my own wants."

The others looked at him in confusion and surprise as the white spear emblem appeared in front of him. "That's… awfully mature of you, Vibrant," Ancè pointed out.

"Well, my mom's told me stories of when she was younger," the pegasus replied with a small smile. He held up the gem, which shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow as it was exposed to the light. "I've got a good example to live up to, ya know?"

"I see…"

"So does that make Goldie Kindness?" Jubilee asked, pointing over at the shy girl.

Before anyone could say anything more to the point, Goldie reached over and took hold of Cori's hand. She took a deep breath. "I think… I think Cori and I are _both_ Kindness."

"Wait. Can it work like that?" Jubilee put this question towards Logic, who was watching the proceedings with her usual disinterest.

The lamia shrugged. "I never said it couldn't."

Aleron raised an eyebrow. "You sure do love your loopholes, don't you?"

Logic didn't reply. Instead, it was Goldie who spoke next. "I think we're both kindness because we're two different kinds of kindness—I'm sympathy, and Cori is empathy. I can imagine how someone else feels and help them feel better, but Cori shares those emotions literally." Then, she looked over at her girlfriend and smiled. "Besides… isn't kindness better shared?"

Overcome with the sensation of love coming from both herself and Goldie, Cori pulled the shorter girl to her, kissing her gently yet earnestly on the lips. The moment their lips separated, a gem appeared between them. It was in the shape of a heart with one black half and one white half, separated by a puzzle piece like indentation. The white half floated over to Cori, and the black half went to Goldie. "Well, that was cute," Jubilee said with a little giggle. The two normally shy girls both blushed.

"So that leaves Evie," Bramley said, looking over at their bespectacled friend. "You gotta be Magic, right?"

"I would assume so," Evie murmured thoughtfully. "But I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to _know_ that…"

"You always liked to learn," Aleron pointed out. "Plus, you're like, the only unicorn I ever knew to try and combine machinery with magic."

"I guess that's true…"

"Plus, we're kinda all friends because of you," Vibrant pointed out. "Your mom is friends with all of our moms, so we all had to meet eventually."

Evie frowned. "I guess. And considering what my mom always says…" She barely got to that point in her sentence when a violet light appeared in front of her, coalescing into a gear shape. "…So this is my Element, huh…?"

"That's six!" Vibrant said with a grin. Then, he glanced over at Cori and Goldie. "…Sort of."

"Then all you have to do is concentrate on purifying Celestia," Aleron said with a nod. "Although that's easier said than done."

"I can get you up there," Aleksa said, reminding them all she was still there. She grinned. "I owe that queen of yours another ice block to the head anyways."

She stared back towards the castle, the members of the Legacy Brigade following in her footsteps. Aleron made to follow, only for Logic to snare his arm with her tail. "A moment, Wolf Prince. I have a question to ask."

Aleron gave her a wary look, before nodding shortly. He didn't fully trust the Lamia, but she would only do what was in the best interest of the world at large. For the moment, they were on the same side. "Ask away."

"What would you have done if they had not found the elements?"

The young man was quiet for a long minute, before sniffing slightly and untangling his arm. "As far as I'm aware, my dad knows someone who could repair a shattered mind."

–x–

Chrys looked up as there was a commotion amongst the Crystal Guards. Shining, still seated on Luna's other side, started as well. "Is something going on?" He asked, looking to the few guards nearby.

"Prince Shining!" a guard called from the perimeter. "Someone approaches!"

"Who is it?" Shining demanded, hand going to his sword hilt. "Friend or foe?"

But it wasn't the guard who replied, but Chrys. The Changeling Queen went from curious to confused to elated all in the span of three seconds. She didn't move from Luna's side, but she did say one word. " _Master_."

The Crystal Guards parted as Tyr approached, Bright Soul and Sunset flanking him as he made a beeline straight to Luna. With his Chaos born armor and his purposeful stride, he looked like a king returning from conquest. A couple of Crystal Guards looked like they wanted to challenge his approach, but with the dark look on his face they immediately thought better of it. That look softened once he saw Chrys and Luna, becoming more relieved. "Chrissy," He breathed once he was closer. The Changeling rose to greet him, sighing in relief as he took her into his arms.

"I worried about you, Master," She murmured, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. Tyr enveloped her with his arms, holding her tightly and possessively. "When I couldn't sense your thoughts…"

Tyr smiled softly. With a tender motion, he tilted her head up to kiss her on the lips. "I worried about you too. Is Luna…?"

"She's still alive, Master," Chrys said, letting him go and looking back down at Luna.

Shining respectfully made way as Tyr moved closer to his wife, Sunset and Bright standing off to one side. The Ice Elemental knelt beside her, silver eyes searching her resting face. He leaned over and gently kissed her lips. "Time to wake up, Princess."

There was nothing for a moment. Both the Crystal Guards and the Changelings above watched in rapt attention as Tyr's eyes never left Luna, his hand still cupped about her cheek. After a moment of waiting, Luna's lips twisted into the tiniest of smiles. "…You know, I've always wanted to be woken up like that," She murmured, one cerulean eye opening slightly to regard him. "…You sure took your time."

Tyr grinned as he heard the gasps of surprise and shock from those around them as he gently helped Luna sit up. She reached out to him, his own hand coming up to meet hers and link their fingers. Tyr leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Have a little respect for the battered knight."

" _I_ almost died getting here," Luna smirked at him, reaching over to run her hand along his face. "You do not look all that 'battered' my love."

"Thank Isabel for that. She tossed me in some water while I was unconscious."

"Isabel again…?" She sighed as Tyr gently pulled her to his side. "I feel we are becoming greatly indebted to Jehu and his family…"

"Tell me about it."

Shining finally seemed to recover, his shock finally going away. "Princess, we thought you weren't going to recover!"

Luna shook her head. "I was only in a magical trance, Shining Armor. It was to help my body recover after the damage I took."

"A trance?" He blinked, before glancing over at Chrys. "Did you know?"

"I suspected," Chrys replied, smiling as Tyr reached over to pet her on the head as well. "When I touched her, I was certain."

Shining groaned. "I spent all this time worrying…"

"I am still magically drained," Luna informed him with a grimace. "Awake though I may be, I will be of very little use were we to end up in combat."

"Take one of these," Tyr said, reaching into his cloak and extracting a grey pouch. In it were a few handfuls of Tombstone Candy. "It was… a gift from Isabel."

"Tiny gravestones… Are you sure it isn't poison?"

"I had one, princess," Sunset pointed out. "Not dangerous at all."

Bright Soul raised an eyebrow. "As a vampire, can you even be hurt by poisons?"

"It would have made me sick, if anything."

Luna had already taken one of the cross shaped candies and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes snapped open wide at the taste. Adorably, she reached up to cover her mouth with a hand. "Oh my. That is quite the rush! It reminds me of the first time I ever tried coffee…"

Tyr smiled, handing one over to Chrys as well. The Changeling looked at it curiously, before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes widened sharply, and then she smiled. Tyr chuckled, returning his attention to his wife. "How are you feeling?"

"Not at full strength, but I believe I have enough in me to give my sister a piece of my mind."

"We may have to put that one on the backburner," Tyr informed her. "The Zodiac is here and they're up to their usual shenanigans."

"Oh. Wonderful." She let out a sigh and held out a hand to him. Tyr grinned, took it in his own, and kissed it. Luna smiled warmly. "Oh, you."

Tyr helped her stand, Chrys standing along with them. The Elemental glanced over at his Changeling. "You're with me, right Chrissy?"

"Heart and soul, Master," She said reverently. "I am yours to do with as you will."

"Phrasing, dear Chrysalis," Luna admonished.

"I think she said it correctly," Tyr said, he and his Changeling laughing softly. He glanced over at his vampire. She was glaring at a few of the crystal guards who were watching her with barely disguised worry. "Sunset?"

The vampire grinned, fangs shining in the light. "You know it, Wolfy."

"What about you, Bright?"

The Lunar Knight sniffed. "My loyalty is to my Princess. As you are her husband, that means I'll tolerate being given orders as long as it is for her."

Tyr at last turned his eyes to his wife, who met his silver eyes with the hint of a laugh n her blue ones. "If you have to ask, then you obviously do not know me as well as you think."

Tyr chuckled. "Got me there. Shiny, why haven't you gone to help my daughter yet?"

"We've been held back by those Zodiac soldiers," Shining pointed out. "We've really only managed to secure this area."

"Chrissy? What about the Changelings above us?"

Chrys looked up, noting the swarm still perched waiting. "They'll follow my orders. And by that, I mean yours."

He smiled at that, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Good girl. Then let's get ready. We'll open a path."

"What?" Shining blinked.

"Fenrir?"

The Wolf Spirit appeared, a smirk on her features. "Yes, Blood-brother?"

Tyr grinned savagely. "Ready for a fight?"

Fenrir's smirk grew sinister. "Oh _yes_."

"Come on then!" Tyr said, drawing Fimbulvinter. "Let's not keep our guests waiting too long."

Luna nodded, her magical aura flaring to life. "A fair decision, my Beloved."

As they began heading in the direction of the sounds of battle, Sunset moved up next to Bright Soul. "Gonna be able to keep up, miss Knight?"

Bright Soul snorted, summoning her lance. "I can certainly outdo a vampire with only one arm."

Sunset grinned at that. Before she could reply however, something heavy stomped out from around the corner. A massive knight with a ram like helmet approached them. "I seem to have found the one I was looking for," Taurus rumbled.

"Oh, you again?" Tyr frowned. "I'm not an easy fight this time around."

"I assumed as much. That's why I brought back up."

Two more knights appeared, one wielding a wicked looking scythe and the other with a spear. A platoon of Zodiac soldiers marched behind them. "Oh, that's quite a few," Chrys murmured.

Tyr made to reply, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was a small floating eye-like object, glowing faintly violet. "Hello? Can you hear me, Sir Tyr?" A faintly distorted voice came out of it.

"Er… yes. Who is it?" He asked.

"Oh! That's right we never met properly—I'm Ruby, Contractor to the spirit of Dominion. I went to school with your daughter."

"Wait, you did?"

"Yes! But anyways, I'm running as mission control for this Festival, and I thought it prudent I put an Eye on you so that I can warn you."

"…Festival?" Sunset asked.

"I'd explain, but we don't have time. I was told to inform you: 'Danger Close'."

Luna blinked. "What does that mean?"

They were answered a moment later by loud and excited laughter from above. A heartbeat later and a blazing star smashed into Taurus, smashing him straight down into the ground. "Hello again!" The burning form of Passion Striate emerged from the dust, grappling with the larger Zodiac knight.

"Not you again!" Taurus groaned, fighting to throw her off. He thrashed about, but Passion was having the time of her life. All that could be heard was her laughter as she rode the raging bull into a building and out of sight.

The other Zodiac Knights shared a quick look. "If she's here, then that means…."

" _AGONY!_ " A black mass tore itself away from one of the walls and shot towards them. The scythe wielding knight started in shock, right before he was riddled with gunfire from the shadowy mass. The shadow formed into a roughly female figure, the girl's pale face framed by long midnight black hair. Green eyes gave away the glee she was feeling. "You really need to react faster, Aries."

"Every time, you shoot me!" The wounded knight groaned.

His companion sighed. "You think you'd expect it by now."

The shadow girl looked over at Tyr. "Get going, Tyr. We're here to help."

Tyr nodded. "Thanks Ana. Come on, I owe Leo another death."

With the added assistance coming from Ana and Passion, Tyr led the others and the Crystal Guards on a mostly straight path. Occasionally Ruby would call out for them to change course, either due to Passion engaging another Zodiac Knight with explosive force, or because of massive balls of light were landing on formations of Zodiac soldiers to clear them out. "Who's launching those?" Bright Soul asked, spearing a still living Zodiac warrior as they passed through a recent strike zone. She glanced over at Tyr, who blinked at her. "One of your 'friends', I assume?"

Tyr chuckled. "Isabel and I are friends, after all…"

Ana, lurking along the shadows of the nearby buildings, made a noise halfway between a snort and a laugh. "More than friends. Passion and I like Tyr, but those two went on more missions together than us."

"Oh really?" Luna gave her husband a curious smile with just a hint of something dangerous in it. However she hardly had time to question him before Chrys suddenly bumped up against her. "C-Chrys? What is it?"

"Stop that," The Changeling said. "Tyr and Isabel were close, but not in that way. She is happily married with a child of her own, after all."

"What? How do you know that?"

Ruby's Eye bobbed about, fixing on the two. "Ah, a mental connection? How curious! I never detected that while Mr. Tyr was still working in the Library. Is it new?"

Tyr chuckled, pulling Luna to his side. "Reforged, more like it. And Isabel is simply a close friend, Moon. Like a sister."

Luna glanced up at him, eyes searching his face. After a second, she let out a sigh. "I apologize, my love. I suppose it is my nature to be somewhat… _protective_ of you."

"Let me and Chrissy handle the protectiveness," Sunset said, sidling up on Tyr's other side. She grinned widely. "I think we're best suited to that."

"And what would I do?" The Princess of Dreams retorted, narrowing her eyes at the vampire. "Surely you're not suggesting I simply stay back and be protected."

"Certainly not." To the surprise of them all, it was Bright Soul who fielded the question. "Isn't it the place of the Queen to stand by her King?"

Luna stared at her knight for a long moment, her face rapidly turning red. Then, she let out a nervous laugh and gripped Tyr's free hand. "O-Of course! I knew that! Where else would I be?"

Ruby's Eye narrowed. "…She's bad."

"About as bad as my mom," Ana grumbled. "At least she's gotten better about it."

Tyr simply chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Luna."

She glanced up at him, squeezing his arm against her chest. "…And I love you, Tyr."

"Let's go get our kids."

"Yes, let's!"

With each street corner the group rounded they could hear the sounds of a pitched battle being fought up ahead. "We grow ever closer," Chrys murmured.

"Then we should be ready for a fight," Sunset said, flexing her one remaining arm.

"Bout damn time," Both Tyr and Fenrir growled. Luna glanced up at her husband, noting the slight violet tinge to his silver gaze. The two wolves at her side were raring to fight, and she couldn't find it in her to hold them back. She wanted her kids back, and wanted to make sure the rest of her herd were alright. The thought made her start almost as soon as she had it. She was worried about the others? And not just in a friendly way—if any of them were hurt, there would be hell to pay.

The next corner they rounded led them straight into the thick of things. The remainder of the allied forces were fighting in a tight cordon in front of Canterlot Castle, the singular banner of Wolfhome flying above the defenders. Aurora stood amongst them all, blade in one hand and the banner of Wolfhome planted right beside her, like a marker to point out where she was. She fought like a wolf herself, roaring with rage as she struck down Zodiac soldiers almost twice her size. Even as they watched, she grabbed a Zodiac warrior and slammed her head right into the bigger fighter's helmet and caved it in like cardboard. Accord was at her side, stone weaving about like water to deflect and redirect attacks directed at the young princess. Ursa, Wulfen and Ponykind fought side by side against the armored tide of the Zodiac. Amongst them were Charlie's resurrected soldiers, gold light blazing from their eyes as they shrugged off mortal wounds to continue fighting. Their line was holding, but it wouldn't for long. Tyr took all this in at a glance. Then with deliberate slowness, he craned his neck back and began to howl.

There was confusion on both sides, at least until the Wulfen took up the cry. Sherry, near the middle of the formation with a personal retinue of Stonekin to guard her, looked up at the sound, a split between shock and relief on her features. She almost dropped her Vorpal Blade as she gasped loudly. "Dad!?"

"Daddy made it!" Aurora cried. Then, she grinned savagely and turned to the soldiers around her, the banner held as high as she could. "Come on! Don't let him howl louder than us! LET'S GO!"

With a rallying cry, the allied army redoubled their forward momentum. With a snarl of fury, Tyr tore into the backs of the Zodiac that were foolishly facing the wrong way. Fimbulvinter was proof against Zodiac armor, tearing into it like paper. Fenrir howled alongside him, frost axes sending blood into the air as she hacked through her own targets. The two aspects of Carnage carved a bloody swath wider than two people should be allowed to with rapturous glee written on every feature.

The Crystal Ponies followed in his wake, their hardened weapons and crystalline skin proving just as tough as metal armor. The Changelings appeared in the air, descending upon the Zodiac like a swarm of hissing and chittering locusts. Beside the Wolf Lord charged the four women that were technically his retinue and Shining. Luna's very presence on the battlefield inspired the Equestrians, and her magic tossed away any Zodiac that got close. Any that passed her were subjected to a trio of trained killers. Chrys's claws, Sunset's fangs, and Bright's lance were unerring in their ability to kill. Over the sound of metal hitting metal, Tyr's voice roared. "LEO!"

The commander of the Zodiac forces turned slightly, regarding the approach of the Wolf Lord. Sunset chuckled. "I think he heard you."

Tyr grinned savagely, holding up his free hand. "Good. _Escalate Engagement_. _Crusade_."

Magical sigils appeared behind each of the members of his group, and they could feel energy filling them and strengthening them. Chrys let out a sigh that sounded too much like a happy moan. Sunset looked at her in slight amazement. "You get off even to that!?"

Chrys looked her way, smiling warmly with a dreamy look in her eyes. "You tell me that feeling Master's energy filling you is not a pleasing sensation."

"…I can't find it in me to hate you for being right."

"I know what you can find in you~!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Girls," Tyr murmured softly, suddenly calm. Both the vampire and Changeling paused and looked his way. "Later."

"Yes Master," Both replied at the same time. Then they paused, shared a quick look, and then Sunset looked away embarrassed. Chrys simply grinned.

Sunset sighed. "…Damn it."

Leo gestured in Tyr's direction. His two companions leapt to his defense, one with a bright blue bow made of energy and the other with a pair of linked swords. "Clear the way," Luna ordered, hands lighting up with magic. "I'd like for my husband to get the chance at killing that man."

"Gladly," Sunset said, while Chrys and Bright Soul simply nodded and jumped ahead. Before any of the three could advance, the archer loosed a blinding array of magical bolts into the reinforcement army. "Oh, blood!"

"I've got this," Bright Soul said briskly, stalking forward. She flung one arm out wide, magic illuminating her form. A huge array of runes appeared in the air, intercepting the magical attacks. "I'm actually really confident when it comes to defense."

"Well played!" The archer remarked, relaxing slightly. "I am Sagittarius of the Zodiac! May I have your name?"

"Bright Soul, Knight to the Princess of the Moon," Bright remarked, the hint of a smile at her lips. "Is that all you Zodiac Knights have to offer?"

"Cocky. Perhaps I'll put the next one between your eyes."

Bright Soul glanced back. "Tyr. Take Princess Luna and end this. I'll cover you."

"Likewise!" Sunset stepped forward to flank the knight. Her red eyes looked over at the other swordsman. "Although there is that one…"

"Mine," Ana hissed, sliding forward. At least a dozen or so guns poked out from her shadowy body. Her voice raised in a roar. " _Phaeton_!"

The Zodiac Knight paused, before reaching up to remove her helmet. When she removed it, it revealed a rather handsome looking young vampire with bright red eyes and long brown hair. "…It's Capricorn now, Anastasia."

"Someone you know?" Tyr asked, eyeing his friend warily. He'd never seen Ana angry, considering Agony, her Chaos Spirit, suppressed only the strongest emotions the girl felt. Now, the dark haired girl was _livid_.

"She killed my ex-boyfriend," Ana snarled.

"Oh."

"That's horrible," Luna remarked.

"You misunderstand," Capricorn remarked impassively. " _She_ wanted to kill him."

"…Oh."

Capricorn glanced over at Leo. "Will you be fine? She wants to kill me."

"And he wants to kill me," Leo said, gesturing to Tyr. "I suppose Chaos Mages will be nothing if not predictable in wanting to kill us."

"Mm."

Luna's eye twitched. "Beloved, I don't think he remembers—we have personal reasons to want him dead, don't we?"

"I just want his helmet," Fenrir snarled. "As a TROPHY!"

Tyr grinned. "Moon, support the rest of the army. I'm going after Leo."

"I'm helping _you_ , my beloved," Luna pointed out, magic gathering in her hands. "Shining and the others should be fine without us."

"Fair. Here we come, Leo!" Tyr and Luna charged together into the fray. Luna's magic wiped out a huge swathe of cloned soldiers, clearing the way for Tyr to charge Leo.

The archer drew once more, only for Bright Soul to intercept her shot. "Tch! You again?"

"Don't forget about me," Bright warned, cocking her arm back before throwing her spear like a javelin. The distance was great enough for the archer to simply dodge, but Bright simply grinned. "Or my partner!"

"Hello there," Grace said, appearing behind the knight and catching Bright's spear. The medic dashed forward, stabbing the archer in the side before being pushed away. "You've made plenty of work for me today! Only fair I get to tell you in person!"

Sagittarius grunted, holding an arm to his wound. Then a soft green glow enveloped him, and his wound began to heal. Cancer arrived, an ornate shield held on one arm and the glow of a healing spell in the other. "Thank you, Cancer."

"Of course," the Zodiac Medic replied. Her helmeted head turned to Grace. "…Hellflower."

Grace inclined her head slightly, tossing the spear back to Bright. "Cancer. I suppose I need to earn my nickname, hm?"

"We have our orders," Cancer replied, stopping beside Sagittarius. "Do not hold it against me."

"Just doing our jobs, huh…" The redhead nodded simply, before sighing. With a deliberate motion, she reached up and removed her glasses, placing them in a case before slipping them into a pocket. Her magic flared to life, over a hundred needles flying out and arraying themselves behind her. She glared up at the Zodiac Knights. "Best we not disappoint, hm?"

Meanwhile, Tyr and Luna were making steady progress towards Leo. The two were in perfect sync, covering each other's openings yet never moving more than a few paces apart. It was beautiful in a way, before one saw them both fix their gaze on Leo. There was no mistaking the intent behind it—they were going to kill him. The Zodiac leader sighed, replacing his helmet. "Then I will meet you," He murmured, looking up just in time Tyr leaping over his soldiers, blade held high. Leo drew his own weapon and blocked the attack, but he buckled slightly under the impact. "I'm surprised you made it here," Leo replied somewhat calmly, maintaining the blade lock. He glanced past, seeing a pillar of ice nearby where Luna stood with her arms folded. "I was certain Taurus and the others would hold you."

"You're not the only one with reinforcements," Tyr growled. The battle around them had slowed to a stop as the essential leaders of the two factions squared off. "I've got plenty of friends who just so happen to dislike you just as much as I do."

"Your wife among that number?"

Luna's glare only strengthened. "You tried to kill me. And you're doing it again! Plus, my kids!"

"I'm fine mom!" Aurora pointed out, in the middle of pulling the Wolfhome banner out of a dead clone soldier. She grimaced, only for Sherry and Capstone to come over and help her. "Thanks."

"We're fine, mom, dad," Sherry said, waving to them.

"So they say," Leo said.

Tyr's scowl deepened. "So. They. Say."

Luna spoke up suddenly. "Beloved?" She called softly.

"Yes, my queen?" Tyr asked, not moving away from Leo.

"Kill him, please."

"…Gladly. Fenrir!"

Fenrir suddenly appeared over Tyr's shoulder, twin axes raised to strike. Leo simply frowned. "…Obedience. If you please."

A massive armored knight appeared and caught Fenrir's blow on its shield, knocking the berserker back. Fenrir snarled, only for a bolt of dark blue magic to strike the knight from above. Luna's hands were aglow, readying more magic for another attack. Tyr and Leo shared one last glare before pushing apart. "His Spirit at last," Fenrir murmured, eyes a blazing violet.

"A boring looking thing," Luna said, leaping off the pillar to land beside Tyr.

"I have no need of flashy appearances," Leo remarked, straightening up. The armored knight transformed back into the familiar marble lion.

Tyr scoffed. "I see. Now since I know you've been aching for a chance at me, let's settle this."

Leo inclined his helmeted head slightly. "Very well then, Chaos Mage. I have to admit—our last fight left me with a sour taste in my mouth."

"Funny, I wasn't aware blood tasted sour."

"…Are all Chaos Mages so mouthy in the heat of battle?"

"Probably because I'm the Spirit of Carnage. My blood is flowing."

They both readied themselves back into ready stances. A space had opened up for them, giving the duelists a wide area in which to fight. Leo tilted his head slightly. "Then I suppose we'll end this then."

Tyr grinned, switched Fimbulvinter to a one handed grip, and summoned his frost sword. "Yeah, we will."

–x–


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 70: Cursebreaker

"Hey, hey, guess who's back again!" Aleksa called, leading the Legacy Brigade into the throne room of Canterlot Castle. At the far end, Queen Sol and Midnight Sparkle winced at the sound of her voice. The Elemental grinned at the reaction. "Aw, don't tell me you missed me!"

"She's back," Midnight muttered, holding her arm. She had taken the worst of the fighting with Aleksa, and it showed. She was injured extensively, and it looked like her arm was mostly useless. Queen Sol on the other hand was barely scuffed up. "…And she's healed."

"I'm hard to kill," Aleksa pointed out with a giggle. Her grin turned savage. "Plus, you little girls hardly even scratched me. Not even a bit of dismemberment! I mean, come on, try harder! My husband got an arm off me the last time we sparred!"

"I… see," The Solar Regent muttered. Then her eyes fell on the children. "And like the pied piper, she comes leading the young."

"They wanted to come along," Aleksa said with a shrug. Her smile became darker. "Maybe they wanted front row seats to the one sided ass-kicking?"

Evie moved from behind her, eyes wide. "Mom… what happened to you?"

"Evening Star!" Midnight looked pleased to see her daughter. "I was hoping you were alright. Come here sweetie, come to your mother."

Evie blinked, before shaking her head. "No mom… you… what have you done to yourself…?"

"What? I was given a blessing from my teacher. I'm a lot stronger now than I was before. I can teach you all kinds of magic that I couldn't before!"

"I don't want that!" Evie cried, catching them all off guard. She stared at her mother with sadness in her eyes. "…The Twilight Sparkle I know would never resort to this shoddy way of getting power!"

Midnight winced at that, but Queen Sol stood. "If you've come to try and convince us that we are wrong, you have come for nothing."

"We've come to stop you," Aleron said, moving up beside Evie. He stood as straight as he could. "And destroy the curse."

"Destroy the curse?" The newly named queen of Equestria laughed. "And how do you plan to manage that?"

Aleron's eyes blazed with magic. "By striking at its core. Everyone—now's the time!"

Evie stepped up with the others, determination on their features. "We stand here in place of our mothers," She said firmly. Her own eyes glowed. "Get ready!"

Queen Sol's eyes widened slightly. "That magic… they mean to use…! Midnight, stop them!"

The former Element of Magic blinked, and turned to face the seven children. But before she could act, a hammer of ice smashed into her from the side and sent her sprawling across the room. Aleksa grinned, lifting the formed weapon to her shoulder. "You just sit there quietly why don't ya? Let the kids put on their little show?"

Queen Sol scowled. "You continue to stand in our way…!"

The Ice Elemental scoffed. "You kidding? I'm a glacier, dear. If it wasn't for the fact I'm not supposed to kill you, I'd have crushed you like a _bug_."

Cold air stormed forth from the diminutive woman, an oppressive level of power radiating off her form. Even Queen Sol took a step back, noting the dark glint of barely contained bloodlust in Aleksa's silver eyes. Despite the levity she had just displayed, Aleksa was still very much pissed off. "You're… you can't possibly be this strong… How are you _this strong_!?"

"I'm a living blizzard, sweetheart," Aleksa giggled, levitating a foot off the floor. "I am nature given form and dare I say, I'm terrifyingly beautiful."

"You don't have a reason to—!"

Aleksa's eyes snapped to narrow slits, the cold surge ceasing like an ocean going still after a storm. "I told you already. You. Hurt. MY. SON. Ain't nothing in this world more terrifying than a pissed off mother," She hissed, and then she vanished.

"What the…?"

Aleksa reappeared behind her, hammer already brought back in preparation to swing. "Don't stand there slack jawed too long," She whispered, but there was none of the normal teasing tone in it as the hammer swung round to drive Queen Sol from her throne and to the floor. The blazing regent summoned a shield to block the brunt of the blow, but the force was still enough to knock her to the ground. Aleksa pursued her, Queen Sol summoning rings of fire to fight back. The Elemental simply grinned, hefting her hammer as she advanced on the obviously intimidated Alicorn. The floor froze over with each step, even cracking slightly through the sheer power Aleksa was radiating. Her hammer dispersed the rings of flame with a single swing, before she suddenly teleported forward and smashed the ice hammer into Sol's chin and knocked her into the far wall. "Hope you can regrow teeth, _kerling_!"

"It's time, everyone!" Evie called out, the newly chosen Elements of Harmony gathered around her. She spared the fighting Queen Sol one gaze as she vainly tried to hold back Aleksa. To the young Element of Magic, it was more like they were trying to protect the corrupted Celestia more than anyone else—left to her own devices, Aleksa would no doubt kill the former Princess of the Sun with ease and then dance on her corpse for laughs. She turned back to meet the eyes of her friends. "Stand together!"

"I'd be letting my parents down if I backed off now," Vibrant pointed out with a grin, his Element glowing in front of him. "And Vibrant Spark doesn't back down from anyone!"

Ancè stepped forward as well, her Element shining. "We owe it to all those fighting outside. We have to give our all!"

"And then make everyone smile super big!" Jubilee added, bouncing up beside her sister. "No more of all of this fighting!"

"So we'll work together to stop this," Bramley said, joining them. He nodded. "…I'm ready."

"And so are we," Goldie said, voice wavering just the tiniest bit as she and Cori stood with the others. She blushed, and slightly hid her face. "…Are we?"

Cori gave her a comforting back rub. "Of course we are."

Evie nodded. She glanced over to where Aleksa literally choke-slammed Queen Sol into the tiles. The corrupted regent fought to rise, only for the furious living storm to smash her face back into the floor. The daughter of the Element of Magic winced slightly. "Then, we—!" She was cut off by a bright light wrapping around her, lifting her partway into the air. The others were lifted up as well, colored light wrapping around them each. Evie's eyes lit up with white light as the other Elements connected to her.

Queen Sol broke free of Aleksa for a moment, seeing the coruscating power about the children. Her eyes went wide. "They… they actually…!"

Then, her face was back into the floor, this time the hammer putting her there. Aleksa growled darkly. "I _said_ stay down, didn't I? I think—Oh, I knocked out a tooth!"

"It's happening," Aleron said, pulling out the grimoire. It was trembling, the metal bindings rattling. Despite the situation happening around him, he felt a sinister grin touch at his lips. "You feel it, huh? You know I'm about to kill you. I didn't think spirits could feel fear!"

Queen Sol struggled to rise, only for Aleksa to leap on top of her and smash her back into the ground and pin her. "Release me!"

Aleksa grinned. "Nah, I kinda want to see how this plays out. Let her rip, kids!"

"Do it, Evie!" Aleron called.

It wasn't like she was able to reply, but the glow about the seven kids rapidly grew in intensity before it burst in a beam of pure light that engulfed the struggling Queen and the rather amused Aleksa. The former let out a cry of pain as the light hit her, darkness shearing off of her as though it was being torn off her like diseased skin. Aleksa looked uncomfortable herself, although she had her teeth clenched as she kept Sol in place. The light grew even more blinding, and then after a moment more it finally died out and faded away. When it was finally over, the two women were lying on the ground, sizzling from the intense magical pressure. Celestia was returned to her former self, curled up on her side and coughing up what looked to be black mist. Aleksa was on her back and laughing while hiccupping. "Holy hell! That felt weird!"

"Are you okay, grandmother?" Ancè asked breathlessly, she and the other seven new Elements of Harmony slowly recovering from the expulsion of magic.

"I'm good!" Aleksa said with another hiccup. "…I feel like I have a buzz."

Ancè turned an exasperated look back towards her sisters, who both shrugged. "She's fine," Cori said.

"My turn," Aleron growled, opening the book. The mist that had come out of Celestia's body had pooled together in a cloud of mist above her. It looked like it was trying to flee, but the pages of the black grimoire began to rapidly turn, magic soaked pages calling back to its creation. The mist shot towards it, a soul tearing screech coming from it as it was sucked back into the book. Aleron held the book open by force until all of the mist had been absorbed. The book attempted to escape, but he gripped it tightly and kept it close. Black tendrils lashed at him, trying to break free of his hold. "No, not when I'm this close! STAY DOWN!"

He slammed the book on the ground, his magic flaring to life to bind it down momentarily. With his free hand, he quickly scattered the six gems Logic had given him around it. They took on the six colors of the elements, and a cage made of rainbow light formed to hold the book in place. Aleron gritted his teeth and turned slightly to the side, holding out his hands. His magic flowed off of him like a river, forming a sort of window. He gritted his teeth. "Come on, Ro…"

Back with the main army, Aurora suddenly perked up, her horn lighting up slightly. "Al," She muttered, turning aside. Sherry glanced her way, confused.

"Aurora? Is something going on?"

" **Open, gateway** ," Aurora intoned, holding up her hands. " **Show me my blood, my kin**."

Sherry opened her mouth to speak, but she was left gaping as a window of magic opening in front of the younger girl, giving them a view of Aleron, standing in a mirror position to his sister. He was looking at his twin with a look of awe. "It worked," The young man whispered.

"I'd never let you down," Aurora replied with a grin. She stepped forward, lacing her fingers together with his. "What do you need?"

Aleron winced, the book below him latching on a tendril to the window. He stomped it down. "I need to borrow your magic. I don't have enough for what I need to do."

"You only have to ask," his sister pointed out with a shake of her head. She squeezed his hands. "Go for it. I'm always here."

He nodded slowly, before closing his eyes. " **Oh bond of night, bond of day, I ask of you, give me the power I need to banish the darkness! Form by my words—our bond—and give me a blade to pierce its heart!** "

Sherry watched in horror as Aurora's magic began streaming off of her, funneling into her brother. The young Alicorn slumped slightly, but she never let go of her brother's hands, not did her face ever change from its determined set. The transfer kept going, until Aleron released his sister's hands in order to collect the magic in front of him. The moment their hands lost contact, Aurora fell to her knees with a little sigh. Aleron turned back to the book. With a singular purpose in mind, he formed the raw magic into the simplest shape he could imagine—a dagger. Black and green mixed with the gray and violet, becoming a wicked looking weapon that dripped foul energy straight upwards. He gave his collapsed sister one look. "…Thank you, Aurora."

"I'd never deny you anything," Aurora breathed, smiling warmly. " _Now kill that damn book!_ "

Aleron turned, finding the possessed book attempting to crawl away. He smirked. "I wonder… I wonder how the concept of death even seems to you…"

He grabbed the book with his free hand, snatching up the magic blade with his other. It kept fighting him, but it wasn't able to do anything trapped in the place of its birth, and it's eventual prison. "This is for my mother, and my aunt," He hissed. "So never infect another mind **ever again**! _**Rend Reality!**_ "

The magic blade came down, piercing through the book from cover to cover and tearing a mind shattering screech from the very fabric of reality. That same screech tore through the air, but this time it was more pained than anything. Aleron kept pushing, the blade searing through each page as though he was pushing it through a piece of wood. With each page the magic weapon burned his palm. Soon, Aleron felt the blade punch through the back cover. The book shuddered, and then went still. With it went the magic dagger, fizzing away into nothingness, a soft, disappointed sigh on the air before silence. The young man stayed knelt over it for a long minute, panting heavily from the exertion, when he felt a small pressure on his leg. He looked over to see Aurora reaching through their window to touch him. "…Is it dead?" She asked softly.

Aleron looked at her for a long moment, before smiling and taking her hand. "…Yeah. It's dead."

The Alicorn girl smiled and let out a long sigh. "…Bout damn time." She whispered, as Aleron's side of the window filled with light.

–x–

The death of the Nightmare Curse was felt all across the city, a shiver running down the spine of all those sentient, and bringing pause to all the fighters. "What in the frozen hells was that?" Fenrir asked, looking up. Across from her, the armored figure of Obedience likewise turned to look at the castle.

"The Nightmare Curse…" Luna said, eyes wide. "It… I can no longer sense it?"

"Then that means the Princess…?" Sunset began, but before she could continue there was a loud crash from the side. Taurus slammed to the ground, Passion tumbling off his back as he landed.

"Ouch!" The fire haired girl said, dusting off her butt. "That happened."

More elegantly dressed Zodiac Knights arrived, along with Isabel and Anastasia. The Chaos Mages joined Tyr, the former looking rather amused, although that was more of a deduction on Tyr's part—the platinum blonde was wearing a featureless white mask that only revealed her eyes. "So it seems we're just in time," She said.

Ana was still mostly all shadow, the only thing not part of the black mass being her head. Her eyes were still tracking Capricorn, "…You haven't killed him yet?" She asked softly, eyes going to where Leo was being joined by the majority of his compatriots. She made eye contact with a few of them, grinning with her shark-like teeth in their direction.

"Not for lack of trying," Tyr said, glancing at a gash in his arm. Isabel noticed it, and with a small cluck of her tongue went over to begin healing him. "Thanks."

"Of course."

"…And the mask?"

"My 'face' cracked a bit. Unless you want to explain my Form to your family…?"

"Rather not, _Princesa de la Muerte_."

Isabel giggled softly. "Oh, you flatterer."

There was a tension on the battlefield as the new arrivals added themselves to the battle lines. A least on the Order side—Passion was getting scolded by her sisters for playing around too much, while Bright Soul and grace were staring at Isabel's mask in confusion. Leo and his knights stood on one side of the battlefield, their army of mindless warriors behind them. On the other was Tyr, standing with the three Striate daughters, and his own family members at his side. Behind him the full might of the remaining Allied army waited on his command. Tyr locked eyes with Leo, and grinned. "Well, now that we don't have to worry about getting stabbed in the back…"

"So you still intend to fight?" Leo asked.

Tyr glanced behind him. Not a single member of his own household or those in the army even looked ready to surrender. He smiled, and turned back to the leader of the Zodiac. "As long as you're still here? Of _course_."

"You cannot hope to win."

The Wolf Lord let out a soft sigh. "… _Escalate Engagement: End Times._ " A massive silver shield appeared overhead, centered on Tyr. All around him, silver wisps of power radiated off of every soldier and fighter on his side. The man himself rested his blade point first on the ground, his wife, vampire, and Changeling joining him. "The fact you've died once and I haven't speaks volumes on how this is going to play out."

"You'll never have this world," Luna said, shaking her head. "It won't just be us. No one will give in to you. Every last living thing in this world will resist you every step of the way."

Sunset nodded. "We'll be martyrs, ya know? The first to stand in your way. And judging by the way your side looks, we've bloodied not just your nose, but knocked out some teeth too."

"And when all is said and done," Chrys murmured, eyes sharp and focused. "We will take _everything_ from you and leave you with _nothing_."

Leo looked around, noting the grim faces on Tyr and his allies. The Stonekin had rallied even more behind their Lord, the Vanguard already taking up positions near him. The Ursa were bloodied but unbroken, stoic giants ready for war. Wulfen let out low growls and the occasional low howl as they primed themselves for further bloodshed. The Qirin were also ready to continue, storm clouds beginning to grow overhead. He let out a soft sigh. "Then we have no choice. Warriors, prepare—"

" **This has gone on far enough**!"

Before any of the warriors could move or begin to fight again, there was a burst of bright blue light from between both armies. Every non clone covered their eyes, and when they looked back, a vision of magnificence stood before them. Harmony, glowing with a bright blue aura, stood in between the two armies, a tall crystal staff in one hand and a look of irritation on her face. Her long blue hair flowed out like water behind her, and she was clad in a flowing cloak that was bright blue and white. "Auntie!" Isabel remarked in surprise.

"Lady Harmony?" Tyr breathed, feeling the oppressive weight of a Caretaker's magic wash over him. It seemed to be affecting everyone present, as they couldn't bring themselves to act while she held sway over them all. Even the Stonekin seemed perturbed by the ancient magic, unused to the feel of otherworldly power affecting them. Harmony's blue eyes came around to land on Tyr, a gentle smile touching at her lips for a split second.

"I'm sorry for being late," She whispered, before her firmness returned and she swept her gaze across the opposing armies. Her voice raised and full of authority, she spoke. "There is no more reason for this conflict. The Nightmare Curse as you know it has been slain by Tyr's oldest son, Aleron Dusk."

"Only son," Tyr said with a sigh.

Harmony smirked, but quickly schooled her features once again. She fixed Leo with a glare. "Your reason for 'pacifying' this plane is gone, Leo."

The Zodiac Knight seemed to tense at that. "…And your verdict?"

"The obvious choice," Harmony nearly hissed, slamming the butt of her staff on the ground. Cracks of blue light emerged, giving off an ethereal glow. The Caretaker's eyes glowed an unearthly blue as her voice took on a dual tone. "As Caretaker of Time and my birthright as Caretaker of Balance, I am enacting Pax Aeternum. There will be no more conflict on this plane for twenty four hours!"

Magic radiated from her staff. The top of it lit up like a small star, before releasing a pulse that flowed over all present. None there would know, but the effects of the Planar Spell would be felt all over: Dragons suddenly stopped fighting over treasure, the Griffons had a productive council session without any threats being given, and even the creatures in the Everfree quit hunting one another. To a man, the Zodiac lowered their weapons. The allied army all stood down as well, the calming flow of magic from the crystal staff taking effect immediately along with Tyr's glyph vanishing. "…Wow, that's actually… I feel weird." Sunset muttered, shaking her head.

"So…" Chrys was very quiet, like a docile cat. "No more fighting?"

"No more fighting," Harmony said.

"Under pain of death," A soft voice said from above them. They looked up to see Genesis and Terminus sitting in one of the windows, the latter leaned forward with a massive scythe laid over one shoulder. It glittered with pure silver, esoteric runes etched into the metal. Her pale eyes narrowed. "And a death from me will be permanent."

Genesis smiled brightly. "So be good~!"

Leo turned to Harmony. "…If this is how it must be… I invoke the Right of Guidance."

Harmony's eye twitched. "You're testing the limits of my patience, Leo. And that is actually rather difficult."

Sunset edged closer to Tyr so she could whisper in his ear. "Right of Guidance? Should we know what that is?"

"Nope," Jehu said, appearing on her other side. The vampiress froze on the spot, head snapping to look at the Arbiter of Chaos. The dark skinned mage grinned at her. "Hi there."

Tyr jumped as Sunset screamed, a rather girly noise that he wasn't used to hearing from her. She latched to him in shock. "Where the hell did _you_ come from?"

"Somewhere," Jehu said, grin growing. "Seems you got another one, Tyr. Is she house trained?"

"Hey!"

"She still bites," Tyr replied with a smile, wrapping an arm around his vampire. Sunset pouted, glaring at Jehu. "Don't antagonize him, Sunny."

Sunset sighed. "I don't like it when a vampire sneaks up on me."

Jehu laughed, walking past them. "Sounds like my wife."

"Where is Mercy, Jehu?" Harmony asked, turning to the new arrival. "I'm not used to her not being your…"

She trailed off as Jehu's shadow elongated and raised up from the ground, forming a beautiful woman with the same features as Anastasia. Except her eyes were brighter and the there was a sort of burning quality to them. "I'm always here, Harmony." She said with a smile.

The Mistress of Time smiled. "I forgot you could do that."

"The Right of Guidance is a rule we placed in order to keep our 'battles' to a minimum," Jehu informed them all, he and Mercy walking over to stand near Harmony. He sent a grin Leo's way as the two women shared a short hug in greeting. "Leo here wants the right to 'guide' this world the way he thinks he should."

"And I would be justified," Leo snarled, stomping over. He yanked off his helmet, letting his blonde hair flow out. "You and your other Chaos Mages are a blight to worlds like this one. I would be doing these people a favor by keeping you out."

"And your way is better?" Jehu replied with a frown.

Mercy sniffed. "You march legions of soldiers into an world you don't even know in order to 'cleanse the taint'. You use a native issue as your reason for invading. And you call us the bad guys."

Jehu nodded. "You still think you're in the right when _all three Caretakers_ don't agree with your methods?"

"I actually rather liked this city," Terminus pointed out, hand tightening on her scythe.

Genesis nodded. "There's a lot of history here!"

Leo scowled. "This is what is left behind after Chaos is in play. We have only tried to fix this wrongness."

"What about us?" Sherry demanded, coming over. "We fixed it without your help! Aurora and Aleron worked together to fix it!"

"Plus, you're obviously not welcome," Ana hissed. "You're full of crap."

Jehu held up a hand. "Now, now, Anastasia. Leo's allowed to be full of crap. It's not our place to judge."

"Full of crap, full of crap~!" Passion sang.

Harmony giggled before she could stop herself. Genesis was laughing loudly, and even Terminus had a little smirk. The allied army was full of chuckles. Leo scowled. "Moving. On. I'm invoking the Right of Guidance. This world should be governed by the Zodiac."

"What a joke," Jehu said with a sigh. He folded his arms. "Then I challenge your right. If anything, the Library should watch over this world."

Luna, beside Tyr, looked incensed. "Are…. Are they bidding on our world?"

"Anyone is allowed to throw their lot in when the Right of Guidance is invoked," Isabel pointed out.

"I see," Tyr said. He frowned, and then began walking forward.

"Dad?" Sherry murmured. "What are you doing?"

Tyr didn't respond, instead waiting until he was part of the little group in between the armies. The three in front of him watched his approach, Jehu with amusement, Harmony with curiosity, and Leo with barely disguised frustration. The Ice Elemental stopped once he was in front of them. "Anyone can throw their lot in, huh?"

"If we're being literal, only someone with a Contract," Harmony pointed out. She blinked, and then smiled playfully.

"So I qualify then." Fenrir appeared on his shoulder, a feral grin on her face as Tyr nodded to himself. "Good. I'm throwing my lot in. I'm invoking the Right."

Jehu blinked. Harmony chuckled. Leo gaped. "W-What?"

"I knew you'd say that," Harmony said with a laugh.

"I should have," Jehu said with a roll of his eyes.

Leo's face was flat. "Then I challenge you, Tyr Winter. A one on one fight to the death. Whoever wins keeps their bid for the Right."

Jehu held up a hand. "The Pax is still in effect, if you might have forgotten."

"I have not forgotten," Leo said, eyes narrowed. He glared at Tyr. The Chaos Mage of Carnage simply grinned back, feral desire to kill burning in his argent eyes.

Harmony cleared her throat. "Then we will have to have a day of rest. Tyr has been fighting all day, and is obviously not at his best. Fighting him in this state would not be fair, now would it?"

Leo frowned at that, but the gears were turning. After a moment, he scoffed and turned away. "…Very well. I cannot do anything now regardless. We will allow you your one day of rest. Then, our duel will decide what will happen to this world." With that, the Zodiac Knight turned on his heel and strode away. He walked back over to his other knights, doing a mental count. "…We're missing…Two?"

"You need to up your training regimen," Ana grinned, fangs covered in blood. One of her hands emerged from the blackness that was her body, holding out the severed head of Capricorn. The dead knight's final grimace was preserved in grisly fashion for all to see. "I'll be looking forward to killing her again, Leo. I still have room on my shelf."

For once, Leo actually winced. He coughed and turned away, waiting on the black haired girl to absorb the head and hand into the blackness. Ana's sisters both giggled, her mother let out a sigh and roll of her eyes, while Jehu simply looked proud. Leo cleared his throat loudly. "…And Aries?"

"Over here," a voice called. All eyes turned to see Ace coming, the Solar Knight covered in wounds and blood, dragging the body of a Zodiac Knight who was also heavily wounded. He walked to the Zodiac lines and dropped off the body. "…He's not dead, by the way."

"He sure looks like it," Taurus murmured.

The wounded Knight sat up then, groaning as he did so. "I'm not dead," He grunted.

Cancer sighed. "Very close, from what I see."

"Worth it."

Ace was already over to the Equestrian lines. Grace met him part way, eyes wide. "Ace, you're almost dead on your feet!"

The wounded berserker grinned. "Almost being the operative word."

With that, he fell over, unconscious before he hit the ground. Grace groaned. "Moon _damn_ it. Why do I bother even saving your life if you're so eager to throw it away?" She muttered, kneeling beside him and beginning to heal the fallen Knight.

"Because he's like a brother to you," Sherry pointed out.

"…Am I allowed to tell a Princess to shut up?"

Luna smiled. "Nope."

"…Oh well."

Jehu turned to Tyr. "Better prepare yourself, dude. After you're done with him, you deal with me. You're a third party this time, remember?"

"I'm well aware," Tyr said softly, fixing the other Chaos Mage with a fierce look. "This world doesn't need you watching over it either."

"Fair enough." The other man grinned. "Girls? Let's get going."

"Nice seeing you again," Ana said, walking past Tyr. She paused a step past him, casting her smoldering green gaze back at him. "Try not to die tomorrow?"

Isabel rolled her eyes as she followed, gently ushering her younger sister on. "He'll be fine. Rest well, Tyr."

"And always have fun!" Passion added, chasing after her sisters.

Tyr watched them go, feeling a smile on his face despite himself. "So you champion us once again," Luna murmured, moving back to his side. Almost automatically, she slipped her hand into his.

"Can't we just rush him or something?" Sunset asked.

Chrys shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. As it was before, none of us are a match for that Leo person. Only Master could stand a fair chance."

"I feel like I could," Luna countered, frowning. Then she returned her attention to the retreating figure of Jehu. "But him… That Jehu Striate… He is impossibly dangerous. He snuck up on all of us without a single soul noticing. I don't think any of us could fight him."

"Never on even terms," Tyr said softly. "And if he's fighting to win, we'd never have a chance."

"So… what do we do?" Sherry asked.

Tyr was quiet. There were a number of things that could happen. He'd kill Leo, and end up fighting an unwinnable fight against Jehu. Or the other Chaos Mage might decide to give him the win on a whim. Any number of things could happen, and they wouldn't know until the next day. With that in mind, Tyr turned around. He walked past his wife, his vampire and his Changeling, past his adoptive daughter, and into the milling allied soldiers. All eyes followed him as he walked straight to the still prone Aurora. He knelt by her side and put a hand on her back. "…How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Drained," the young Alicorn murmured, turning her head to look at him. There was a smile on her face. "Al did it, daddy. We saved Princess Celestia."

"Good girl." He grinned. "Wanna go congratulate him?"

"Yes!"

He chuckled, picking her up and cradling her in his arms. Tyr glanced over at all the others. There were a number of amused smiles at the sight of the wolf carrying his victorious cub. "Well, let's pack it up, everyone. The castle is ours, so let's regroup and lick our wounds."

–x–


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 71: A Calm before the Storm

Optimism was one thing, but the reality was another thing. Tyr arrived back at Canterlot castle to find the Allied army in slight disarray. Sherry's rather hasty retreat had managed to get the two army groups to merge once again, but that had the unintended effect of upsetting the command structure. Half of the army was looking for Tyr, Luna or Twilight to give them orders, while the other half was waiting for Sherry. Not to mention about two thirds of the 'dead' soldiers were now Dust charged and treating Charlie like some kind of risen goddess. Tyr considered the Pax a blessing—he wasn't sure how hard it would have been to actually reorganize his troops to fight the Zodiac. This way they had time to recover. Or at least figure out how the hell they got here.

"Are we going to the castle first?" Aurora asked, clinging to his sleeve.

Tyr glanced down at his daughter. She was battered and exhausted, but there was a triumphant look on his daughter's face. With a little smile, he gently patted her head and ruffled her hair. He was proud of his little cub, but he wasn't going to tell her that. At least not yet. He'd save that for a time when she could truly appreciate it. "Yeah. We need to check on your brother and all the others."

"They're okay. I know they're okay."

"I know they are too, sweetie."

"We're still a bit on the back foot," Luna pointed out, walking beside her husband. "And to challenge Leo to a one on one duel… are you sure about that, Beloved?"

Sunset sniffed. "Wolfy can take him. That Leo dude is full of himself—he didn't even consider challenging the other guy!"

"I don't think you can blame him," Chrys pointed out. "You were next to Jehu. No doubt you sensed his power."

The vampiress opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it quickly. After a moment of thought, she spoke. "I didn't even sense or smell him… And then with him that close and whatever he's hiding behind that grin of his…"

"Jehu is dangerous, that much is true," came Harmony's sagely voice. The small group turned to see the Blue Overseer and her sisters approaching. She smiled at Sunset reassuringly. "But he's mostly harmless unless he sees a reason to be angry. And my brother is hardly angry."

Luna frowned. "I do not believe we have properly met."

Harmony smiled warmly. "Ah, I see. I apologize for that. My name is Harmony Michal Nightingale, otherwise known as the Blue Overseer and the Keeper of Time. I'm technically your husband's patron."

"Patron?" Luna blinked at that, before directing her gaze to Tyr. He shrugged, and held up his hand with the blue hourglass mark. "…How did I miss that?"

"It's rather hard to spot sometimes," Harmony said with a giggle.

Terminus cleared her throat. "Lady of the Moon, I am known as Terminus, the Keeper of Endings. My other titles are the Singer of the End and the Gray Lady. I am Sir Vanna's patron."

"It's Miss now, Lady Gray," Vanna said, landing beside Tyr. She sighed and adjusted her shirt collar. "And this shirt I picked out is tight… Or maybe I ate too much today…?"

"…I assume you fell afoul of a magic item?"

"Mirror. Belongs to this world, believe it or not."

"Hm… Unfortunately, I cannot change you back. Perhaps try the mirror again?"

Vanna stretched, letting out a little growl as her muscles popped. "Planning on it. Maybe. I don't know. I kinda enjoy being a girl."

"You do seem a lot more… comfortable."

"Mm."

Genesis giggled. "Anyways, I'm Genesis. A.K.A the Verdant Lady and Lady of the Flowers. I'm a Patron too, but my representative isn't present at the moment. Pleasure!"

"So you three are… Caretakers?" Luna said, trying out the word. "What exactly is that?"

The three sisters looked at one another. Then, Harmony seemed to take responsibility for speaking. "We watch over the Multiverse and keep the normal flow of reality moving in the proper fashion. Genesis watches over the birth of new worlds and guides their early development, I keep watch over the worlds to maintain their stability, and Terminus conducts the final rites for a plane and watches over their end."

"And sings a very beautiful song to herald it," Vanna added with a little smile. Terminus blushed ever so slightly. It was obvious that she was very unused to praise.

"Told you people would appreciate it," Genesis teased her little sister, who only blushed all the more.

Harmony rolled her eyes. Turning her attention to Tyr, she put her hands on her hips. "Are you sure you want to duel Leo? He still has years of experience on you."

Tyr nodded. "I fought him on almost even terms before. And I've had plenty of training and experience of my own with Jehu and his family. And on top of that… I'm fighting for something other than my own pride."

Luna took hold of his hand, the others gathering close around him. Harmony looked about at them for a minute, before smiling warmly. "You're blessed then. I'll be praying for your victory tomorrow."

"Likewise," Terminus said.

"Hold a moment," Genesis said, walking past her sisters to stand before Tyr and his group. She leaned over, bending her massive frame over to look at Sunset's missing arm. The vampire unconsciously shied away, tugging at her clothes in a vain attempt to hide the injury. "…You lost your arm?"

Sunset reached over to tug at her sleeve, obviously self-conscious about the injury. "…I took a hit for Tyr," She mumbled, blushing just a tiny bit. "It's no big deal."

Genesis shook her head. "I can fix it for you, if you want."

That got looks of surprise from everyone present. "You can?" Sunset asked, somewhat hopefully.

The giant woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I touch the roiling energies of the immaterial to craft the essence and lifeblood of worlds. Every passing day I bring new life into the multiverse by simply breathing. I think replacing your arm would be rather easy."

Terminus sniffed. "No need to show off, sister."

"Whatever. Now, do you want it to match or what?"

Sunset blinked. "Match?"

Harmony coughed. "Genny…"

Genesis sighed. "Fine, fine… hold still."

Eyes watched in mute fascination as Genesis clapped her hands together, green lines lighting up and running along her skin. She reached out and veins of magic slithered from her hand to the stump of Sunset's arm. The vampire grunted in shock, wincing as tendrils of living magic flowed out from the wound into the shape of a new limb. Genesis's practiced fingers shaped, tugged and straightened out the magic with the grace of a painter. Everyone gaped at the display of skill, and especially so when the Caretaker of Beginnings finished and stepped back. Sunset's eyes widened as she lifted up her new arm, perfect in every aspect. "…Holy crap."

The gentle green giant grinned and put her hands on her hips. "See? Like you never even lost it, huh?"

"Whoa… thank you! Thank you so much!"

Genesis beamed. Harmony cleared her throat. "Anyways, now that my oldest sister is done showing off, you all have business to deal with. Make sure you are fully prepared, Tyr."

Tyr nodded, and with that the three Caretakers left for some other business they apparently had. Vanna moved up beside her friend, eyeing the Elemental curiously. "You made friends with a Caretaker?"

"Apparently," Tyr replied, feeling Sunset grabbing his arm with her newly created one. He smiled. "Happy to have your arm back?"

"It's almost like I didn't lose it," Sunset remarked, still looking at it. "I can… I can _feel_ it…"

"Well, that's the power of a Caretaker," Vanna remarked. She folded her arms. "At least, Lady Genesis does that."

Tyr made to remark at that, but suddenly his best friend let out a very unladylike burp. Everyone, especially the dragoness, looked shocked. "Er…?" Chrys blinked several times, not sure how to poke fun at that.

"…Shoddy armor materials," Vanna said, covering her mouth with a hand and blushing. "The Zodiac uses very _shoddy armor materials_."

Sunset made a disgusted face. "You… you _ate_ them?"

"I was hungry, they're the enemy, and—ya know what? I don't have to defend myself! You drank their blood, didn't you?

"Well, yeah, but that's different!"

"Different? How is that… you know what, I'm gonna go—Gracie! I'm gonna go bother her!"

The medic in question was passing by, a tired look on her face. She didn't even look Vanna's way as she searched for a secluded spot to rest. "If your breath smells _anything_ like Zodiac, you're not kissing me."

"Oh come on…!"

Luna frowned slightly, but shook her head. There was plenty of time to enjoy such a silly occurrence at another time, but there were more pressing matters at hand. As Vanna chased after her exhausted girlfriend, she turned to her husband. "As it stands… let us hurry to the castle. I need to see my sister."

"And I want to see Al!" Aurora huffed.

Tyr rolled his eyes, but began leading his little group towards the castle. Sherry and her retainers were off on their own somewhere, no doubt still a bit nervous to be around Sherry's parents considering their new relationship. He'd talk to his daughter soon, but he had other plans at the moment. Number one was seeing just what had happened in the castle. When he and his group approached the front gate to the keep, he found one rather bored Wulfen and a few Ursa standing guard. "Noelle?" He called out, recognizing the all white wolf.

She looked up at the sound of his voice, relief on her face. "Oh, Alpha… we heard your howl, but we were not sure…"

"I'm fine, at least a lot better than I was before," Tyr remarked. "Why are you out here?"

"I…" Noelle sighed. "We were unable to enter the castle after your mother engaged the Princess. So we stood guard and waited."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "But why you?"

Noelle looked a little confused, but then she frowned. "I thought it would be best if I was here."

"If you say so. We're heading in."

She nodded, looking over at the Ursa who went about pushing open the gate. Tyr nodded to them both as he headed on inside. The inside of the castle was a mess, the bodies of Changelings still scattered about the halls. The soldiers of the Allied army were doing their best to clear it out, but it was slow going. "You sure had your work cut out for you," Luna remarked, looking around.

"There was a few times Twi and I weren't sure we'd make it," Sunset pointed out thoughtfully. "We thought we'd get overwhelmed."

They kept going, finding more and more bodies as they went. It was a short walk to the throne room, and they entered into a rather odd scene. Celestia was knelt in the middle of the hall, hands pressed to her face while the six new Elements of Harmony stood and sat around her attempting to comfort the distraught Princess of the Sun. All except Evie, however, who was with her still recovering mother. Aleksa was standing at a window, watching the sky with an introspective look on her face. Aleron was close by, still seated beside the dead grimoire. "Al!" Aurora cried, shakily running to her brother.

He looked up just in time for his sister to half-fall half-stumble into him, knocking him flat to the floor as she expressed her relief at seeing him. Luna and Tyr followed behind, smiles on their faces as their children reunited. "Okay, so I'm happy to see you too," Al said, patting his sister's back.

"You better be!" Aurora pushed off of him, although she kept him pinned to the floor. "You're lucky I'm your twin and I can read you like a book. Otherwise, I would have never known you wanted the Window spell!"

"Window Spell?" Chrys asked.

"It's a spell Aurora asked me to teach her a long time ago," Al said, frowning slightly. Then, he smirked and darted upwards to kiss her forehead. The shock was enough to catch Aurora off guard so he could sit up. It showed how drained she was that her brother could easily knock her over with a little shove. "It essentially opens a space between two points and compresses everything so it's like we're a few inches apart."

Aurora nodded. "Yeah, I wanted a way to get Al if there was ever any trouble. And it worked!"

Aleron chuckled. "Yeah, thank goodness for that."

"Snowflake!" Tyr blinked and turned right into his mother's hug, spluttering a bit as her hair got into his face. "You're okay! Well, mostly, anyways."

Tyr blinked. "Er, yeah. You were worried?"

The smaller woman let him go, hands going to her hips as she glared at him. She was floating, evening out their height difference so she could glare right into his face. With one defiant finger she jabbed him in the chest. "You are my _only_ son, Tyr. A son I haven't gotten to really love and care for going on thirty five years. Not a long time by Elemental standards, but long by mom standards! I thought for a second that woman had killed you!"

"It should have been obvious I wasn't dead," Tyr admonished, folding his arms. "You can sense me, can't you?"

"Course I can. You're _my_ baby."

Tyr opened his mouth to retort, but his eyes met his mother's. There was genuine love and worry in them, and it gave him pause. He sighed softly, smiling and nodding his head. With a sort of reluctance he hugged her. "Okay mom."

Meanwhile, Luna had gone over to her sister, somewhat tentatively. The kids parted slightly to let her get closer. "Tia…? Are you… are you yourself again?"

Celestia tensed up at her sister's voice, lowering her hands to look up in her direction. Most of her injuries were slowly healing, but she still looked more worse for wear after her fight with Aleksa. That didn't stop her eyes from widening at Luna's appearance. "L-Lulu…? Oh, thank the stars!" She lunged up, embracing her sister tightly. "I feared… I feared I had killed you…!"

Luna blinked in surprise, before gently wrapping her arms around her sister. "Tia… I am well. Your attack only hurt me physically, and I was able to recover. I am fine now."

"But to attack you in such a manner, for no reason but my own misguided paranoia…"

"You seem rather injured. What happened?"

"I happened!" Aleksa called out happily, still hugging her son. She grinned back at Celestia. "Seems you _can_ grow back teeth, sunspot."

Celestia shivered, both from the cold she still felt and from fear. Luna looked at her mother-in-law in a new light—very few people could terrify her sister, and the grinning Ice Elemental looked hardly hurt. "She's scary," Celestia whispered, almost sounding like a child.

"…Yes, she is."

Celestia swallowed heavily, averting her gaze from the smiling Elemental. "I just… _really_ don't want to make her upset enough to hurt me…"

Luna swallowed. "I am well of the same belief…" Who knows what Aleksa would do to her if she somehow hurt Tyr in some way?

"I don't think I'd survive."

"…That is very unsettling."

Celestia let out a soft sigh. "Regardless… how can you forgive me after what I did?"

"I did very much the same," Luna told her, kneeling down beside her. She gently cupped her sister's face with one hand. "You remember? I had the foolish thought that you hoped to get rid of me."

Celestia shook her head. "You know I have nothing but love for you, sister. I would never want to get rid of you."

Luna smiled, nodding to herself. "And that is why I forgive you for what you did while under the influence of that curse. You were not in your right mind—you thought we were acting to kill you. But we know why you acted as you did. And we all forgive you."

"She's right, Tia," Tyr said, coming over. "I admit, seeing you attack Luna was a bit much for me, but I know you weren't in complete control. We're not upset."

"I was, a little," Aleksa pointed out from beside her son. She shrugged. "And I _was_ acting to kill you. Mostly."

" _Mom._ "

"What~! I'm being truthful!"

Tyr sighed and turned back to his sister in law. "My mom regardless, we're not upset with you, Tia."

"Plus, we saved you!" Jubilee said brightly, beaming. "Just like how our moms saved Auntie Luna!"

"It was kinda cool," Vibrant admitted, shrugging. "I could do without all the rainbows, though."

Ancè huffed. "Really? You say that now?"

"What?"

Bramley chuckled. "Look at your hair, Vi."

Ancè pulled out a handheld mirror and held it out to the young man. He held it up, and then jumped up. One lock of his hair was a series of multiple colors, every one of the rainbow. "…Oh, come on!"

The kids laughed at his indignation, even Celestia smiling gently at their mirth. "Now you seem closer to your mother, young Vibrant Spark."

Vibrant blinked, and then a blush spread across his cheeks. He tossed the mirror back to Ancè, turning away before anyone could really see. "…Whatever. I guess it's not that bad."

"Speaking of our mothers," Ancè remarked, looking over to her father. "Where are they?"

"Down in the camp," Chrys pointed out. "Perhaps they may have recovered by now?"

"Recovered?" Twilight spoke for the first time since they arrived. She was back to normal, although she was still obviously shaken from the experience. "What… what happened to them?"

"Upon your own Element being forcibly separated from you, they were forced to suffer the same," Logic pointed out, reminding them all that she was still present. The Lamia was curled up upon herself, reclining lazily as she and Discord played some horrifying amalgamation of 3D chess, checkers and backgammon that made your eyes hurt just by looking at it. "The shock no doubt was more than they could handle, and knocked them unconscious."

"Oh no…!"

"They are still very much alive," Luna pointed out. "Simply incapacitated for now."

Celestia stood shakily, leaning on her sister for support. "You… you should go to them, children. Your parents need you now."

Logic nodded. "No doubt coming into contact with the new Elements will restore them."

"Or make them realize just how old they're getting," Discord chuckled, only to receive a tail slap to the back of the head. "…Ow. How long is your tail?"

Logic regarded her brother impassively. She blinked once, slowly. "Long enough."

"Well, there's hope yet," Aleksa said dryly, turning to the younger generation. "Better run along, kids."

"Come on!" Jubilee hopped up. "Let's go find our moms!"

Tyr and the other adults watched as the kids hurried out, off to go find their parents and hopefully wake them up. Celestia glanced over at him, a bit of pain in her eyes. "Tyr… I have to ask…"

"I forgive you," Tyr told her, pulling Cori to him and gently messing with her hair. She giggled softly and turned to hug him. He smiled. "There was no permanent damage, and you weren't really yourself. We're not completely out of the woods yet, so we need you."

"I don't know if I can…"

Luna gripped her sister's arms. "Tia. You cannot let this moment define you. What you do now will change how you get past this. You—do you hear music?"

Everyone paused and went silent, ears perking up to listen. Sure enough, the sound of a female voice could be heard faintly. And now that they were listening more intently, they could hear several other voices singing along. "Is that… is that Heart Song?" Luna remarked.

"It is," Celestia whispered, listening to the song. It was both sad and joyful, as if it was a dirge for a fallen and an uplifting one for the living. Just hearing it seemed to lift the room's spirits. Celestia herself smiled softly, before bowing her head. "…If only I could have truly been your mother…"

"Tia?" Luna touched her sister's shoulder softly.

"It is nothing, dear sister. Simply wishing for things I cannot have."

"…I see."

Celestia hugged Luna tightly, before looking to Tyr. "If I may…?"

Tyr chuckled and shook his head. "I understand. I'll let you two enjoy each other's company."

Luna smiled warmly. "Thank you, Beloved. I will see you later?"

"You know it."

"I must leave you as well, Master," Chrys said, obviously disappointed. When Tyr looked over at her in confusion, she sighed. "The swarm must be organized. I wish I could stay with you, but I suppose I must lead now."

Tyr frowned ever so slightly, cupping his Changeling's face in his hands. She looked at him expectantly, nothing but trust in her bright green eyes. Power was something she had craved and strove for before meeting him, and now getting that sort of control back… "…You're always mine, right?"

She blinked once, before a warm and loving smile graced her features. One of her slender hands came up to rest on his chest. Unbeknownst to everyone present, that simple touch conveyed a thousand ways to say the same words she spoke aloud. "Heart and soul, Master. Now and forever."

Tyr kept his gaze steady before relaxing slightly. With a grateful smile, he leaned over to kiss her forehead and then her lips. "Good. Now get my Changelings in order."

Chrys giggled. "Your wish is my command, my Master."

"You two…" Twilight muttered with a shake of her head. "I never know what to think of how you two act."

"Like a loving Master and his ever loyal pet," Chrys responded with a quizzical tilt of her head. "What else did you expect?"

"…Shut up."

Tyr rolled his eyes and let go of Chrys. He gave Cori one last little peck before turning to Sunset. "You got something on your mind, Sunny?"

The vampiress was staring at him, eyes snapping to his at his voice. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Actually, could we, um…"

The Elemental raised an eyebrow, but a moment's thought made it obvious what she wanted. He smiled a little and nodded. "That's fine. Mom, are you…?"

"Grandkids," Aleksa said, already seated on the floor with Aleron and Aurora. The female half of the Winter twins was currently worrying over her brother, who was suffering the lighthearted admonishments and rebukes with a smile on his face. Aleksa grinned at her son. "I'll fawn over you when all this Zodiac business is done with."

Tyr grinned, taking hold of Sunset's hand. "I'll hold you to that. Come on, Sunny."

With the vampire in tow, Tyr went back out into the camp, finding a somewhat secluded space near the castle itself. Many of the Wulfen and Ursa greeted them as they passed, with a few Stonekin coming over to express their happiness at his return. "You're well liked," Sunset said.

"I try to be generally nice to everyone I meet," Tyr pointed out with a shrug.

"Suppose that's why everyone puts such faith in you."

"And why I keep getting women to fall in love with me."

Sunset giggled. "Well, you did willingly give a starving vampire your blood without much of a reason to. You gave a dying Changeling your love and a home. You saved and protected a girl in an abusive relationship. You helped two other women have children they wouldn't otherwise have. You showed a lonely Princess what it meant to fall in love. If anything, you do it to yourself."

Tyr shrugged. "I guess I just see those who need love and give it to them."

"Speaking of giving things…" Sunset bit her lip, her eyes dark and her fangs even more prominent than usual. "The craving… is getting a bit worse."

"You didn't get any while we fought the Zodiac?"

"I did, but… your blood just tastes better."

Tyr gave her a confused look, but rolled up his sleeve anyway. "Well, I guess I'll take it as a compliment. Don't drink too much, I never got around to making any more of those potions—"

He had barely finished his sentence before Sunset nearly fell into his chest, arms hooking around his neck. With just a tad bit more force than expected, she bit into the side of his neck. Caught off guard and experiencing a sensation he had never experienced before, Tyr simply wrapped his arms around her, unintentionally drawing her close like a lover. She drank deeply and long, suckling gently at his neck. Growling softly, Tyr gripped her tightly, aura of cold flowing into her. She shivered and let go, gasping slightly as she released him. Before Tyr could say anything, she shot back forward, clamping her lips against his with a burning need. It wasn't until there was a quiet gasp from behind Sunset that they finally broke apart. "Oh my," Trixie muttered, eyes wide and face red.

Beside the illusionist was Carver, an amused look on her pale face. "My apologies for interrupting, Lord Tyr. But Miss Trixie wished to see you."

"Ah."

"…Are you well, my Lord?" The smirk grew. "You don't require any help?"

"I'm fine," Tyr said, holding onto Sunset. "Thank you Carver."

The Shaper nodded once before turning on her heel and going on her way. Trixie tentatively came forward, a bit of fear on her face. "Tyr…? Are you… are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tyr replied evenly, growling slightly as Sunset attempted to pull away. "My vampire here doesn't know how to restrain herself."

"I just wanted your blood," Sunset replied, almost plaintively. Her eyes widened, and she hid her face in her hands. "Oh god, I think… I might just be addicted…"

Tyr's eyes narrowed sharply, and he moved one hand up grip Sunset's chin. He wrenched her head around to face him. "Don't take more than I offer, Sunset. You wanted into my herd, and that means you're mine and follow my rules. I'll let you drink from me like that, but on my terms. I don't want to have to hurt you to get you to stop."

Sunset glanced away slightly, a slightly ashamed look on her face. "…Right."

"Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

"You are mine. I will not let you degenerate into a Feral that is simply addicted to blood. Understand?"

"Yes sir," She repeated, sheepishly.

Tyr nodded to himself, letting her go. Much to his surprise, she simply backed off a step, nominally falling back into his shadow but still close to him. With Sunset sufficiently tame for the moment, Tyr turned to Trixie. She was staring at him with a mixture of respect, shock and just a tiny dash of fear. Realizing his slightly rough reminder to Sunset about her place probably stirred up bad memories in the newest member of the herd. Endeavoring to soften his voice, Tyr cleared his throat. "Something up, Trixie?"

Trixie jumped slightly, not expecting to be spoken to. Her cheeks flushed—despite herself, Tyr saw (or at least sensed) she was oddly enough turned on. "H-Huh? Oh, I simply… I simply wished to see you… I heard you were hurt."

"I'm fine now," Tyr said, smiling gently. "Now that Sunset's done gnawing at my neck."

"I wasn't gnawing!" Sunset protested weakly. He shot her a sidelong look as if to say 'really?' and she went quiet again.

"Um… you're not upset with her?" Trixie asked, no doubt confused.

Tyr raised an eyebrow before glancing over at Sunset. "I'm a little upset, but she's going to get better about controlling her urges. You are, aren't you Sunny?"

Sunset blushed and nodded. "Right, yeah. I'm going to get better about it."

"Good. Actually… You mind letting me and Trixie be alone for a bit?"

"Hm? Uh, sure. I want to see you before tomorrow, though!"

As the vampire left, Trixie moved up beside Tyr. "Is… is there something you wanted?"

"I haven't spent any time with you," Tyr pointed out to her. He held out a hand to her, and she (hesitantly of course) laced her own fingers with his. "Where have you been this whole time?"

"I have been helping the civilians," Trixie informed him. She gave him a small smile. "Being able to hide escapees has come in handy."

Tyr smiled. "That's good. You weren't in any danger?"

"Well, we almost ran into a bunch of Changelings once, but they suddenly left us alone. Did Queen Cocoon die?"

"She did. Chrys is the leader of the Changelings in Canterlot now."

She raised an eyebrow. "That means you're in charge of the Changelings now, correct?"

Tyr chuckled—she was right. "I suppose so."

"I see. "And this other army…?"

"I'm going to be dueling Leo, the leader of the Zodiac tomorrow. That's essentially deciding the outcome of this whole battle."

She stared at him in shock, eyes wide. "That's… that's a lot of pressure, isn't it?"

"I'm the only one that can," Tyr told her softly. "No one else can fight against him, at least anyone who has our desires in mind."

"I… I see. You'll… you'll win, won't you?"

Tyr gave her a grin and pulled her close. "Yeah, I will. No worries."

Trixie smiled back. "I trust you, Tyr. If that much was not obvious."

"Yeah, I'm starting to get the idea. Can't say I'm not enjoying the attention."

"HONEY~!" Both Tyr and Trixie turned to see a very happy Pinkie skipping up towards them. Behind her came Rarity, Ancè and Jubilee. The former was smiling gently as she watched Pinkie fling herself into Tyr as usual.

Tyr chuckled and hugged his hyperactive lover. "I'm happy to see you awake, Sunshine. Have a nice nap?"

"No, I didn't!" She pouted. "I had a nightmare!"

"A nightmare?"

"I believe we all did," Rarity said, finally reaching them. "I saw… I saw light engulfing the world. As I watched, it overtook the last bit of darkness."

Trixie blinked. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Rarity shook her head. "…I don't know why, but… I was horrified."

"There is beauty in darkness as there is in light," Tyr said sagely. "The lack of one highlights the faults of the other."

"White light is considered the presence of all colors," Trixie said suddenly, getting all their attention. "But white as a color is considered the absence of all colors. So without one we can't have the other."

Rarity was quiet for a long minute. Then, she sighed softly. "I wish you well in your duel tomorrow, darling. I… I have faith in your victory."

Tyr blinked. "You heard?"

"We told them, father," Ancè said, standing beside her mother. She tugged at an errant lock of her hair. "…Sorry."

"Ah, it's no big deal," Tyr said, reaching out to pat her head. "Everyone was going to find out eventually."

"And yet you don't seem worried," Pinkie accused, narrowing her eyes at him. One finger poked at his chest. "You could die, mister, and leave six widows behind!"

"You know good and well that won't happen," Tyr replied with a grin. "No one's killing me as long as I have all of you to come back to. I'm going to win."

Pinkie's frown gave way to a massive grin, and she hugged him tightly again. "Better remember you said that, mister! I'll be really mad otherwise!"

"All of us will be," Rarity agreed. She gave him a bright smile. "So win for us, okay?"

Tyr smiled back. "Of course."

"Nice to see you're so well loved," came Vanna's amused comment, coming by with his daughter. Charlie was still aglow, although she seemed a little upset. Behind the two dragonesses came a pair of Dust-infused Ursa, golden lines prominent through their fur. "Getting in your last few hugs and kisses?"

"Aw, feeling left out?" Tyr shot back with a smirk.

Vanna's smile grew. "Glad to see you smile in the face of danger, bro. We were worried you'd be more… nervous."

"I wasn't," Charlie said with a sniff. "I just want to make sure his armor is up to snuff."

"That's how it is," the elder dragoness said with a shrug. "So, wanna come with us to the armory? Unless you've got to love your women some more."

"We planned to spend some time with our children," Rarity pointed out with a roll of her eyes. She glanced Tyr's way and gave him a little smile. "Our valiant knight will no doubt be victorious tomorrow, and we will have as much time with him as we please then."

"Yeah!" Pinkie said happily. "And first things first—all six of us need our man to make us happy!"

"And we want to actually play with our dad!" Jubilee complained, climbing up her father's back. "So stop having to save the world and stuff so you can play with us!"

Tyr couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay, I get the point. I'll stop being instrumental in the machinations of the world after this whole thing and go back to being just a Lord who has a very insistent family."

"Just a lord, he says," Rarity scoffed. "I'm just waiting on the day our little girls start getting suitors…"

"Don't remind me," Tyr said ruefully. "I'm still getting over Sherry having not just one but _two_ lovers."

"Like father like daughter," Vanna said, laughing. "Now come on. We've got preparations to do. We wanna make sure the Wolf Lord gets his trophy, right?"

–x–

"Seems the fallen Princess is still in fear; wary that she has lost the trust of those she holds dear."

Celestia and Luna jumped at the voice, both turning to see Zecora approaching them. On her shoulder was Anansi, the Chaos Spirit clinging on like he normally did. Luna seemed surprised. "Zecora? What are you doing here?"

The shaman shook her head. "I sought to give my aid in this conflict; hoping to lessen the damage the Zodiac would inflict. Alas I only served to protect a few—many enemies are immune to the things I brew."

"The fact that you came to help is appreciated," Luna remarked, before she frowned slightly. "What… what is that on your shoulder, if you don't mind me asking?"

Zecora turned her head slightly. Anansi let out his chittering laugh. "I'm a Chaos Spirit, my dear Princess of the Moon. You are in the presence of the infamous Anansi, Spirit of Mischief. The pleasure is all mine."

"Another Chaos Spirit?" Celestia murmured. "So many seem to crop up…"

Anansi giggled again. "Oh no, Princess. I have been Contracted to Zecora for some time now—even before your student met my Contractor."

"I have spent many a year in Anansi's company as yet," Zecora agreed. "And many more to come, I should bet."

Celestia frowned. "I… I see."

"We are your allies yet, Princess," Anansi said. "In fact, we were the ones responsible for the safety of your 'Elements of Harmony'."

Luna blinked. "You saved Rarity and Pinkie? Then… I must thank you both."

"It was not an act that needs thanks," Zecora said, pulling up her hood. "I simply wished to prevent confusion in your ranks."

With that, the mysterious herbalist turned and went about her business, vanishing into the growing crowd of soldiers and others that were filtering into the castle. Luna and Celestia watched her disappear in silence, before the latter let out a heavy sigh. "Fallen Princess… is that how they all see me now?"

"Sister…" Luna gently grasped her sister's hands. "Don't start down that path. One mistake does not ruin your entire legacy. At least you do not have to somehow catch up with a thousand years of progress."

Celestia looked at her with a surprised look, but then laughed quietly to herself. "You know… I suppose you're right. And I'll have you, Sherry and Hope by my side."

"Of course!"

"Leaving someone out?" Both women turned to see Solstice climbing in from the window, a cherry red-head on the ledge outside with him. He grinned. "Hello, 'Sunrise'."

Celestia gasped. "Solstice! I thought… I was afraid something had happened to you…!"

He dropped inside, barely managing to straighten up before the tall woman rushed to him and embraced him tightly. "Er… I missed you too?" He managed to mutter while being crushed in her chest. His hands moved about erratically for a moment as though he couldn't decide what to do with them, before he finally let them wrap around the taller woman's waist.

"Sister?" Luna blinked. "Who is… who is this?"

The Solar Princess froze, turning her head slightly to look at her sister. The dark haired woman was staring back at her, a frown on her face. "Oh… Lulu. I had… er… in my haste…"

"Who is that man, sister? And who is that that was with him?"

"Yule Tide," Yule said with a small wave from the window. "I run a holiday shop in the city. Oh, and I'm a friend of Solly's."

"…Solly?"

"That would be me," Solstice said nervously. "Hello, Princess Luna."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "I'm still not getting the answer I'm looking for."

"He's my boyfriend," Celestia offered, letting him go. "We… er… started dating a while back."

"And you never told me? Why not!" Luna frowned. "I introduced you to Tyr not too long after we met!"

"Well, that was when we didn't have an entire nation looking at us!" She winced immediately, noting the fact that most of the hall was looking their way now. Several eyebrows were already shot up into hairlines.

Luna shook her head. "You should not have hidden it, sister. How is it fair to him?"

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it quickly. She glanced over at Solstice, who gave her a nervous smile. She sighed. "I… You are right. He has had such patience with me, and I have not repaid it…"

"Considering this idiot gets to rut the Princess, I think you don't have to do much in that regard," Yule said with a shrug as she sat down on the window sill.

Celestia flushed, and Solstice looked quite embarrassed. Luna blinked. "Wait. You two have slept together?" She asked, looking between her sister and her boyfriend.

Solstice scratched at his neck. "Well… er… yeah…"

"…Oh."

Celestia seemed frantic for a moment. "It was… well…good?"

"Thank goodness for that, at least," Solstice muttered. Yule chuckled from her spot in the window. "I was afraid I was inadequate."

"Far from it!" Celestia asserted, giving him an earnest look. "I have not had such a durable lover in many years!"

The former thief gaped. Luna choked back a loud laugh that only served to draw more attention. Yule coughed. Loudly. "Okay. That's my cue to leave. I'm not sticking around to hear about your sex life. Have fun with your royal girlfriend, Solly."

With that, she leapt out of the window and vanished into the yard below. Solstice sighed. "I love her like a sister, but she's ridiculous sometimes…"

Luna giggled. "It is good to have friends like that. Those tend to be the most loyal."

"Although I hope all your friends don't come climbing in windows all the time," Celestia pointed out. Solstice shrugged and gave a noncommittal grunt. "…Oh dear."

Luna suddenly stepped off to one side and opened her arms. Celestia and Solstice looked at her in confusion. "Lulu? What are you doing…?"

"Lunie!" Luna braced herself and caught Pinkie as the happy woman barreled into her. "You're okay!"

"Same to you," Luna replied, hugging Pinkie. Almost automatically, the two women tilted their heads to meet in a gentle kiss. Solstice looked shocked while Celestia simply smiled warmly. The Princess of the Moon ignored them, looking over the pink haired woman. "I heard that you had collapsed, and I was worried about you."

"Pinkie Pie," Celestia remarked. "You are well."

Pinkie nodded with a smile. "Much better! We were all asleep and stuff, but we woke up when Bibi and the other kids came to see us! They're the new Elements of Harmony and stuff!"

"Yes, we realized," Luna informed her, smile not going away. "We are happy to see you well, Pinkie."

Pinkie grinned, and then she glanced over at Solstice. "Hi Princess Celestia's boyfriend!"

Both Celestia and Solstice gaped. Luna laughed quietly, poking Pinkie in the side. "And how did you find that out, hm?"

"I can tell!" Pinkie grinned. "Plus, she's holding his hand!"

They all looked to see that yes, indeed, the two were holding hands. "Oh," Celestia offered.

"You know what?" Solstice frowned. Then, he turned to Celestia, reached up to take her face in his hands, and pulled her down to kiss her. It was a long, passionate, and deep kiss and left the Solar Princess breathless when they finally broke apart. He gave a very embarrassed Celestia a warm smile. "I missed you."

Celestia was open mouthed, breathing in deeply. Luna and Pinkie were wide eyed, as were literally everyone that was nearby. In the background, an Equestrian fainted. "S…Solstice…? Why did you…?"

"I'm not going to hide how I feel about you, Tia," He said with that same smile.

"So you… wait, when did—?" She held up her hand, where a golden ring set with a diamond was sitting in her palm. "Where did this come from…?"

"I'm a thief, Tia," Solstice reminded her with a little chuckle. "Sleight of hand is my thing."

"Does… but…"

The retired thief shook his head before dropping to one knee in front of her. Luna gasped, and Pinkie looked like she was going to explode from giddiness. Rarity and her daughters entered then, took one look at what was going on, and froze in shock. From across the room, Twilight gasped loudly. Solstice cleared his throat, picking the ring out of the stunned Celestia's hand. "So… I've only done this once, and last time I was proposed to, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty."

"S-Solstice…!"

"Princess Celestia of Equestria, would you do this lowly thief the ultimate honor of letting him steal your heart?"

Celestia's eyes were wide. Twilight gasped even louder. Both Rarity and Ancè were trying their hardest not to 'squee' in delight. Celestia, still stunned, didn't reply for a moment. She glanced from him over to her sister, who simply gestured back to Solstice. "Answer him!" She hissed urgently.

"I… I've never…" She glanced helplessly at her sister and the two women with her. "What do I do?"

Rarity gasped. "You've never been proposed to?"

"No!"

"Well, there's only two options," Pinkie pointed out flatly. "Yes, or no!"

Celestia turned back to the kneeling man, who was still holding the ring up to her. She let out a heavy and long sigh. "…Why in Equestria did I let you get me so flustered?"

"Thieves have a tendency to get where we're not expected," Solstice offered with a shrug.

"Considering you've spent most of your time climbing in and out of my window…" Celestia giggled softly at the abashed look on Solstice's face. "But in all honesty, I cannot see myself saying no."

The former thief perked up at that. "Really?"

Celestia nodded, her gentle smile lighting up her face. "Really. If you're alright with a not-so-perfect princess, then I'll accept your offer. On one condition, however."

"A… a condition?"

"Sister…" Luna began warningly, but Celestia held up a hand.

"It's nothing Solstice wouldn't willingly do," The Solar Diarch said with a mischievous smirk. She turned back to the still kneeling man. "I want to knight him."

"Knight me?" Solstice repeated.

"Oh yes. Former thief or no, you still need noble standing to marry a Princess."

"Tyr didn't," Luna pointed out, only for her sister to poke her in the forehead. "Ow!"

"Your husband turned out to be royalty anyways, so it counts." Turning away from her sister for the umpteenth time, Celestia smiled down at Solstice and offered her hand to him. "Do you accept?"

Solstice shrugged. "I've done stranger things. Always wanted to be a noble though."

With that, he slipped the ring onto Celestia's waiting finger. There was a stunned silence in the throne room for the span of a minute, before every single individual burst into thunderous applause as Solstice stood and embraced his soon to be wife. "I'll have to find a way to give you immortality," Celestia whispered into his ear.

"As long as it isn't something involving ancient curses and evil books," Solstice replied with a chuckle. "That sort of thing never goes over well."

"No kidding," Evie muttered, looking over at her passed out mom. "Um… Can someone help me with my mom?"

As Celestia went over to attempt to wake her poor student, Luna found herself off to one side with Rarity and Pinkie. "It's strange to think we were just fighting for our lives," Rarity pointed out with a small frown.

"I need to start a party! Like, right now!" Pinkie squealed, bouncing in place. "The Princess is getting married!"

"We should save the party for later, Pinkie-winkle. There is still tomorrow."

Pinkie paused at that, quietly calming down. "…Oh. Right. That's a thing. Then… After Tyr wins! We'll throw a big party for him then!"

Luna opened her mouth to admonish her happy companion for assuming the outcome so soon, but then the thought occurred to her—not one of them would assume otherwise. Instead, she simply smiled and giggled. "Now Pinkie. You know our Beloved isn't one for big parties."

"He'll have to deal!" Pinkie said, fervor returning. "For I haven't gotten to throw a real 'saved the world from interdimensional invaders' before and I'm sure as sugar not going to miss this chance!"


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 72: Regicide

There was silence.

Several thousand souls looked on in rapt attention as Tyr sat alone in front of the gathered Allied army in a space cleared in front of Canterlot Castle. He had gone there at least two hours before the end of the Pax, picking his spot and sitting down in a meditative pose. Fimbulvinter was resting against his shoulder, and Fenrir was laid down beside him, both waiting in perfect silence. He was surrounded by a light aura of cold, the air around him freezing over as he sat there and making the area look like snow had fallen. It had taken a while, but slowly over time the soldiers in his army and the surviving civilians found themselves watching his stillness. A short distance away was his family and friends, in a rather large group apart from the other mass of people watching the lonely knight. "He hasn't moved a muscle," Sunset said finally, breaking the spell that seemed to hold them all.

"He must be so bored over there," Pinkie remarked thoughtfully.

"I don't think so," Rarity said, sitting on a small stone pillar that Carver had provided her. Despite having finally gotten time to rest, the fashionable one of Tyr's herd had not even bothered with makeup, as natural as could be. The only part of her normal appearance that was there was the usual curl in her hair. "If he was bored, wouldn't he have moved?"

"Hm… I guess so."

"He's mentally preparing himself," Luna said softly, catching all of their attention. The Princess of the Moon was seated as well, although she had Chrys's head in her lap and was gently stroking the somewhat worried Changeling's head. Beside her on a makeshift perch was a silent Valor, the Ice Phoenix watching his owner with surprising attentiveness. When she realized they were all looking at her, Luna sighed. "This is an important battle for him. He has to be completely ready."

"But what mental preparations does he have to do?" Trixie asked.

Aleksa spoke up then, the first time since Tyr had taken his solitary vigil. Of all those related to the Wolf Lord, the Eternal Blizzard had been the most silent of them all. Her own silver eyes had never wavered from watching her son. "…Has anyone ever heard of berserkers?"

"I classify as one," Ace pointed out, holding up a hand.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Humor us, Miss Aleksa."

"I told you not to call me Miss," Aleksa said with a huff. Then, her silver eyes went back out towards her son. "…In some cultures there are a division of warriors called 'berserkers'. They are called that because they sometimes achieve a state of mind where they can shrug off mortal wounds and continue fighting; literally working off adrenaline and rage."

Ace nodded. "That's pretty much it. Grace said I should be dead after that fight I had with the Zodiac Knight."

"Lucky me you're stupidly hard to kill," Rainbow said with a sigh. Ace gave her a grin in return.

"So is that what dad's doing?" Aurora asked, looking to her grandmother. She was out of her armor, although that was more because it was in need of a lot of repairs. Instead, she—like the other women in the Winter family save Aleksa—was in a more formal dress outfit bearing the Wolfhome colors. She did still have her sword and shield, however, and had already torn a rip along the leg to allow her freedom of movement.

Aleksa shook her head. "Not exactly. He's focusing his emotions and readying himself for the battle ahead."

"But for two hours?" Trixie asked.

"…Sometimes, that's how long it takes." Aleksa frowned. "I once watched Lysander prepare for a duel by doing this very same thing for an hour and a half in full armor. His opponent went red in the face trying to trash talk him."

"Of course Wolfy's dad is the super stoic," Sunset muttered.

Aleksa shot the vampire a silly grin. "Yeah, I'm stupid impulsive. I killed the guy trash talking my hubby. Snapped him over my knee."

All of them looked at the diminutive woman in shock. All except Ace, who laughed. "Holy Sun! How'd you do that? Was he a dwarf or something?"

"I'll ignore the crack on my height, youngster," Aleksa said, hitting him in the back of the head with a snowball, "But I froze him from the neck down and hit him with a flying knee to the balls. Cracking ice goes well with counter-tenors, as it seems."

Sunset sniffed. "…You're scary."

"Yup!"

"I suppose we should be glad Tyr is…" Luna looked out at her husband, her words dying on her lips. Her worry was clear—sending her husband off to war without her was irritating her. She chewed thoughtlessly on her bottom lip. Chrysalis sat up and enveloped the other woman in a hug without a word.

Rarity let out a soft sigh before smiling at Aleksa. "Tyr will be ready. We know. I can even feel his resolve from here."

Aleksa grinned. "My boy's gonna kick that tin can's ass. And have fun doing it."

Motion caught their attention, and all eyes went to where Jehu and his family were arriving. Willow, their resident plant girl was with them, along with a smaller girl with a metallic owl sitting atop her head. Jehu grinned at the sight before him—the entirety of the Allied army waiting behind Tyr. "Now this is a sight, isn't it?" He said with a chuckle.

"I suppose so," Mercy agreed. "They're all supporting him, it seems."

Their arrival seemed to awaken Tyr, as he started moving slowly. His silver eyes opened, met Fenrir's violet ones, and then the two simultaneously stood together and faced the family from the Library that didn't exist. Tyr's voice was edged with cold air, but no malice. "Jehu. I wasn't expecting you to show up now," He said softly.

"I'm technically supposed to be here," Jehu informed him. The grin on the Chaos Mage's face grew. "I'm in the running, plus for this duel I'm a neutral party."

Tyr let out a soft breath and slightly, just slightly relaxed. "I see. Well, I suppose I should be thankful you're not my enemy."

Jehu's grin took on darker tone, violet eyes narrowed like a predator sizing up prey. He'd picked up on the unspoken _yet_ in Tyr's words. The jovial tone in his voice refused to change, however. "There's always a silver lining!"

The next to arrive were the Caretakers, each in more formal garb than before with Harmony carrying her still glowing staff. "Oh, he's already ready," Genesis remarked, seeing Tyr. The man was standing at relative attention, Fimbulvinter strapped to his back and in full armor. A band of throwing knives hung on his chest, and a pair of shorter daggers was strapped in easy to reach places. His eyes were sharp and canine-like, eyes of a hunter waiting to pounce. "And your eyes… I like them."

"He's ready," Terminus said softly.

Harmony gave Tyr an appreciative look. "Good. Now we wait for Leo…"

She trailed off as the Zodiac Knights arrived, marching in formation behind the Knight of Obedience. Leo himself seemingly hadn't done much to prepare, carrying his sword at his hip and his helmet under his arm. "Seems I can count on you to be punctual," He said, looking at Tyr.

"And be late to chopping you into little pieces?" Tyr smiled in tandem with Fenrir, who now stood just at his shoulder. The Contractor of Carnage was ready to let his blood boil. "That would just be rude."

Every Chaos Mage in earshot grinned savagely. Harmony simply sighed and shook her head, but there was the ghost of a smile on her lips. Instead of remarking, she instead lifted her arms and let her voice carry. "Everyone! All Challengers for the Rite of Guidance have arrived! According to the Rule, all will announce themselves and who they represent."

Jehu stepped forward, hands shoved in his pockets and his usual grin on his lips. "Jehu Mikhail Striate, Contractor of Vengeance representing the Sleeping Library. Also known as the Laughing Caretaker."

Leo stepped forward next. "Leo Augustus, Contractor of Obedience representing the Zodiac Mausoleum. I suppose my moniker would be the Radiant Lion." Behind him, the entire Zodiac army let out one synchronized stomp of approval and solidarity.

Tyr raised an eyebrow at the knight, seeing the small but noticeable aura of smugness radiating off the armored man. He glanced behind him, catching the eye of one rather amused dragoness. The Elemental gave a tiny nod before turning back to Harmony. She was watching him curiously, but behind her Terminus let out a soft and almost disappointed sigh. Tyr smiled and stepped up. "Tyr Winter, Contractor to Carnage and representing… Equus. I guess by now I'm better known as the Wolf Lord under the Mountain."

Both Leo and Jehu raised eyebrows at him, before a loud rumble began to shake the ground. All eyes went to the allied army, and to where a grinning Vanna stood in front of them. As the group watched the grinning dragoness raised her fist into the air and let out a roar that only a few understood the origin of, but all understood the feeling behind it.

" _ **WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!**_!"

Harmony's face dropped in horror. Terminus's face met her hand with a loud smack. Genesis looked elated. Jehu broke out into loud laugher. Leo groaned as he too facepalmed. All the while, Tyr simply grinned like a madman as the rest of the army (minus the stunned women of his herd) and crowd picked up the cry on feeling alone. The dragoness was hamming it up, waving her arms as if she was pumping up the mob. The roar went on for a full minute before Vanna dropped her arm and the army cut off the roar. But it still lingered in the air for a few seconds before becoming just a feeling, not a sound. Tyr listened to the aftermath for a few seconds, before turning his own smug smile Leo's way. "How's that, ya _shiny git_?"

The Zodiac knight's dour expression only got sourer. Fenrir appeared on Tyr's shoulder, a happy smile on her face. "Oh, how I love that sound. We really need to go back one of these days."

Jehu was still recovering from his laughing fit, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh Etro. That was good. I was not expecting that but it was _wonderful_. I salute you for that one, Tyr."

"I can't believe you just did that," Harmony sighed.

"I can," Terminus groaned. She shot a baleful gaze towards the grinning dragoness. "I sent Vanna to that Crux-forsaken universe. She _loved_ orks."

"Teehee!" Genesis clapped her hands. "That was awesome! I almost want them to do it again!"

"No!" Harmony, Terminus and Leo all said at once.

The Caretaker of Life pouted, folding her arms. "You guys are no fun."

"Now is not the time," Harmony pointed out, shaking her head. One more sigh, and she cleared her throat before speaking again. "So as I was saying… all the representatives are here. We have one challenge to accomplish today, and that is the duel between Leo and Tyr, as agreed to yesterday. Are you both ready?"

"Yes," Leo said without hesitation.

"Always," Both Fenrir and Tyr growled. The near constant fighting for the past day and a half had left the Spirit and Contractor in almost perfect tune, the closeness to their Concept exciting them. Not to mention the war cry the Allied army had just participated in. Vanna had really known just how to get the Concept of Carnage ready for war.

Leo scowled, but instead turned his attention to Harmony. "Lady Harmony. How much longer until the Pax ends?"

"A few minutes," Harmony informed him. "Now that we're all here, I'd like for Ruby to open a doorway to the City."

"I can do that," the small girl with the owl said, stepping forward. She clasped her hands together as if praying. " _Dominion_."

The owl atop her head lit up with bright blue light, and purple magic energy gathered about her hands. She directed it to an open space in front of them all, and a roman looking doorway materialized. Although it was in open air, when it opened one could see a dusty brown city street through it. "What is that place?" Tyr asked, frowning slightly.

"The City of Silence," Jehu informed him. He grinned at the other man. "We use it as a battleground for fights involving Chaos and Order Mages."

"It is entirely empty," A hissing voice said. Tyr drew back just a bit as a chain with a snake head tip slithered out from behind Jehu.

Fenrir narrowed her eyes. "Orochi."

"Fenrir," The snake replied with a dip of its head. "I am always happy to see one of my kin in good health."

"I suppose the same could be said for me. And the city is empty?"

"Devoid of all life," Terminus said, adding her voice to the conversation. "There is nothing but the bricks and stones that make up the buildings. All damage done will be reversed at the end of the day in that world. You may fight without reservation there."

Tyr blinked at that. A battlefield where there were no bystanders sounded almost too good to be true. "Is there really nothing else there?"

Genesis nodded. "It is a dead world, essentially. Life just does not exist there. And believe me, I've tried."

"So you're both free to go wild from the get go," Harmony said. "Which would be prudent—the City of Silence is suffused with mana since nothing lives there. Only you two will be present, and you will have access to it all."

"A perfect battleground for a final battle," Jehu said mysteriously.

Harmony spared him a glance, before turning back to Tyr and Leo. "As stated before, this duel will be to the death. Both of you will enter, but only one will leave. As you agreed before."

"Let us go then," Leo said, turning on his heel and heading to the doorway. "The sooner we go, the sooner this ends."

Tyr frowned at that and turned to follow, only for a hand to touch his arm. He turned to find Luna there, and she immediately tossed her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Tyr welcomed the affection, pulling her tight to him. After a moment, they broke apart. She held on for a moment longer, leaning into his ear. "Kill him quickly, Beloved. Pinkie has several… interesting activities planned for us when you return victorious."

"Oh really? Then I will be looking forward to it."

Luna giggled. "Win for us, Beloved. Win for _me._ "

With that, she let him go, heading back over to where all the others were waiting. Tyr watched her go for a minute, before turning back to the doorway that Leo had already gone through. "Well, you've got something good waiting on you," Jehu remarked with a chuckle.

Tyr smirked. "What can I say? I have a very attractive wife."

"I'd agree, but mine is standing beside me." To punctuate the statement, Mercy punched him in the arm.

"You make me sound like a jealous maniac," She snapped at him. "I don't get upset when you compliment other women."

"Eh…"

Orochi made a weird skittering noise that sounded almost like laughter. "Shadow Queen, you get jealous when he even drinks from other women."

Mercy scowled. "Shut up, snake!"

Genesis blinked and tapped a finger to her lips. "Wasn't Orochi a hydra?"

"Same type of reptile," Terminus remarked.

"HONESTLY!" Harmony snapped to get their attention. When she was given slightly embarrassed looks by her sisters she sighed and ran a hand over her face. "We are the most dysfunctional protectors of reality ever. You might just want to go, Tyr. Good luck, by the way."

Tyr nodded. "Thank you, Lady Harmony." With a final glance back to his family, Tyr followed after Leo. The moment he was through the doors shut, and Terminus moved over to sit in front of it.

"What's she doing?" Cori asked from her spot by her mother.

"No one is allowed to interfere with this duel," The Overseer of Death pointed out softly, adjusting her skirt. "Therefore, I will be sitting here to prevent anyone from attempting to go to them."

Vanna chuckled. "Not to mention her aura can nullify magic. And I doubt anyone here can take Lady Gray in combat."

Terminus smiled. "I am not as sure in my abilities with my sister and adoptive brother present," She said with a tiny giggle.

"Holy crap she's adorable," Rainbow said with a straight face. "Only Fluttershy is allowed to be that cute."

Vanna grinned widely. "I know right! She's like a perfect doll!"

"Vanna," Terminus said warningly. "I have told you how I feel about being called a doll."

"Sorry, my lady."

Jehu frowned slightly, putting his arms behind his head. "I call you that all the time, Termie."

"Shut _up_ , Jehu," Terminus muttered, Genesis laughing quietly behind her.

"Are we simply unable to see what is going on?" Luna demanded, frowning. "I cannot stand here waiting—not knowing what is happening with him…!"

Several pairs of eyes went to Jehu. The Chaos Mage blinked, before frowning and folding his arms. "Hey, I break rules all the time, but I can't open windows into other dimensions."

Luna's face fell. "Oh… I… I see. I'm sorry."

The frown returned to being the trademark grin. "But Ruby can."

"Huh?"

Ruby nodded, although she didn't speak. The owl on her head did instead. "We have already begun creating windows for which you may view the battlefield. One moment…"

The owl went silent, and Ruby seemed to swallow heavily before speaking. "Activating Argus Protocol. Observe, please!"

A tall and wide window like opening appeared in mid-air, shimmering for a moment before turning partly translucent. A picture appeared of the City of Silence, giving a view of the dusty city from above. Tyr and Leo were standing in the middle of a street, facing off. Fenrir was beside Tyr in her wolf form, while a large lion sat proudly beside Leo. More screens began appearing to give everyone present a view of the coming battle. "Are they… getting ready to fight?" Ancè asked softly.

"Looks like it," Aleron mumbled. "All we can do now is pray dad is able to win…"

"No praying involved," Cori said softly. "I know he'll win."

"He's our dad!" Aurora pointed out proudly. "He's the strongest we know!"

The other kids nodded at that. "Then it's only a matter of time?" Jubilee offered.

There was a small chuckle as Chrys moved over beside them. "My master—your father—will be victorious. He is too stubborn to fail."

–x–

"So this is the City of Silence," Tyr murmured, looking around. The buildings were all the same dusty brown as the streets and made up of the same identical bricks. The streets seemed to stretch on for miles in any direction, with the same tall buildings lining them. "…Rather lonely, isn't it?"

"Not so much with him here," Fenrir said, seamlessly transitioning to her true form. She scowled in Leo's direction. "He's an eyesore."

Tyr sniffed. "You're not kidding."

Leo was busy looking at one of his gauntleted hands. "It seems the effects of the Pax are still affecting us. We shall begin in five minutes. Say your last words and prepare."

"How kind of you," Tyr said dryly, drawing Fimbulvinter. He could feel the tiniest bit of reluctance in his muscles to even draw the weapon, but looking at it along the lines of inspecting the blade made it easier. He knelt down, laying the blade across one leg and reaching into his cloak with the other. He pulled out a cloth and proceeded to run it down the dark blade's length. After finishing there, he extracted his throwing knives and placed them on the ground. He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. " _Fly true_."

The blades glowed blue slightly, before fading completely. Tyr returned them to their place. He began rooting through his star bag and checking through a few choice vials. Neither he nor his Spirit realized Leo was watching him until the Zodiac Knight spoke. "You are very attentive," The other man said.

Tyr glanced up at him, noting the curious look on the knight's face. "Hm? Oh. It's sort of habit. I used to be a sniper."

"I see. And now?"

"I like the comfort that comes from maintaining my weapons." Tyr paused at that, before frowning. "Why are you so curious?"

Leo frowned at that. "I am simply passing time. I know nothing about you."

"Goes both ways," Tyr remarked.

"…I see. Let it be said however—if we were not on opposing sides, we could have made a very interesting partnership. Learned many things."

"But we may never know," The Ice Elemental said with a frown. "You polarized our relationship from the moment we met." Tyr straightened up, holding Fimbulvinter at his side at the ready. "You tried to kill my family. You were my enemy from then on."

Leo was silent for a long minute. Then, he nodded. "I see. As I believe I said before, a shame."

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "…Perhaps."

"So." The armored knight rolled his shoulders. "The effects of the Pax have dissipated on us. Shall we begin?"

"Fine." Tyr raised his weapon into a ready stance. Chaotic energy seemed to flow off of him and into the sword, as if the weapon itself was ready. A bit of Vanna to kill Leo for the second time, Tyr thought, smiling. "Let's end this."

Leo nodded, putting on his helmet. He raised his sword. "As Lady Harmony said, this world is full of mana. Therefore, I will come at you full force from the beginning. If anything, I will give you a swift death."

Tyr felt Fenrir float to his back, joining her magic to his. With his Spirit hanging from his neck, he let out a snarl that any true wolf would have backed down from. Fimbulvinter glowed with both Dust and Chaos Magic, a violent mix of purple and gold. "I'll be sure to make yours as bloody as possible."

"Well then. _The King's Court is now in session, let all supplicants come and kneel!_ "

Tyr had been prepared for Leo to attack him immediately, to launch a magical strike or summon his Spirit to attack. But what happened was infinitely more surprising. Magic radiated off of Leo in a wave, coating the streets and buildings in one rush. In their wake came rolling stone, setting up the floor of a castle and all the assorted materials. As Tyr watched in silent shock, the world around him changed into that of the interior of a grand castle, armored knights lining the walls and tapestries of many designs hung from the ceiling. "What the hell…?"

"It seems you have never seen a World Spell before."

Tyr turned to the voice, jaw dropping at the sight before him. Leo sat on a gilded throne on a high raised dais, his massive lion laid at his feet. The Knight was clad in even more elegant golden armor, and had a golden crown atop his head. "What… a World Spell?"

[A technique of pulling a location from the deepest part of one's soul and transforming the world around them into it] Fenrir hissed into his mind. [We are literally in his territory now]

"This is my world," Leo said, almost echoing Fenrir's warning. "In this world, the word of the King is absolute. This is my world—The One King's Court. Consider yourself lucky—not many of my opponents ever see this technique. You are one of the few."

"How nice," Tyr scowled. [Fen, what do we do?]

[We should move] Fenrir advised, narrowed eyes watching the knights on the wall. As if responding to some unheard cue, they all turned to face the Chaos Mage and his Spirit, weapons raised to attack. [Else we'll be cornered]

"The game is afoot," Leo said, reclining in his throne. "End him."

"You're not the only one with an army!" Tyr shot an arm forward, silver light expanding in a ring about him to summon his silver soldiers. The two lines of soldiers clashed, and the Elemental was shocked to see his constructs shatter against the metal men. "What the…?" Was all he managed seconds before a blade slashed across his shoulder, managing to draw blood.

[MOVE!] Fenrir urged.

With a grimace at the sudden shift of fate, Tyr turned and fled out of the hall, the armored knights on his heels. Fenrir kept hanging on his shoulder as he slipped into the winding hallways, hoping to lose the pursuing figures. However, each turn seemed to bring them up against more suits of armor, each coming to life with a loud groan as they moved to attack. Tyr's magic surged to life again, throwing his constructs into the breach like human shields. Silver magic shattered against Order forged steel, but it bought him time.

A line of men at arms emerged from down the hall, forming into two rows and raising their crossbows. The first volley came hissing down the hall, all but one missing its target. The one bolt that struck true deflected off Tyr's armor, but he felt the impact regardless. Gritting his teeth, Tyr reached into his cloak and pulled out a handful of red colored marbles. "Ignite," He hissed, hurling them down towards his enemies.

The marbles detonated like grenades, filling the hall with fire and noise. Tyr shielded his face with his cloak, pushing through the fire with a faint shield of ice to protect himself. He found himself in a side room, with the only entrance being the one he had just blasted open. He frowned at the opening, before simply throwing up a wall of ice. "I wonder if that will hold them…"

"It will have to do," Fenrir said, scowling. She returned to solidity enough to bind up his injury. "We are at Leo's mercy now. He will never have to expend any effort hunting us here—this is his world after all."

"So the simple solution is killing him."

The wolf spirit nodded. "Exactly. But are we able to do so in this state? He has full control over this place. All those knights are simply pawns in this chess game, and we are a lone piece beset on all sides by enemies."

"The cornered wolf," Tyr remarked, just as a wall across from him warped and shifted. A door formed there, looking as if it simply belonged. Immediately a half dozen heavily armed knights stormed inside, shields held high and blades angled his way. "And we're attacked again."

"Flee?"

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Not this time."

"Good!"

The first armored knight came up, sword sweeping in a low arc. Tyr parried with his own weapon, drawing a blade from his belt and jamming it past the knight's armor and into where his throat would be. But the blade simply hit air. "What the—there's nothing to hit!"

No sooner had he made that discovery that the knight smashed his shield into Tyr's chest and knocked him back. A follow up slash grazed Tyr's upper arm, glancing off the armor he had there. [No blood—he even takes the fun out of fighting!] Fenrir complained.

"Not the time," Tyr shot back, switching his aura from silver to ice-white. He threw his hand forward, a blast of ice throwing his assailant back and smashing him into the far wall. This proved a lot more effective, as the suit of armor broke against the wall with ease. "Well. At least that works."

"Seems we're changing tactics," Fenrir said with a growl.

Tyr unleashed his ice magic again, roaring as if his very voice was a weapon and throwing aside the other suits of armor. With them cleared, he was free to run out the door they had come in from. The door opened into a wide yard, where formations of soldiers were already moving into position. "…This is getting old."

"This whole world is his to shape as he pleases," Fenrir reminded him. "He has an unlimited amount of soldiers and whatever else he needs in order to kill us."

"All the while he sits on his gilded throne," Tyr said, casting a glance upwards to the castle they stood in the shadow of. "The King of this false world."

Fenrir grinned. "Shall we depose him?"

"Haven't added regicide to my list of crimes yet," Tyr shot back with a laugh. "But how? We can't catch him off guard. He controls everything here."

"True. As long as his mind is in control here, we are at a serious disadvantage."

"…His mind, huh?"

Fenrir blinked, glancing at him. "You have an idea?"

"One I'm surprised I haven't had until now," Tyr pointed out, grinning. "Let's do this."

The armored soldiers marched forward, locking spears in place in preparation to attack. Tyr frowned, reaching into his cloak again. This time he threw a clear vial out, which hit one of the soldier's shields and exploded into a fine gray mist. It expanded quickly, eventually choking the entire area in fog. Tyr felt Fenrir's magic surge into him, his eyes going from their normal silver to a deep violet. With his eyes enhanced, it was easy to dodge through the formations of soldiers and make a break to the castle. However to his surprise, once he broke down the door he found himself back in the throne room facing down Leo. "Seems you've come full circle," Leo said.

"Don't act so surprised," Tyr shot back, frowning. He'd expected more of a run around, to get tired out, but Leo wasn't one for wasting time it seemed. "This is your world after all—you just manipulated the halls, didn't you?"

"I'll admit to nothing," Leo countered calmly. "But you are at the end of the line, Tyr. This is the end."

Soldiers poured into the throne room, weapons aimed towards the Elemental and his Spirit. "Seems we are surrounded," Fenrir said.

"Seems so," Tyr said, looking around slowly. There were hundreds of swordsmen, dozens of archers, and even more spears and knights. A literal army stood ready to overwhelm and kill him. "Ready?"

"I have your back, Blood-Brother."

Leo stood from his throne, the thick mantle he wore cascading about behind him. "One last chance, Tyr. Surrender or die."

Tyr was quiet a moment. Then, he grinned. "I told you before. I. Don't. Surrender."

With a sharp motion, he pulled out another cloudy vial and spiked it right into the ground. Almost immediately, the floor filled with smoke. "More tricks?" Leo snarled. "Then you must die. End him!"

All the armored soldiers charged into the mist, only for a howl to pierce the air. Suddenly Tyr burst from the cloud like a rocket, throwing aside his cloak as he shot towards Leo. The knight stepped back in surprise, only managing to draw his sword in time to block Tyr's heavy overhead sword strike. But the Ice Elemental was grinning, eyes ablaze with silver light. He broke apart, making about an arms-length of distance between them. As Leo snapped his head up to face his opponent he was greeted by a small black band hitting him in the face. His eyes watched the hair band fall to the floor in confusion. "…What?"

"A distraction," Tyr said, his free hand glowing a vibrant blue color. "So this world is yours, huh? Let me show you _MINE_."

"What are you…!?" Leo managed to say just before Tyr backhanded him with his glowing hand, nearly ripping the knight's helmet off. The dark metal of Fimbulvinter shot past, pushing the Order Mage's weapon aside.

Tyr's glowing hand reared back. Leo shot his hands up, but he wasn't able to stop Tyr's blazing blue hand from snapping forward like a biting snake and latching onto his forehead. He grinned widely, eyes blazing a terrifying mix of violet and argent. "In the words of my beloved pet: Time for you to **OPEN UP**!"

–x–

When Leo opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a serene, grassy plain. The walls of his castle were gone, and all that was left was his own gilded armor. "What…? Where is this place?"

"Welcome to my Mindscape."

Leo whirled on the spot, coming face to face with Tyr already in motion. Blades clashed, and Tyr came away with blood as Leo grunted in surprise and staggered back. Fimbulvinter had found a gap near his waist and tore through the chainmail underneath with ease. "The… what the hell!?"

Tyr turned back around, holding his sword aloft. He examined the trace of blood left on it, before grinning slightly. "This is the world in my mind," Tyr informed him, eyes narrowed. "A serene place where I go to keep my mind active while I rest. You have your False Kingdom, and I have this place."

"This place…?" Leo narrowed his eyes. The two swordsmen circled, before coming together in another clash of blades before breaking apart again. "So this is the inside of your mind. So any damage I take will not harm my physical body."

"I can flay your mind apart," Tyr countered, Harmony's brand on his hand glowing brightly. "And in here, in _my_ world, I have the advantage."

Leo scoffed, holding up his hand. An army of soldiers appeared on his command, forming up behind him. "I can still fight here. I still have my army. What do you have?"

Tyr lowered his sword, holding the Brand up. "… _At the roots of Yggdrasil there lies an endless plain; and then a voice aloud declares: Let the war begin again_!"

The sky darkened. Thunderclouds gathered. And then a war cry of epic proportions rattled the very earth beneath the two combatants. It was like the howling of wolves mixed with the roaring of dragons and the snarling of bears. Tyr gave Leo a small, sad smile as a massive horde of Viking warriors came charging from behind him, Fenrir at their head in her massive wolf form. As she passed Tyr, he leapt up onto her back, lifting his sword to the sky. "Ready yourself, False King! The Wolf is here to tear down your castles! _Escalate Engagement: Ragnarok!_ "

Leo scowled, readying his own weapon. His golden lion came into existence beside him, snarling in preparation for the coming conflict. "Come then, mutt. I'll end you here, and then end you in the real world!"

The two lines of warriors met in a crash of metal, flesh, and fury, Tyr's warriors roaring in blood-frenzy and Leo's silent soldiers meeting them head on with stout dedication. It was the purest picture one could draw of the violent dichotomy of Chaos and Order. One side was like a shapeless mass, unmoving and implacable. The other was a force of nature, roiling like a thunderstorm and flowing like the tide. In the middle of it, Carnage and Obedience met once again, the sound of their clash echoing louder than any other. But it was rapidly becoming a disorganized brawl—Tyr's forces were all over the place, no command structure except the single desire to take down the silent soldiers of Obedience. And in a brawl Tyr was in the zone. While Leo was trying to keep track of his opponent through the wild melee that was happening around them, Tyr was ducking through errant attacks like they were scripted, hammering at Leo's defenses while Fenrir engaged the Order Spirit of Obedience. In a moment of clarity and surprise, Leo realized he was on the back foot, forced to react to Tyr's aggressive movements.

The Two Wolves had the upper hand on the Lions.

"Even if you kill me here, I will continue to come after you!" Leo declared, grunting as Tyr's blade rang off of his armor. Another exchange before clashing again—suddenly a Viking sent a spearman flying between them, forcing them to separate. "You will never be rid of me!"

"You sound like my ex girlfriend!" Tyr shot back, flinging a trio of knives at Leo. He deflected them with an arm, but only for a fourth to slice his cheek. Tyr charged into him, blades meeting briefly as Leo pushed back to gain space. As the Elemental moved away, his off hand snapped up and across, the hidden blade under his wrist barely missing Leo's throat. The Zodiac Knight kicked out and pushed him away even further. Tyr flung another knife, but Obedience surged forward to block the clumsy throw. "Fen!"

"Out of the WAY!" the queen of wolves roared, axes smashing down onto the top of the other spirit's shield. Obedience barely moved, but Fenrir was only the distraction—her axes hooked into the top of the shield and she pulled it down so she could glare at the other spirit. "Hello _cousin_."

"Carnage," Obedience rumbled. "I will not be moved."

"Good! Blood Brother!"

Two golden marbles came sailing past, and then Tyr's yell. " _SHOCK_!"

Lighting surged from the glowing spheres, smashing into Obedience and Leo behind him. Growling in pain, Leo dashed around his shield bearer, meeting another attack from Tyr. "These tricks will not stop me, Tyr Winter. I will continue to stand and fight you!" Metal against metal again—Tyr once more came away better, but Leo was undeterred. As he backed up he came up against one of his own soldiers, turning to look in confusion just as a battle axe cleaved the faceless warrior in two. He grimaced, spinning back to parry a stab from Tyr. Their blades clashed harshly amidst the sounds of combat. "Even if you kill me here, I will keep coming back! You only have one life!"

"I have a solution for that," Tyr said, Branded hand shooting forward once more. Leo tried to dodge backwards, but a Viking impaled on a spear cut off his escape. Tyr's hand didn't go for Leo's head this time, but instead his hand knifed into Leo's chest like it was ethereal. Time seemed to slow for the two of them, the Observer's silver eyes hiding a dark malevolence but odd detachment in them. Then, the flame of Carnage, ignited with a sadistic desire to rip _**him**_ apart from the most basic of levels surged to the forefront.

Tyr's voice was a murderous promise. "Let me show you what _mortality_ feels like then."

Leo felt what one would call a knife shearing into the depths of his mind, and then it was gone. He stared in confusion at the Chaos Mage in front of him, and then suddenly—

" _SEVER!_ "

He felt something cut.

A yell of fear—pure genuine fear—tore from his throat, and he shoved Tyr away. He was panting in terror, eyes wide. The two armies continued to fight, leaving just the two swordsmen and their Spirits in a clear circle. As Fenrir slowly limped back around behind Tyr, Obedience stalked weakly back to its own master. "What… what did… what did you _do!?_ " Leo hissed, clutching at his chest.

"You've got a system that allows your consciousness to be transferred into a new body," Tyr said matter of factly. He straightened back up, letting his weapon drop to his side. Fenrir quietly padded to his side. His Branded hand raised, the glowing hourglass like a beacon while his eyes blazed with violet light. "I just cut your connection. If you die now, you're just as dead as the rest of us. How does that thought hit you?"

"You… how could you?"

Tyr held out an arm. "This is my world, Leo. How does it feel to not be in control?"

"How did you do this?"

"You'd be surprised what an Observer can do if you let them in."

Leo's eyes narrowed. "Then… GET **OUT**!"

Suddenly, like being yanked out of deep water, they were both back in the real world, with Leo tearing Tyr's hand off his forehead and pushing him away with enough force to make him crash into a wall. The Elemental realized Leo's World Spell was gone when he noticed the dusty earth beneath him. He looked over at his opponent, finding the Order Knight hunched over and holding his head. Tyr struggled to rise, finding himself also disoriented. Fighting inside his own mind drew a lot out of him. "Are you well, Blood-Brother?" Fenrir asked, leaning in close to his ear.

"I'll be fine," He replied evenly. "Damage?"

"Survivable. Nothing physical except exhaustion. You will not be able to drag him into your mind again. At least, I would not recommend it."

"I don't need to. The one time was enough."

The Chaos Spirit nodded. "He still lives. Get up."

Tyr grimaced and pushed himself to his feet, just in time to see Leo do the same. "You are more clever than I give you credit for, Tyr Winter," The Order Knight muttered darkly. There was a waver in his voice—blood on the wind that Tyr caught without trying. The prey was injured, and now it was time for the kill.

"Tends to be my general thing," Tyr countered, readying himself again for combat. "Going to spring something else on me now?"

Leo straightened up. "…No. I see now that trying to overwhelm you or anything of that nature will simply backfire. Now, I shall stand against you, blade to blade." He raised his longsword into a ready position. "Prepare yourself."

Tyr grinned, one-handing Fimbulvinter and summoning his frost sword. "Good. I've wanted the tactile pleasure to tearing you a new one."

"Funny, I was about to say much the same thing."

The two men squared off, eyes locked and weapons raised. The City of Silence lived up to its name—no a sound could be heard as they waited. One, a knight with the superiority of a king ingrained into every cell. And the waiting hunter who smelled blood and was ready for the kill.

And then motion, like the string of a bow released.

One couldn't say what caused it. A tightening of focus? Or the tense of a muscle akin to a coiled spring? Neither spoke, but suddenly there was motion. They shot towards each other, blades meeting again with a loud clang. The Elemental had changed from a balanced one handed fighting style to an aggressive dancing type of fighting, blades dancing in wide arcs through the silence. Tyr's twin blade style let him dash into Leo's guard, blades scraping across the knight's chest plate. The frost sword caught, leaving a rend in the metal. Leo pushed Tyr off, slashing him across the back before the other man could fully recover. Tyr tried to retaliate, but he saw the other man's blade held high and instead dived to the ground, letting the longsword miss him by inches. Magic arced from the strike, cleaving into one of the buildings and beginning a collapse.

Tyr regained his footing, spinning back around to face Leo as the building behind him crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The armored man was already charging forward, blade held high. The Chaos Mage reacted quickly, ducking low and pushing into the attack. The Wolf and the Lion crossed blades in rapid succession, matching each other blow for blow. Each scored hits against the other with most scraping off armor but occasionally one would go through. Neither was backing down a single step. Magic flared as they put even more power behind their strikes. It had gone past two warriors dueling for the fate of an entire world, and was now two men with weapons putting everything into each and every attack to simply kill their opponent. Walls cracked, buildings shattered as each poured their all into the simple act of swinging their weapons.

They separated, Leo's sword slicing across the air and flinging a beam of pure light towards the other swordsman. Tyr didn't miss a beat, dropping low to avoid the attack before flinging Fimbulvinter like a throwing axe at the knight. Leo stepped to the side, only catching sight of the blue rune marked on the blade's handle out of the corner of his eye as it sailed past. Tyr suddenly grinned, winked out of vision, and then reappeared holding the blade just past the Order Mage. Leo managed to catch the attack, parrying and driving Tyr away. "A clever trick! Where did you learn that, I wonder?"

"I picked it up watching a young Prince fight monsters," Tyr admitted, dropping back into a ready stance. "I can't do it without placing a rune, but it does have it's uses."

"I won't be caught off guard again."

"You say that now." Tyr grinned and threw his sword again.

This time Leo deflected the sword away. But this time, Tyr didn't teleport. A construct appeared to catch the blade, while Tyr charged forward with his frost sword. Momentarily caught from tow angles, Leo didn't turn to face the right target in time, with Fimbulvinter cutting into his shoulder and Ice piercing his side. He grimaced from the pain, before slamming his free hand to his chest. " _REPULSE!_ "

A blast of radiant energy destroyed Tyr's construct and blew the Wolf Lord himself backwards. However Fenrir appeared then in her wolf form to catch him against her side. [Injured?]

[Not from that] Tyr thought back, hand snapping out with his silver aura. Another construct appeared to retrieve his sword and toss it back to him. He looked to Leo, who was using a faint white glow to no doubt heal himself. [Can't give him time. Ready?]

Fenrir growled lowly, baring her fangs. [As your pet says: Always!]

Parry. Strike. Riposte. The fight was both a dance and a whirlwind of motion, every strike and guard followed in step to the rhythm of combat. It was wild and controlled, the two swordsmen tearing apart the dead city with no regard to anything but the enemy in front of them. They were a mirroring of styles—Tyr's wild yet orchestrated weaving attacks against Leo's precise and planned style. Metal on metal; Ice against Holy; Chaos versus Order; the duel continued with a fervor that two normal people could never match.

Each time their swordfight broke apart for moments of respite, magic surged to the fore. Leo revealed his paladin-like training, the light of heal spells illuminating his form occasionally. Tyr let his Elemental nature heal him slowly, choosing instead to slash the ground with his sword to unleash a veritable beam of ice. It crackled and grew, dwarfing Leo as he dropped his healing to avoid the attack. "Your aim is lacking!" He taunted.

"Don't speak too soon," Tyr quipped, clenching his hand into a fist and punching across the air. " _AVATAR_!"

Leo blinked, before the sound of crashing buildings made him turn to see Tyr's massive knight Avatar smashing its way through rows of buildings to slam into him. He threw up a barrier in time to block the attack, but it still sent him careening down an empty street. The Avatar, mimicking Tyr's motions, surged forward after him with a war axe of ice forming in its waiting hands. Before he could strike the fallen knight, he heard a word murmured into the noise.

" _Banish_."

The ice armor of the Avatar cracked, and then shattered like glass as the banishing spell destroyed the construct. Tyr grimaced. "Oh. Right. Paladin. Should have seen that coming."

"Try something else," Fenrir suggested lazily.

Tyr glared at her, before planting his sword point first in the ground and resting his hands on top of the pommel. He sucked in a deep breath, counted to ten, and then let it out in a controlled flow of cold air. His bloodlust was still there; it wasn't going to be gone any time soon—but his mind was clear. He knew what needed to be done. "…Ice within, Ice without," He murmured.

Instead of words, Leo charged the other man to close the distance. Tyr simply grinned—close combat was a lot more enjoyable. A particularly strong blow forced them to separate, both men panting with exertion. "You… you've improved a lot since the last time we fought," Leo said, frowning at him.

"I've had plenty of practice," Tyr replied, reaching into his cloak to pull out a red colored potion. He downed it in one gulp, feeling the restorative effects of the healing draught course through his body. It wouldn't do all too much right away, but it might give him another hit if it came to it. "And plenty of time."

"Then I must ask—why go so far? This is not your homeworld. Neither must you go so far to protect it."

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "Are you really that dense? I've told you what I fight for. My family—not just my wives and kids, but all of my friends as well. I stand here on behalf of everyone who can't defend themselves. Apparently you can't understand that I fight for them!"

Leo was quiet for a minute. When he spoke, he was a lot more thoughtful. "…I have a daughter of my own."

Both Tyr and Fenrir gaped at this revelation. "You… you have a kid?" Tyr asked.

"I am a man as well, Tyr," Leo said with a halfhearted chuckle. "Even I have my physical desires."

"So you fathered a child," Fenrir snorted. "Congratulations—I was wondering if your manhood did work or if you were sterile. Should we be impressed?"

Leo shot her a look, but didn't respond to the barb. "She came along with us. She is the Knight of Innocence—or simply known as Virgo."

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "You made your daughter a Zodiac Knight?"

"There was an opening," Leo said with a shrug. Then, his gaze hardened. "And she chose for herself. Did not your own daughter choose to contract a Chaos Spirit? Did she not take up the blade herself to fight?"

As much as Tyr wanted to point out that Etro herself didn't care if you wanted a Contract or not, he held his tongue. "…Fine. You've got a point."

Leo sighed. "But I do understand you, Tyr. As one father to another, I can respect your drive to protect what matters to you. But you know I still will not back down from this."

Tyr raised his blade again. His eyes were momentarily drawn to his wedding ring, the twisted metal glittering in the perpetual twilight that covered the City of Silence. "And neither will I."

"At this juncture, I had hoped you'd say that."

" It's probably beyond time for us to end this."

"Very well." The other knight raised his weapon. "A final clash."

"It had to end sometime," Tyr remarked, almost reluctantly.

Leo nodded. "I haven't fought a swordsman of your caliber in a long time.

They charged. Tyr released his frost sword and took hold of Fimbulvinter with both hands, taking advantage of the weapon's weight to hammer down against Leo's guard. Their blades rang out as they broke apart, reengaged, and clashed once more. Parried strikes and blocked attacks sang out a deadly cacophony as the two swordsmen danced their dance of death. And then a misstep, one faltering limb that missed its proper place. Tyr's magical and mental exhaustion took its toll all in one moment, as he stepped down in the incorrect place and had to fight to recover his footing. Leo took advantage of the moment of weakness, sword ripping upwards and into Tyr's stomach. "You have lost, Chaos Mage!" He roared.

Tyr grunted in pain, but a savage grin crossed his face. "Lost? You just killed yourself."

Leo stared at him in complete confusion until Tyr, ice white light radiating from his form, snapped his off hand forward and gripped the Zodiac knight's collar with a death grip. Leo, caught off guard by the move, tried to bring his other hand up to free himself, only for Fimbulvinter to shoot upwards like a rebuke and separate his arm from his body in one clean motion. Blood flew in a silent ribbon that caught Tyr's face like a red half-mask. Silver eyes met blue ones, and in that moment Leo saw the sharp, certain eyes of a wolf. There was no emotion for a split second, and then a flare of violet, and hunger.

The Lion flinched.

Tyr and Fenrir's voices came together as one in a howl both of victory and bloodlust. It echoed through the empty streets of the City of Silence and shook the soul of every mortal who heard it. " _ **DIE!**_ "

The heavy dragon forged blade of Fimbulvinter came down like a bolt from heaven crackling with ice and chaotic energy. Metal, flesh and bone gave way under the empowered strike, not crushing but simply tearing through the Zodiac Knight's armor, flesh, and bone like paper. The force of the strike exploded outwards, destroying the dusty building in the path and sending a cloud up several feet high. Leo's eyes went wide as he stared up at Tyr. He shuddered once as the blade ground to a stop somewhere in his lower internal organs. "How…?"

"That wasn't just a healing potion earlier," Tyr informed him as Leo sunk to his knees. He pulled the knight's weapon free and the Elemental staggered back as well. "It was a potion to deaden my nerves."

"So…"

"I can't feel a thing," Tyr admitted with a small grin.

Leo chuckled, coughing up blood. "Cl-Clever. You've outdone me, Tyr Winter. I never thought I'd lose to you when it came to blades…"

"My father was a skilled swordsman. I have him to thank."

The Zodiac knight shook his head. "No. Your skills are your own. I… I have not had a battle like this in ages. None of Jehu's brood are particularly enamored with… blade craft, while the Mad Rose King himself is much more… creative. You are a master of the craft, Tyr Winter. And I was honored to challenge you."

Tyr knelt, placing himself on eye level with the fallen knight. He inclined his head in a gesture of respect. "…The Hunt was enjoyable, Leo. I thank you as well."

Fenrir hissed softly, hands darting forward to snatch Leo's helmet from his head. She sat it on her own head with a victorious laugh as the knight blinked once at her. "I told you I'd be taking this."

The Wolf Lord shrugged slightly. "Sorry Leo. But she wanted a trophy."

The dying knight stared at him for a long minute, before chuckling to himself. "I see. Your resolve was greater than my own, so I must admit defeat. If you have the chance… Let my daughter know I… loved her."

He slumped down, going completely still. Tyr pulled his weapon free. "…I'm sure she knows already, but I will. From one father to another."

Tyr turned to go, but he staggered and almost fell. She caught him, but she was drained from the fight as well and only managed to keep him from falling all the way. The two wolves staggered to the ground, clinging to each other for dear life. Fenrir's voice hissed into his ear. "You must not move, Blood-Brother. That last blow tore into most of the major organs of your body. It will be fatal if you continue moving!"

"I… I have to…" He trailed off, feeling darkness slip into the edges of his vision. The potion he had drunk had a very short duration, and the effects of all his injuries were beginning to catch up to him. Fumbling into his cloak he tried to find a healing potion, but his fingers were rapidly going numb and the one he managed to pull free tumbled out of his hand and smashed onto the ground. But before he could completely collapse, he felt strong arms catch him around the waist and saw blue hair in his vision.

"Not yet," Harmony whispered to him, a proud smile on her face. "You can't fall just yet. Got to cut the dashing figure when you return, right?"

"Lady… Harmony?"

"Here—let me heal you."

Tyr could see a faint blue light over his stomach and his vision began to clear. He blinked several times, looking down to see Harmony's hand over his stomach wound. "Wait… weren't you…?"

"I go where I please," Harmony admonished. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "Plus, you won the fight. The moment Leo died, you were the victor of the challenge. I was free to keep you from following in his footsteps. Thank your generous Patron."

"Well… Thank you." Tyr managed a weak smile. "I guess I owe you."

"You never have to owe me anything as long as you have my Brand," Harmony said, helping him straighten up. She smiled warmly, and with a bit of pride in her voice continued. "It's the duty of a Patron to watch out for her followers, after all."

"I see. So… are we…?"

"Going back? Oh, we're already back."

Tyr looked around to find himself back in the streets of Canterlot, right behind Terminus. She stood upon seeing them, shouldering her scythe. "Oh? I see you retrieved him."

Harmony beamed. "I wanted to congratulate my victorious champion!"

"I don't think he was _your_ champion, sister."

"Well, he was—!"

"Beloved!" Luna appeared before them, grabbing Tyr from Harmony and embracing him tightly. Relief flowed from her into Tyr, and he gently wrapped one arm around her. His other, as he just now noticed, was bloody and covered in cuts. Despite Harmony's healing, he was still rather wounded. Harmony herself seemed just a tad insulted by being roughly brushed off, but Luna was already looking over her husband with worried eyes and barely unshed tears. "Thank the sky and stars you're alright, my Beloved. When you were stabbed we thought… we assumed the worst!"

Tyr blinked. "We?"

"Of course 'we'!" Rarity huffed, her and the other four mares of Tyr's herd coming over. Pinkie latched onto his side, and Chrys took his arm and squeezed it to her chest. Rarity stood right in front of him, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. With several tutting noises she pulled out a handkerchief to gently dab away blood on his face. "You almost gave me a heart attack each time you were hit! I most certainly lost several years of my life just now!"

"Nothing fatal, right?" Sunset asked, looking him over. Of particular note was the rent in Tyr's shirt and armored undershirt where Leo's blade had struck true. Because of Harmony's healing, it was scarred over although still pinkish. She leaned in close, examining the injury. "I smell the blood, and I know you got hit a lot… You're _certain_ you're okay?"

"You will live, yes?" Chrys asked worriedly, squeezing him somewhat strongly. "I do not want to lose you again, no I _will not_ lose you again…"

Trixie was a bit more subdued, but still concerned. "That last attack… I thought you might die, but I am very relieved you are all right…"

Tyr blinked at all of them. Then, he chuckled and pulled them all into a group hug. "…Sorry for worrying you girls. It's all over now, and I'm fine."

"You better be," Sunset told him softly. "I'm too young to be a widow."

"Aren't you almost Honey's age?" Pinkie asked curiously. "I know you're older than all of us! Well, except for Lunie."

"I'm not that old—I think."

Vanna had arrived with the other women, grinning like a fool. She took Fimbulvinter from Tyr's grasp, looking over the blade. She rapped her knuckles against it. "Hm. Dragon forged and battle tempered. A few chinks here and there, but I can fix that… Held up well, all things considered. Although I have to ask—did you have to nearly chop the guy in half with her? That's not what we normally test for."

Tyr smiled slightly as the girls let him go for a moment. He met the playful gaze in the golden eyes of his best friend. He shrugged. "Sorry for putting it through so much. Armor's messed up too, so sorry to Charlie too."

The dragonkin stared at him for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing his collar and yanking him forward. Most of those in the group jumped in shock, especially Tyr, who stared into his friend's hard eyes for a long minute. After a moment of silence, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "You're a right proper idiot, you know that? I was worried about _you_ , Frosty. Not the armor or the sword. I can remake those—I can't make another best friend."

"…Yeah, you're right." Tyr hugged her back gently, only for her to tighten her grip.

"Try not to get torn up so bad next time, okay?" the dragoness asked gently, shaking her head. Her voice wavered just a bit, but enough for his improved senses to pick up. Vanna was _terrified_ , and Tyr could feel it. Unconsciously, he hugged his best friend just a bit harder. "I honestly thought you were going to die. I can't see that. Never, Tyr."

"I'll do my best," Tyr promised. Pushing him back, Vanna eyed him curiously for a moment, before smirking and punching his arm again. Slightly harder of course, but only enough to make her point. "Oi. You're tearing up, sis."

"I'm a girl now, what can I say?" Vanna asked with a halfhearted chuckle and shrug. "Emotions are a thing, I guess."

"Regardless of all of that, you are back safely in my arms," Luna said, moving to kiss Tyr. "And that is what matters to me."

Tyr smiled and leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "Same here, my love. All of you here? This is where I'm happiest." There was the sound of wings, and he looked up in time for Valor to alight on his shoulder. Luna pulled away as the ice phoenix leaned over to stare into Tyr's eyes. The Elemental stared back, confused at the peculiar actions of his bird. Valor watched him for a moment longer before straightening up to full height, spreading his wings wide in a full flourish, and trilling brightly.

The effect was instantaneous—Tyr heard cheering, and looked up to see the entirety of the allied army cheering wildly in the face of his victory. Stomps from the Stonekin made the ground shake, the Wulfen let out a victorious howl, and even the Ursa roared in victory. He saw his kids doing a happy dance in a little group, and even Celestia was giving him a grateful smile. Sherry detached herself from the group, running full tilt to smash into him just as her father's six women separated to give them space. As proof he was very injured and exhausted, Tyr was barely able to keep his feet, falling back onto his butt as Sherry attached herself to him. Valor had already lifted off, landing on Luna's shoulder to watch his master get tackled. One could almost swear the bird looked proud.

"I told you to stop almost dying," Sherry hissed angrily, almost desperately.

Tyr smiled softly, hugging his daughter tightly and running his fingers through her hair. "I know, sweetie. I know. But you know your daddy has to fight with everything he's got."

Sherry shook her head in his chest. Tyr felt her fingers tighten on his back. "Not everything. Your life is worth too much to me. To _all_ of us. You don't get to waste it trying to be a hero."

"…My life is worth it knowing I raised such a wonderful girl that is so possessive of her own father." Tyr hugged her tight. This is what he had fought for—what he had bled for. Let Sherry be mad. As long as she came running to him for a hug at the end of it, he'd count it worth the pain. "You know I'd never die from something like this."

"I don't care. It's the thought of being so close to losing you that terrifies me. I can't imagine this world without you, or mom, or anyone in my family…"

Tyr pulled her gently off, looking into her eyes. "Sherry. As long as you, Luna and the others are waiting on me to come back, I'll _ALWAYS_ come back. Understand?"

Sherry sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. But there was a tiny relieved smile on her face. "…Okay daddy."

The man chuckled and placed a kiss on her head. "No matter how old you get or how many times you say it, hearing you call me daddy warms my heart."

"Then I'll keep saying it forever," She replied, throwing her arms back around his neck to hug him.

Fenrir sniffed, appearing on Tyr's shoulder. She was frowning, but there was a very obvious tone of pride in her voice. "My Blood-Brother is too stubborn to die. We would have come back alive no matter what."

Harmony chuckled lightly. "Not to mention I would have taken his soul if his body would have died. Rebuilding his body would have taken me two months, tops."

While Tyr was rapidly buried under his gang of relieved children, Luna turned to the Lady in Blue. "Rebuild him? You can do that?"

"Ever heard the saying 'Time heals all wounds'? It's true. And I'm surprised you asked about that and not the soul snatching thing."

"I've come to understand that I won't understand much that's going on at this point," She said with a pointed look at the Caretakers.

Harmony grinned. "Fair enough. Well said, Princess of the Moon."

Jehu cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look his way, noting the mischievous smirk on his face, a far cry from his usual smug smile or evil grin. "Not to spoil the happy reunion, but you still have my challenge, remember?"

Silence fell. "Apparently they forgot about us," Isabel said with a shocked little gasp. At some point she had finally removed her mask, the usual pristine face immaculate as always. "Oh my."

"No way, Mr. Jehu!" Sherry protested immediately. She walked over to face down the dark skinned man whose smile was rapidly growing. "My father almost died just now! I'm not going to have him go off into another fight injured like that and possibly die! If I have to, I'll take your challenge—!"

She broke off, not because of something Jehu did, but because Tyr had gently reached out to grasp her shoulder. All eyes went to the still injured warrior. He let out a soft sigh. "Sherry. This is mine to take care of. I appreciate the gesture, but stop."

"Daddy…!"

Luna surprised them all by appearing on her other side. She looked grim, but she was watching the slightly amused look on Jehu's face. "Let him, my child. Your father started this, and he must end it."

"I still think he's trying to show off," Sunset mumbled with her arms folded.

Ignoring the small scattering of giggles, Tyr turned to Jehu. "So? What's your challenge?"

Jehu blinked, slightly surprised. "So you're going through with this? Hm. Well, I was prepared either way."

"…What do you…?"

The other Chaos Mage held up a coin. He grinned widely. "Flip you for it." Before Tyr or anyone for that matter could react, Jehu took the coin and snapped it into the air. It sailed high, turning into almost a tiny speck of light against the sky. Jehu shoved his hands into his pockets and gave Tyr a smirk. "…Call it."

Tyr blinked. "Call…?"

"Heads or tails, my friend. Heads. Or. Tails." Jehu flicked his eyes upwards. "Better say something soon before it lands."

The Ice Elemental's silver eyes met the Vampire Chaos Mage's dark, glowing violet. This could be a trick, but Jehu wasn't one for tricks. He was a very upfront kind of person, so this was no doubt just a simple coin flip. But… a coin flip to decide the fate of a world?

Such a… Chaotic thing to do.

Tyr's eyes sharpened, and Jehu's grin grew. "Taking the wager?" Jehu said softly, just as the coin dropped back into discernible view.

"You couldn't scare me away if you tried," Tyr said, grinning himself as the coin fell through their line of sight. Now he understood why Jehu was smiling all the time.

By Etro herself, Chaos was just _fun_.

"So?" Jehu's voice asked. The two Chaos Mages hadn't broken their locked stare since the first moment, and their menacing grins were only growing in intensity. "The Wolf won't back down from the Snake, will he?"

"Heads," Tyr declared loudly, and the coin clattered against the stones of the street. The two men held their gaze for the longest time, before Tyr broke the stare down and looked. Nestled on the cobbled stones was the coin, a long faded silhouette of a head still visible on its silver surface.

"Seems you win," Jehu said, when Tyr looked back up at him in shock. The vampire turned on his heel and walked back to where his family waited. Much to his confusion, all of them were smiling at the Elemental. "Good for you."

"Wait—" Pinkie's voice came out over the silence. "That's it?"

Jehu paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Hm? Oh, yeah. You can keep the coin, if you want to."

Tyr stared after him in silence, before looking down at the coin. "…Seems almost…" He trailed off.

"Anticlimactic?" Fenrir offered.

"Pretty much."

"We just decided the fate of the world on a coin toss," Sherry murmured, walking forward and picking up the coin. "…I guess… we win?"

"I think so," Luna agreed.

Aleksa suddenly impacted Tyr from behind, arms going around her son's neck and her face up against his. "Knew you could do it, Snowflake," She murmured, kissing his cheek. "Momma's proud of you."

"WE WON!" Pinkie cried out, loud enough for everyone to hear. As if opening the floodgates, the allied army once again let out a cry of victory that shook Canterlot to the very foundations. Tyr looked up at the jubilant warriors, seeing the banners of the different factions flying over the ruined castle. But above them all flew the argent wolf banner, proud against the bright blue sky. Aurora herself was holding the banner, waving it for all to see. Pride surged through him, a smile breaking out over his face as he watched the warriors gathered under his banner celebrate their hard fought victory. Pinkie gave him a silly, lopsided grin. "Again!"

"It's over," Sherry whispered in surprise, turning around just as Obsidian and Capstone came out to embrace her happily. Carver sprinted over to begin punching Tyr repeatedly in the side while cursing him for taking pointless risks while Etch followed just to watch. Tyr took the abuse with a laugh before sweeping his small guard up in a hug and spinning her around. Celestia and Solstice both let out relieved sighs as the other (former) Elements of Harmony joined the happy crowd. Zecora, hidden in the shadows, gave a small smile before pulling her hood up further and beginning the long trek home. All over, the survivors of the battle for Canterlot let out their stress and jubilation with reckless abandon.

"I hate to interrupt," Cancer said, approaching with her helmet under her arm. Those closest immediately went on guard. Sunset, Chrys, Carver and Etch particularly interposed themselves between Tyr and the new arrival.

Tyr turned to face her, a bit of surprise at seeing the Zodiac knight without her helmet. Beside her was Virgo, the young blonde looking rather torn about the situation. She was Leo's daughter—that much was obvious. With a short motion to his 'guards' to stand down, he moved to stand before the Zodiac Knight. "Er… what is it?"

"My name is Cancer, although I'm not sure if we ever met. I came to offer our surrender, as Leo's second in command," Cancer said, bowing her head. "I will withdraw all of the Zodiac forces immediately. And if I may say as much; you are a very skilled swordsman. Leo was lucky to fight such a great opponent."

"I… thank you."

Virgo stepped forward, a dark blush on her cheeks. "U-Um! Sir Tyr, if I may… did my… did my father say anything before he…"

Tyr blinked. "…Yes he did. He told me to let you know that he loved you."

That seemed to satisfy the girl, and she smiled warmly and backed off. Cancer cleared her throat, but she was also smiling a little. "As I was saying, we will leave. You will have nothing to worry about from the Zodiac ever again."

"And good riddance," Luna said bitterly, folding her arms.

Tyr held up a hand. "Actually, Cancer? One moment."

Cancer paused, frowning just a bit. "What is it?"

"I was thinking… Equus has existed for as long as it has by having both Chaos and Order. If I'm the new Guardian of the plane, I'd like to keep that balance. Meaning I want both sides—Chaos and Order—to be able to come and go from this world as they please."

"Beloved!" Luna hissed, taking his arm. "Is that such a good idea?"

"I actually agree," Harmony said, again overhearing. Beside her was a grinning Jehu, eyes sparkling with mirth. She elbowed him in the side. "With Tyr, I mean. Establishing Equus as a 'jump off point' will keep it balanced. Any exterior threats can be addressed by both Chaos and Order. And that will keep balance through the plane at large."

Luna frowned for a moment, before sighing softly. "I suppose I must acquiesce to the one with more experience. This won't cause a lot of issues in the day to day life of our subjects, will it?"

"No, not at all," Genesis pointed out. "It's like opening up a trade route. And the traders are helping keep the peace."

"If anything, it would make your world much safer when it comes to exterior problems," Mercy pointed out. "We'd be essentially obligated to come help if anything was to happen."

"This time the cavalry is coming," Jehu said with a chuckle.

"I suppose that is good news," Celestia said, joining the group. She was joined by Solstice, who seemed a little nervous at the strange meeting going on in front of him. "So our only crises will be of our own making?"

"Pretty much," Mercy said with a toss of her hair. "And that's how it is."

Harmony smiled. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "We can always finalize everything later. Don't you have a victory party to get to?"

Pinkie nearly burst at the word party, but Tyr reached over and pulled her tight to his side to stifle her. In his embrace, she went about as docile as Chrys. "I would, but there's something I need to do first."

"Do?" Terminus asked. "What is it?"

Tyr turned his attention out of the city, in the direction of the Everfree Forest. A sad look passed over his features. Pinkie seemed to notice without seeing it, her attention quickly turning to him. "…I promised someone a favor, and I can't put it off."

The three Caretakers shared a knowing look. "Go ahead," Harmony said with a smile back at Tyr. "We'll catch up with you later."

"Ah, before you go!" Genesis chuckled nervously. She pointed up to the sky, where the sun still shone brightly above the destroyed city. "…It's actually supposed to be night time here. If you would…?"

All eyes went to the Princess of the Sun. Celestia blushed deeply while Luna gave her sister a tired look. The Princess of the Moon's horn lit up, and slowly the bright sunny day gave way to a more serene night. "Of course."

"Sorry for the inconvenience everyone," Celestia added weakly with a little chuckle.

–x–


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 73: Promises Kept

"I wish we didn't have to come to the Everfree in the dark," Sunset muttered, tugging her foot out of a particularly clingy root.

"We're doing this for Tyr," Rarity reminded her, delicately keeping her own steps small and measured. They were in the middle of the group following Tyr along the path the Jötunheim took when it crashed. The group included all six of Tyr's 'wives', Sherry (who refused to let her father out of her sight), Vanna and Aleksa. Despite it being several hours since the ship went down, the landing side was still steaming hot when they reached it. Tyr and Aleksa couldn't get close without discomfort. In order to search properly, the two Elementals had to blanket the area in a light snowstorm just to cool it down before they could even approach. It gave the normally foreboding atmosphere of the Everfree a more ethereal and mysterious feel to it."…However, I do agree with you. I do _not_ like this place."

"At least the children are safely away from here," Trixie muttered. "They will not have to trudge through this like us."

Pinkie bounced past, completely unaffected by the terrain. "I have a question, Trixie!"

The illusionist blinked, mostly in surprise at Pinkie's nimbleness. "Er, what is it?"

"Where was Audio that whole time? I never saw her!"

"She is still in Wolfhome," Trixie informed her. "She did not want to come along—although I feel she missed out because of that music that began playing…"

"We're getting closer, I can see the ship!" Luna called out from in front of the group with Tyr and Aleksa. She sounded hopeful, before her tone faltered a bit. "Or at least… part of it."

The Jötunheim had torn into several pieces upon landing, due to the structural integrity of the ship being compromised before the crash. The engines had detonated, the psi-metal flaring outwards after superheated energy was forced out of them in what was probably part of Cindy's last attempt to keep the ship from exploding. Tyr looked over the wreckage with a tiny frown on his face. "…Come on every one. I see the main compartment."

"Looks mostly intact," Sunset remarked, looking it over. She frowned, glancing at Tyr. "…One dice roll passed, at least…"

Tyr didn't respond, instead jumping down into the furrow and walking along the rapidly cooling trench to the hunk of psi-steel. The rest of his family followed, Aleksa moving to walk beside her son. "I see an opening there," She murmured, pointing up to one of the massive explosion holes on the hull.

"Okay. Let's head inside," Tyr said, raising a hand. A ramp of ice formed up to the hole. He and Aleksa led the way, followed by Luna, Pinkie and Rarity. Trixie and Sunset followed close behind, Sherry on their heels.

"I'm not certain I understand the importance of this," Trixie confided, leaning close to the vampire. "The ship was useful during the attack, but why does Tyr seem so down about it's loss?"

"It's not just the ship," Sunset replied. "It was Cindy. From what I gather, she was really important to him. She served Tyr's mom before giving him ownership and serving him faithfully."

"She was also part of our home for a long bit," Sherry added, coming up to them. Her eyes were fixed on Tyr's back. "Really… she made it so my dad had a place of his own once he was here, and connected him with his mother again. She was more than just a friend. She was family in a way."

Trixie blinked, before turning to look back at Tyr. "…I see."

The group entered the damaged ship, the sight of the destroyed living room giving them all pause. "…I don't see her," Luna murmured softly. One hand came down on the surviving piece of the central bar. She met gazes with Rarity, who gave her a sad smile and a shake of her head.

"I… had hopes…" Tyr shook his head. He let out a heavy sigh, Luna coming up beside him to rest a hand on his arm.

"…Snowflake? You okay?" His mother asked, coming up on his other side and looking up at him.

"Cindy sacrificed herself for us," Tyr told her softly. "It's just… pretty heavy knowing she gave herself up like that."

Aleksa nodded and put a hand on his arm. "It just goes to show you how dedicated she truly was."

Tyr sighed. "Right. Everyone—split up so we can cover more ground. We need to find the Black Box."

"Is it actually a box or is it just a name?" Sunset asked curiously.

Aleksa shrugged. "I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. I've been told Controllers could make them if the Sanctuaries were in danger, but I've never actually seen one. It's no doubt pretty noticeable, if anything."

"I suppose we'll see it," Luna said, opening her wings and lifting up into the air. "I will search from above. Be safe, all of you."

"I'll help mom," Sherry said. "That way, I can still see you," She directed the last part at her father, who rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead.

"Everyone down here should stay in sight of Luna and Sherry," Tyr pointed out. "If you need help, yell."

The others agreed, and they split up along the wreckage to search. There was a lot of ground to cover, and for a while it seemed like no progress was being made. There were fragments of psi-steel all over, and a few pieces of darker metal stuck in the ground around the far end of the crash site. However, Tyr began finding pieces of what looked to be stone and cut wood. "That's odd," Tyr muttered, looking around. "Was there a house or something here?"

"Did we hit the shaman's home?" Fenrir asked from his shoulder.

Tyr paused, eyes narrowing. "No, wait. I remember. There was a village here… That cursed village. The one with zombies."

"Didn't we mean to come back and destroy it?"

"I think we got sidetracked somewhere. I think. Stone Ponies maybe?"

"Most likely."

"The human…" A voice hissed from the darkness. Tyr glanced around towards the tree line, seeing dozens of red eyes peering out at him.

"Oh yes," Fenrir said lazily. "Zombies."

The undead slowly marched out of the woods, just as gruesome and disgusting as ever. "You changed us!" The one in front moaned. "You stole our bodies and gave us these!"

"I actually still don't know what happened with that one," Tyr said thoughtfully. "Fen?"

"No idea. We should have asked Jehu when we had the chance."

"Enough!" The lead zombie growled. "You'll die now—and we'll be finally purified!"

Tyr sighed. "I should have dealt with this a while ago. You want to handle this one, Fen?"

"With pleasure!" The Chaos Spirit said with a happy bark, leaping off his shoulder and transforming into her wolf form. Beside her formed the Pack. [I shall see you shortly, Blood Brother]

The wolves let out a howl, and charged into the mass of zombies. The undead tried to fight back, but eventually they were being hunted back into the forest. Tyr watched them go, before turning back to the wreckage of the Jötunheim. "Now… where to next?" He muttered, moving towards one of the larger pieces. Then he noticed something about the crash site. There was a secondary path scored slightly on an angle to the others.

Seized by curiosity, Tyr followed the path. It was a bit hidden in the trees, so he had to push aside a lot of tree limbs and foliage. It only took a minute before a large and rather round silvery object came into view. It was perfectly spherical, and made of a much lighter color metal than the rest of the ship. Tyr moved up to it, gently reaching over to place his hand against it's surface. The moment his skin contacted it, the surface seemed to ripple like water. Then, a black line appeared about the circumference and it opened. Water poured out of it, making Tyr hop back out of surprise. A longer channel seemed to open from the opening down, letting all the water inside out. He watched in silence as the water poured out in a stream, finally petering out after a few seconds. "What was this for…?"

Tyr moved back over to the sphere, which began opening wider. A hard-light screen appeared with WARNING in bright red letters. Under it was another line of text that read: 'Containment Breach'. Before he could question it further, he noticed the cracks along the outside of the sphere. Then, something slipped out of the opening.

An arm.

"What the hell?" Tyr said, walking closer to peer inside. Through the slightly arm sized opening, he saw a shock of red hair. There was a woman slumped up against the inside of the sphere, and Tyr couldn't see her breathing. "Oh crap. _Avatar_!"

Tyr's magical construct flared into existence, hooking its fingers into the orb and forcing it open wider. The Elemental himself pulled the woman out of the sphere, cradling her in his arms as he gently lowered her to the ground. He felt his breath catch. The woman in his arms looked almost exactly like Cindy, from the hair to her appearance and everything, except for the fact she was completely naked. Further inspection showed she was actually slightly smaller, almost childlike in size but womanlike in form. But she wasn't moving, and her skin was cold and clammy. "Cin… Cindy…?"

She didn't move or respond, simply laid there immobile. Tyr heard Fenrir padding up behind him. [Is that…?] He heard her think.

"It is," Tyr said, eyes wide. "…I think. But… she's not waking up…"

[Look, look at her neck]

Tyr pulled aside her matted hair to reveal two sets of four thin barely visible lines on either side of her neck. "Are… are those… gills?"

"Beloved!" Luna and the others arrived then, hurrying through the overgrowth to him. "We sensed your magic, what happened—who is that?"

"Dad?" Sherry moved closer, eyes wide. "Is… is that…?"

"I need water!" Tyr said quickly, standing back up with the girl held close to his chest. "Quickly!"

"There was a river down that way," Vanna said, pointing. Tyr took off in that direction at a run, the others following after a second of confusion.

Tyr's constructs sliced through the overgrowth, tearing a path for the somewhat frantic Elemental. He wasn't sure how long something that breathed in water could survive without it, but if it was anything like breathing air it would only be a couple minutes. And that's if drying out didn't cripple the girl further. To his immense relief, he heard the river before he saw it, and then a few strides more found him standing on the bank. Without breaking stride, he jumped into the water and sunk under the surface.

"Dad…?" Sherry called out as she and the rest of her family made it to the river. "Did he… did he jump in?"

The moment she said that, Tyr burst from under the water, gasping for air. In his arms was the red haired girl, hair matted to her face. He hurriedly smoothed her hair out of the way. "Cindy? Come on Cindy, I'm not getting all hopeful just to lose you a _second_ time…!"

"Tyr…" Luna began, walking towards the riverside, but Pinkie caught her arm. When the dark haired woman looked at her in confusion, the Element of Laughter silently shook her head. "Pinkie?"

A choking gasp got them all to look back at the river, where the girl in Tyr's arms had suddenly snapped to life, hands scratching at her throat and her all black eyes wide as saucers. "You're okay, you're okay!" Tyr said hurriedly, trying to gently hold her thin wrists so she couldn't hurt herself. She felt like glass in his arms, surprisingly fragile and light. "You're safe! I've got you!"

The girl's eyes snapped to him, and she calmed down almost immediately, going from panicked to in silent awe. She opened her mouth to speak, but only managed a choking noise. "She can't… she can't speak?" Sunset murmured.

The girl frowned, before suddenly dunking herself back into the water. Tyr looked after her worriedly, until she resurfaced. She spit a very off colored liquid out of her mouth before curling up against him. "I… I can now…"

Her voice was softer and somewhat squeaky, much higher in pitch than Cindy's had been. Tyr blinked. "Are you… are you Cindy?"

The girl shook her head. "…No. Central formed me upon the inevitable event of the ship being lost."

" _She's_ the Black Box?" Sunset asked, incredulous. "You're kidding."

"Lady Terminus once told me some magical races make living Grimoires to keep spells and whatnot," Vanna said thoughtfully. "I guess Observers do the same thing?"

The girl in Tyr's arms nodded at that. "I am… the Black Core. The Central Controller of the Jötunheim created me to store all the information the Sanctuary held."

"And now artificial life," Rarity said softly, eyes wide. "Twilight will be beside herself."

Tyr moved closer to the bank of the river, keeping the girl with him as all the others crowded around. She didn't seem to put off by all the attention, simply keeping herself mostly submerged in the water and against Tyr. "So… do you have a name?" Pinkie asked. "It would be kinda weird to call you Black Box. I think I already know somepony named that."

The girl nodded. "The Central Controller named me… Ishanvi. That was what she named me."

"What exactly are you?" Sunset asked, kneeling by the water side. One hand came up to pull aside a thick strand of reddish hair to reveal the gills. "You're humanoid, but you've got gills and all…"

"I think… I'm a naiad, from what I can tell," Ishanvi said softly. She held up a hand, looking over her thin fingers with eyes wide. Between her fingers was a thin membrane. "I can hardly breathe without water, and I don't have a tail, so I'm not a mermaid."

Rarity looked confused. "But why would she make you a naiad?"

"Because all Controllers come from the elemental races," Aleksa said knowingly. She smiled over at Ishanvi as the naiad once again dropped her face under the waterline. She kept her eyes above, just to keep watching everyone. "And in particular, Cindy was a naiad herself when she was alive."

"And she looks like a very young version of Cindy herself," Chrys pointed out. "So can we consider this one Cindy's… daughter?"

"That would be the easiest solution," Ishanvi said, pulling up above the water to speak.. She curled a little tighter against Tyr. "…I'd like that."

"She's so adorable!" Pinkie squealed.

"Although now we have yet another woman clinging to my Beloved," Luna said with an exasperated sigh. She looked over at her husband's sheepish expression with a mixture of amusement and tiredness. "I know you don't do it on purpose, but could you perhaps…not?"

"He could always find some handsome men to befriend," Rarity said with a small smile. "It would certainly be nice to have _him_ be the jealous one for once."

Tyr coughed. "Now girls…"

"Now why would you be the one to suggest adding more men?" Chrys asked teasingly. "Is our beloved Master not enough for you?"

Rarity blushed darkly. "O-Of course he is~ I am never unsatisfied with Tyr as my—oh I walked right into that one."

"Yes, just like walking right into my Master's bed."

Pinkie giggled. "That one too!"

Tyr sighed. " _Girls_ …"

Ishanvi shook her head. "Do not fear, Miss Luna. Any feelings I have for Lord Tyr are purely familial. I suppose I see him more like an uncle than anything else. I'm simply trying to stay warm."

Tyr chuckled. "You went from barely speaking to as eloquent as Rarity. Plus, should I put you somewhere warmer? I'm an Ice Elemental—you can't be that warm up against me."

"You'd be surprised," The naiad whispered. "You radiate love like a furnace."

Chrys snickered at that. "So what are we going to do now?" Trixie asked, looking around nervously at the woods. "We certainly aren't going to leave her here?"

"We're obviously taking her with us," Tyr said immediately, frowning. He looked down to meet Ishanvi's large eyes staring up at him. He reached up to smooth away her matted hair, smiling as she cutely scrunched up her face as he did so. "But she needs water…"

"What about the sphere you found her in?" Chrys asked, gesturing back the way they had come.

Vanna grinned. "I can carry it if you fill it with water."

"Filling it would be easy~!" Aleksa sang, giggling.

"But what about what happens when we get home?" Sherry asked. "The nearest river to Wolfhome isn't that close."

Tyr smirked. "I believe I have a solution for that."

–x–x–

Wolfhome was bustling for once, and it wasn't due to traders. With the city of Canterlot nearly levelled due to all of the fighting and the crash of the _Conqueror_ , a lot of the civilians had been displaced. Canterlot Castle itself was more or less ruined, and so the Allied army and the civilians of Canterlot found themselves taking refuge in the stone city. The Stonekin were nothing if not gracious hosts, adding on more living space and other buildings to allow the refugees a place to stay. The Ursa and Wulfen had gone back to their caves and warrens dug into the side of the mountain, with medical personnel led by Grace teaching the other two races better ways to treat injury. The Changelings stood ready for any order either Tyr or Chrysalis gave. Equestria was preserved, and now all they had to do was rebuild.

But before that…

Fireworks exploded over the castle, courtesy of an absolutely elated Jubilee as the victory celebration kicked off with gusto. Nearly everything party related had been pulled out of storage so Pinkie could throw her biggest, greatest, and most impressive party yet. Attracted by the smell of food, the Ursa came looking and ended up helping move larger pieces of food and equipment for music. The Wulfen were also drawn out, curious as to Equestrian celebratory habits. They had been conscripted too, if only to help prepare the fish and other meat for the meat eaters. Vanna had lent herself as a massive stove, quickly roasting anything that was brought to her and letting smaller foodstuffs be grilled on her heated exterior. On top of all that, the Changelings had taken to social life well, donning maid and butler outfits that seemed to appear out of nowhere and serving all those that came.

"I'm surprised this worked," Chrys murmured, adjusting her own maid outfit. It was far more extravagant and decorative than the others, and she wore a silver tiara atop her head. Her new collar was displayed proudly on her neck, a new silver heart hanging from the front. It was also heavily enchanted, protected from wear and tear and even fire. No one knew except for her Master, herself, and Lady Harmony, the one who had enchanted it (claiming she did in fact owe Tyr a favor).

"I think anything with Pinkie at the head of it will come to pass eventually," Sunset agreed. She'd cleaned up as well, in an outfit that one would assume to see a proper lady wearing. Although she had opted for pants instead of a dress, she had still allowed Ancè to tie up her hair in a short yet high ponytail. Like the other members of Tyr's herd, she wore the Wolfhome crest on her collar. "She's like a force of nature when it comes to parties."

Trixie, also with the other two women, looked over at that. Her outfit was rather modest, although she had appropriated a somewhat large magician's hat and decorated it with stars. Her crest was pinned to the hat as well. "Pinkie actually did all of this? On her own?"

Sunset shook her head. "I think Jubilee was in on it too, considering she is Pinkie's mini-me. And then Twilight and her friends were helping out there too…"

"Those six seem to somehow manage to get things done if they try," Chrys said with a nod. "I respect their ingenuity."

"Not just because they beat you once?" Sunset asked with a grin.

Trixie made a noise in the back of her throat. "Haven't we all been beaten by them actually?" She queried dryly.

"Holy crap," Sunset murmured, as she and Chrys shared a short look. "With Luna, we're like a villain harem!"

"Harem is such a fun word," Chrys giggled. "We all have sex with the same guy and it's _acceptable_ andnot _weird_!"

Sunset and Trixie stared at her for a long minute. "You are by far the kinkiest woman I have ever talked to," Sunset remarked.

Chrysalis however, was unperturbed. "I consider that a compliment. Besides, I only truly desire my Master's approval. Although I do enjoy my time with you and the others as well."

"We all are a bunch of misfits, hm?" Trixie admitted with a little giggle. She looked out over the crowd, watching the revelry continue. "Being part of something like this… something so big… It's a different feeling from travelling alone."

"We all have someplace to belong now, huh?" Sunset smiled. "Changelings. Wolves. Stonekin. Ursa. Equestrians. A couple Dragons too, and don't forget Elementals. So many races represented here, and they're all here because of him."

Trixie nodded, attention straying to the statue of Tyr, carved in stone by Carver herself in the stone gateway that stood in the center of the keep's gate. The Lord of Wolfhome stood resolute in his typical armor, Fimbulvinter point first before him and Valor perched on his shoulder. Around his feet lurked a pack of wolves, their readiness to strike captured in every cut of the stone. "…A King under the Mountain indeed."

"Carver said she was going to do more," Chrys remarked, smiling. "An addition to the statue for each member of the herd, and another relief in the Crypt for the children. Something about them holding up the Tree of Harmony."

"A very interesting idea. And she is very skilled at what she does."

As they stood there, a Changeling flew over, hovering close to her ear to speak to her. The newly named Head Maid of Wolfhome sighed. "I believe I must leave you two. I have a small army of maids to direct."

Sunset tilted her head, folding her arms across her chest. "You don't seem all that put off by it."

Chrys smirked. "My Master was very… disturbed when I introduced the new uniforms of his castle staff. However whenever I pout enough he can't refuse me. Or rather, he can't refuse Cordelia."

"Ha! I see. Wolfy has a soft spot for his kids."

"Of course he does," Chrys said, heading off. "I shall see you both around!"

The remaining two women waved as the Changeling left. She wandered down into the crowd, joining a small group of waiting Changelings near one of the refreshment tables. A few short motions from their new Queen had them scurrying away to follow her orders. "She's… quite at home in this situation," Trixie said thoughtfully.

"She's a Changeling," Sunset said, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Being able to adapt to any situation is a strong point of hers."

"And us?"

Sunset's gaze found Grim Project and his sister, lurking on the edges of the festivities. The necromancer had acted valiantly in defense of Wolfhome, although he had been punished with a very flowery and bright colored hat because he had made zombies without Tyr's permission. The punishment wasn't much, but it made it hard for the dark colored man to avoid attention. He glanced her way, nodded respectfully, and led his sister off to another area. "Well, we could simply hang out on the fringes. I've never been one for crowds myself. You?"

"I was a performer. I regularly stood in front of crowds."

"And yet you're still over here with me."

Trixie frowned. "Are you adverse to my company? I can leave."

Sunset chuckled. "No, no, I'm just teasing you."

"Hm…"

"Enjoying the festivities?" The two women turned to see Luna approaching, the Midnight Princess in full regalia and looking as breathtaking as the night sky. Behind her trailed one of the Stonekin, specifically Etch. The Stonekin was in full dress uniform, a suit and tie outfit with the Vanguard's colors and a half cape covering her left arm. It no doubt a new design made by Rarity. Luna stopped just short of them, a small smile on her face. "I see you two are together this evening."

"We started off with each other," Sunset said with a shrug. "I needed a drink before all of this started and Wolfy wasn't available."

"Wolfy?" Etch repeated, eyebrow raised.

Luna chuckled. "That is Sunset's pet name for Tyr. And he is rather busy at the moment, isn't he?"

Trixie blinked. "What is he doing?"

The Princess of Dreams chuckled. "Getting ready."

"…For what?"

"I'm not allowed to tell. But I see my sister, so I need to speak with her. Would you like to join me?"

Sunset and Trixie shared a short look, before shrugging and following the dark haired woman as she moved towards the crowd. Princess Celestia stood out just as much as her sister, bright and shining like a star in the midst of all the gathered races. Beside her was Solstice, the former thief attempting to make himself less noticeable in his simple black suit. It only managed to make him stand out even more, especially since Ace and Heart Song were also there, wearing colors that matched their adoptive mother's.

"Well, if it isn't the Moon Princess herself," Ace said in greeting, grinning widely. His knight uniform was largely unchanged, except for the extra red band near his collar. His arm was in a sling, and he had a few bandages here and there, but he was still whole. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, with rest," Luna admitted with a smile. She turned to her sister. "And you?"

"Recovering still," Celestia said with a sigh. "I am thankful to the children for saving me from that curse, but even now I still feel the after effects."

Luna nodded, understanding. "I know the feeling. Now you know why I was unable to help with any governing duties right after I returned."

"Too true."

"Hold on," Sunset said, glancing around Luna. "Heart Song? I haven't seen you in a while."

The snow haired girl giggled softly. "I've been somewhat busy. I'm sure you heard me singing during the battle?"

"Yeah, I meant to ask about that," Sunset asked. "How did you manage that? I know your magic is pretty strong, but not strong enough to be heard over the whole city like that."

"I had a little help from someone named Read Write. He was blessed by Lady Genesis."

"…huh. Where is she?"

"The gentle green giant giving kids rides over there," Ace said with a chuckle, pointing off in one direction. Sure enough, the giant Caretaker was wandering around the festival grounds, a least a half dozen children on her shoulders and arms. Her laughter could be heard even where they were standing.

"She's been healing a lot of people lately," Song said, watching the giantess walk carefully through the crowd. "She seems to be rather kind."

Luna nodded. "I see. I hope she hasn't been too busy then."

"Seems like she hasn't been," Sunset said with a chuckle.

Ace glanced around. "Where's Tyr? I expected him to be around with you."

"He's in the castle with Rarity and Ancè," Luna informed them.

"Hm. Must be something going on…"

"Excuse me," A soft voice called for their attention. They turned to find Terminus standing there, a lace black umbrella over her head. "I was looking for someone named Ace. Vanna sent me?"

"That's me," Ace said, pointing at himself. "Sir Ace Guard at your service, ma'am. What did you need?"

Terminus walked over to stand in front of him. She gestured to him with one gloved hand. "Come close. I'm going to sing in your ear."

Ace looked at her curiously, but didn't refuse. He leaned down to her and waited patiently. Terminus leaned in extremely close, cupping her hands to her mouth and his ear. They stayed like that for a minute, Ace's face going from confused to interested to awestruck. A minute or two later and Terminus finally stopped. "…Holy crap."

"Did you enjoy it?" Terminus tilted her head to the side. "Vanna said you would."

"I did indeed!" Ace grinned. He took her gloved hand in his and gently placed a kiss on it. "Thank you for that, Lady Gray."

Terminus nodded with a tiny smile. "I simply enjoy knowing that others enjoy my song as much as I do. Thank you, Ace Guard. And be very careful with the hands you decide to kiss. If mine was not gloved, you'd have perished on the spot." With that, the Caretaker bowed slightly and walked off, making a beeline for a table of sweets.

"They are very peculiar people," Celestia said thoughtfully. "So far, The Eldest is a giant, the middle child is a powerful mage, and the youngest carries the very sense of death about her like a shroud."

"And they're all Tyr's friends," Sunset pointed out.

Ace shrugged. "I mean, considering who else he's befriended…" He gestured off in a direction, indicating where Jubilee was showing a group of Ursa, Wulfen and Qirin her fireworks.

"I see…" Luna murmured, glancing down at the ground. The very grass where Terminus had walked was wilted, although it was slowly returning to normal. "Such peculiar company our friends keep…"

Etch suddenly straightened up, attention going to the castle. "…It seems Carver's given the signal. Lady Luna? Lady Celestia? Would you mind following me?"

"Both of us?" Celestia said, confused. "What do you need us for?"

"Well to be perfectly honest, I need Lady Sunset and Lady Lulamoon to join us as well."

"Lady Lulamoon?" Trixie repeated, confused.

Etch chuckled. "It's easier than trying to call you all 'Lady Winter'."

Three women blushed immediately. Celestia chuckled softly. "I see. Where are we going?"

"The Crypt. Lord Tyr awaits us below." With that, Etch turned to leave. She paused suddenly, casting a glance behind her. "…The others are allowed to come as well, just to let you know."

"I've always wanted to see this so called 'Crypt'," Celestia pointed out as their group followed after the silver clad Shaper. Stonekin saluted them as they passed, respect for the Vanguard shooting through the roof after the battle for Canterlot. In particular, Carver and Etch had become like legends—the latter taking almost singular command of the Stonekin while Tyr was incapacitated, and the former holding one of the flanks of the allied army against a division of Zodiac troops with only the Vanguard to back her up.

Etch led them to the keep, pausing momentarily to greet the two guards at the stone doors that led to the Crypt. They wore black cloaks with hoods, and opened the doors to let them pass. "New positions?" Sunset asked.

"A last request from Serenity," Etch said softly.

Luna had paused in front of one of the Crypt guards, eyes slightly narrowed. "Hold a moment… Mitta? Is that you?"

"It is, Princess," The pony-turned Stonekin said, pulling down her hood. She had a long scar running across one eye, but she still smiled at the Lunar Princess. "I'm surprised you recognize me."

"You have a particular aura," Luna pointed out. "Why are you a Crypt Guard now?"

Mitta smiled sheepishly. "I already have a… connection to the dead, as you can remember. Plus, taking care of the dead seems a worthwhile job and it doesn't bother me any."

Luna nodded. "I see. As long as you find yourself comfortable. I hope you enjoy your job."

Mitta nodded. "Of course! Now, please go on inside. Lord Tyr and the others are waiting on you."

"Others?" Celestia repeated, confused.

"It will make sense once you go inside."

They resumed following Etch, looking about at the lighted pathway that led into the Crypt proper. "This place is actually pretty cool," Solstice murmured from hi spot behind Celestia. "First time being in a tomb and actually being invited…"

"That's really telling, dad," Sunset said with a sigh.

"I think the fact your father actually raided tombs very interesting," Celestia admitted. "He's… rather well travelled."

Solstice grinned at his daughter. "See Sunny? Your future mother in law likes me for me."

"I think the fact that she's going to be my mother in law is still more terrifying," Sunset pointed out grimly.

The group reached the main chamber of the Crypt and almost all of them gasped at the sight in front of them. In the center of the much larger cavern was the newly grown Tree of Harmony, the branches appearing to hold up the roof of the chamber and the roots seemed to keep the floor together. The Shaper sculptors had apparently taken that design into account, for the entire room sported designs of roots and a sky motif adorned the ceiling. Around the base were very lifelike statues of the seven Elements of Harmony, all together standing protectively in front of the tree. Standing near the Tree was Tyr, the Wolf Lord looking up at the tree with an unreadable expression. He was dressed rather casually, but still wore his mother's cloak about his shoulders. Along with him were Logic, Discord, Cancer, Jehu, and Harmony. "Beloved?" Luna called out experimentally.

Tyr glanced back, smiling at seeing her. "Ah, Mani. And Tia. Glad you two came down."

"You know I would never let you down, Lord Tyr," Etch pointed out.

"Of course not."

"Where's Carver?" Sunset asked. "Ever since we got back from Canterlot, she's been like your shadow."

"I'm here," Carver called from one of the far walls. She was standing beside a seated Rarity, who waved slightly.

"Are you alright, Rarity?" Luna asked, her concern evident on her face as she went over to the woman. "You seem… uneasy."

"My…" Rarity coughed lightly, lowering her voice once Luna was close. A dark blush crept into her pale cheeks. "My legs are rather… numb."

Luna blinked. Then she blushed darkly, sparing Carver a glance as the Stonekin let a tiny smirk touch at her lips. "I-I see. That's… well then."

There was the sound of footsteps at the entrance, heralding Harrier's arrival with the seven new Elements of Harmony, Aleron and Aurora. "I brought them," Harrier announced.

"Dad!" Aurora called out upon spotting him. She flew to him, embracing him with a happy giggle. "Guess what, guess what!"

"What?" Tyr asked with a smile, patting her head. Due to magical and physical exhaustion, Tyr had spent most of yesterday asleep or in bed, letting Carver relay messages to him. Not that he was needed—Pinkie had gotten everything ready for the festival pretty much on her own. Anything else was handled by one of the other members of his herd. The only one of his kids that had actually seen him was Sherry, and that's because she had refused to leave him alone until she had fallen asleep herself.

Aurora beamed, happiness literally radiating off of her. "Look!"

She tugged at her skirt, pulling it aside to show him her hip. Emblazoned there was a pale blue emblem of waving flag with a half sun emblem in the center. The half sun radiated light from one side while the other was nestled into a crescent moon. "You got your Cutie Mark?" Tyr said, blinking in surprise.

"Mmhm! Ancè saw it when we took a bath before going to bed! And guess what?"

Tyr chuckled, messing up her hair a little. "What is it, my little cub?"

"Al got his too!"

"He did?" Tyr shot his son a curious look, which was returned with a nod.

"It's a book with the reverse of Ro's half sun on it," Aleron informed him. The young man shrugged. "I think it showed up right as I killed the Nightmare Curse."

"I think mine came when I got all the Stonekin to get off their butts!" Aurora said happily.

Carver coughed in order to hide her quiet laugh. "I heard the little Wolf Princess did that. I'm simply mad I wasn't there to see it."

Aurora frowned slightly, looking over at the Shaper. "Hold on, where were you anyway Carver? I never saw you during the battle."

"I, along with a group of the Vanguard, were tasking to cover Sherry's flank during the battle," Carver pointed out with a small nod. She spared Tyr an amused glance. "Considering we were tasked by Lord Tyr himself to protect his eldest daughter, I suppose our sense of Duty overwrote the despair from losing the Seer."

Celestia cleared her throat. "I hate to interrupt, but why were we all called? And the children as well?"

Tyr gave his sister in law a small smile. "I'll explain in a second. Pinkie should be getting Twilight and the others."

As if summoned, Pinkie came bouncing down into the chamber, followed by Twilight and the remainder of the former Elements of Harmony. "I brought them!" She said happily.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, confused.

Rainbow scowled. "And what's Discord and that Zodiac dude doing here?"

Cancer held up a hand. "We're on… friendly terms now," She explained.

"Seems like a mighty quick change of heart if ya ask me," Applejack said while folding her arms. "Weren't y'all just trying to kill us?"

"On Leo's orders. I won't ask you to fully trust me, but because Tyr is now Guardian of this world, I am obligated to help protect this world. To be honest, I do not harbor any ill will towards any of you."

"If anything, we're working together for the time being," Jehu said. "And on that note, Tyr? Is everyone you wanted here?"

"Almost," Tyr replied.

Vanna and Charlie were the last to arrive, Sherry trailing behind them. The pink haired girl spotted her dad, made a beeline to him, and took hold of his arm. "Seems a party is going on down here," the dragoness said. She'd dressed up, complete with makeup and jewelry. Apparently she was embracing her new feminine body to the fullest. Charlie was in a dress as well, although hers was a bit more modest than her mother's.

"That's everyone," Tyr said, gently stroking his eldest daughter's head. "Shall we get started?"

"I'll begin," Harmony said, stepping forward to where everyone could see her. "The first matter that must be addressed is the state of your world."

"Our world?" Celestia repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Considering how many individuals from outside your world have arrived, surely you can't think you've escaped unscathed," Terminus pointed out. "Have you not questioned what gave you your new bodies?"

"Questioned? Yes," Twilight said with a frown. "But we really didn't have time to worry about it."

"Equus was protected by a veil of sorts," Logic explained moving up beside Harmony. "A veil I designed long ago to keep extra-planar threats from threatening the world I cared so much for."

"I helped with that, of course," Discord pointed out proudly.

Logic gave her brother a tiny smirk. "Yes, Discord helped me."

"Explains why I didn't even know this place existed for so long," Jehu pointed out. "And then I only happened to find it because of random chance."

"I can believe that," Tyr remarked.

"But then Tyr managed to find this place without even trying," Jehu continued, waving a hand around. "No idea how."

"It was the Sanctuary and his mother's magic," A soft, slightly squeaky voice said. There was a splash of water, and Ishanvi swam down one of the water ways that lined the room. She peeked out from the edge of the water. "I'm sorry I'm late, Master Tyr. I'm still getting used to the channels…"

Tyr chuckled. Upon returning to Wolfhome, Tyr had immediately gathered his best stone carvers to make their home capable of sustaining Ishanvi's peculiarity. Within a day they had carved in channels that were like stone tubes. A few spells and ice brought in by the two resident elementals filled them with water. Once she was placed in them, she then had free reign of the castle. Typically she liked to stay wherever Tyr was. "It's fine, Ishanvi. Everyone, this is my new Chronicler, Ishanvi. We made the waterways for her specifically."

Ishanvi dipped her head respectfully. "I am a Naiad, therefore I cannot function very well without water."

"We're working to fix that, but it might take a bit," Vanna pointed out.

Jehu had walked over to kneel in front of Ishanvi, a small smile on his face. "Well, it's been years since I saw a Naiad. How exactly did Tyr come across you?"

"The Controller of my Sanctuary created her as a means to preserve the knowledge," Tyr informed him, watching as the odd man gently pet his new Chronicler. Satisfied, Jehu straightened back up and went back to where he could stand beside Harmony.

Ishanvi nodded, frowning slightly. Tyr moved over beside her to fix her hair for her. "I was made to retain any and all knowledge in order to assist my Master."

"More of this Master business…" Sunset muttered. "Tyr, do you have a fetish you haven't told me about?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow at her. "And if I did, what would change?"

The vampire blinked, before sheepishly looking away. "Uh… nothing…?"

Luna cleared her throat. "Beloved? Time and Place?"

"Sorry love," Tyr said with a chuckle. "Anyway, back to what we were actually talking about. Logic?"

The lamia nodded. "Ah yes. The veil has fallen—our world is now exposed to outside influence."

"And that destabilized the delicate balance we had going here," Discord huffed, folding his arms. "Our reality is based around the constant struggle of Chaos and Order. Tossing more ingredients into the mix did not help at all. And when all sorts of people came through from outside, you just poked holes into the bubble!"

"So everything started with Tyr?" Twilight asked, confused. Then her eyes widened. "Oh…! Tyr, I didn't mean to imply…!"

"No, I get it," Tyr said, holding up a hand to forestall the oncoming apology. He looked to Logic. "So did my coming here start all this?"

The lamia shook her head. "You did poke a hole, yes, but it was something that could be patched up within a couple days. It is due to the massive amount of energy that surged through our world in a single instance."

"It was rather… _Chaotic_ , if you catch my drift," Discord said, slithering across to behind Sherry. He grinned at her. "You picking up what I'm putting down?"

Sherry frowned at him, before her eyes widened. "You don't mean… Alice's birth?"

"Etro reached into this world to give you that little spirit," Jehu said, for once losing his cheery demeanor. He looked deadly serious. "The Goddess of Reality herself touched you, kid. That's some serious stuff right there."

"That's who that was?" A horrified Sherry reached up to hold her hand to her heart. "…Oh dear."

Harmony looked grim. "I suppose it's fine, considering you're alive and still whole. You… are whole, right?"

"I… I think I am." The pink haired girl shivered lightly, walking over to her father and gripping his hand tightly. Tyr instead pulled her into a one armed hug of reassurance.

"Regardless," Terminus's soft voice cut in. "Alice—Curiosity's—birth tore a massive rend in the veil about your world. One that would have caused a full collapse, given the amount of chaotic energy that suddenly flowed in."

"We… we almost all died because of that little shrimp?" Rainbow asked, incredulous.

"Pretty much," Genesis admitted.

Terminus nodded grimly. "This sort of thing is typically unstoppable, especially with Etro being involved."

"Good job, shrimp," Rainbow muttered. "You almost killed us before the Zodiac did."

"Hey, neither I nor Alice asked for this," Sherry countered, glancing down to where the little spirit was sitting in her shirt pocket. Alice looked somewhat sad, so she gently patted her head. "You were a surprise, Alice, but you were not a bad thing."

"We're not blaming you or Alice, Sherry," Twilight said. "But… what saved us?"

The three Caretakers, pointed at Jehu. "That would be me again," The man said with a grin and raising his hand.

Celestia looked confused. "So what exactly did you do?"

Jehu looked thoughtful, reaching up to rub his hand against his chin. "Well, it just so happened that there was a similar plane to this one that had been stripped of what little magic it had. Without it's magic, it would collapse in no time. So… I kinda used it to patch this one up. With it matching up with individuals and whatnot, it was as simple as… well, not simple, but you see the end result."

"Similar plane?" Sunset frowned. "You mean… like… like a parallel one?"

"Somewhat," Jehu agreed. He shrugged. "Lucky for you guys, it was one where you guys had human counterparts. It was already on the verge of collapsing, so using the residual energy from Alice's birth was enough to let me merge the two. Although I did lose an arm for it," He admitted, holding up his left arm. It was currently covered in white runic symbols, and looked almost… out of place.

"…You still have an arm," Applejack said.

"Hey, I have the magical capability to bend reality to my will," Jehu countered imperiously, folding his arms. "Being able to warp time back to when I had an arm and forcing reality to accept that I have one _now_ is no small feat!"

Tyr chuckled at that, but a glance to the side showed him Sunset's horrified expression. Solstice had noticed too, and took a tentative step towards his daughter. "Sunny…? Something wrong?"

"That… other world… Was there a version of Celestia that was a high school principal?"

Jehu blinked. "Hm? I think so. Not completely sure. I remember a high school and all."

"Oh god," Sunset whispered, clinging to Luna's arm. "…That world… is… is gone…?"

Luna put a comforting arm around the vampire's shoulders as Jehu frowned slightly. The Arbiter of Chaos seemed a bit caught off guard by Sunset's reaction. "…I had to merge its characteristics with this one. In theory, I saved both worlds, but…"

"Everyone I knew is… gone."

"Not gone," Twilight said, walking over to the distraught vampire. She gave her a weak smile as she gently took hold of Sunset's hands. "I'm sad too. But they're not gone. They were us, right? So even if that world doesn't exist anymore, we still do. And we're still your friends."

"Twilight's right!" Pinkie bounced over as well. "We're your friends! And technically, I'm family, but yeah!"

Sunset stared at them both for a moment before looking up to meet the gazes of the other four (former) Elements of Harmony. They were all smiling at her reassuringly. "We're still here for you, partner," Applejack pointed out.

The vampiress stared at them for a moment longer before nodding weakly. "Yeah, you're… you're right…"

"Don't forget about me," Tyr pointed out. When she looked at him in confusion, he grinned. "I told you that you had a family now, Sunset. You've got all of us."

"Not everyone was lost," Jehu said thoughtfully. "My ex-wife Rhian found a couple pure-blood vampires there and took them back to her world."

"Ex-wife?" Twilight muttered, confused.

Sunset perked up. "Wait. The Fluttershy in that world… she was a vampire. She's the reason I was turned. She… might have survived?"

"I became a vampire?" Fluttershy squeaked.

Mercy gave a noncommittal shrug. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. We'd have to ask Rhian."

Jehu coughed. "Back to my point from earlier…Equus needs the Tree of Harmony. As far as I've been able to tell, Etro's direct influence ono this world ruined whatever natural protection you all used to have, and now you're like a house with no door. Anybody can just walk in."

"Not exactly anybody," a voice pointed out. Everyone looked around before Aurora squeaked in surprise and pointed at the floor. Mercy's head was peeking out at them from Jehu's shadow, the only part of her that was even out of the ground. Mercy continued, her entire body rising out of the ground as she spoke. "Only those with magical power like one of your Princesses could manage it without a proper gate."

"That's creepy," Aleron muttered.

Mercy shrugged. "Sort of a racial thing."

"My wife brings up a good point—I wanted to suggest building a Gate," Jehu said, leaning over to kiss Mercy on the cheek. She smirked, before leaning against him to rest her chin on his shoulder. He looked back at the Tree. "This Tree is capable of protecting your world from the errant invader or so. But if anyone as strong as say, Luna wants to come… you wouldn't be able to stop them."

"So what do we do?" Sunset asked. "And why do you want to build this gate thing?"

"Worlds with Gates are held in high regard," Terminus said. "Currently, there are only two—Jehu's world Nexus and Rhiannon's Dolwyddelan. Yours would be the third."

Luna folded her arms. "And does this benefit us?"

"All Gate worlds are protected by both Order and Chaos," Cancer pointed out, reminding them all she was there. The healer folded her arms. "Our leader—our true leader, of all Order Mages in general—generally spends his time in Nexus. He would no doubt find his way here, in time."

Jehu grinned. "We go drinking together sometimes."

Cancer nodded. "But if your world was in danger, both Order and Chaos would stand ready to help you."

"As long as the threat is from _outside_ ," Harmony pointed out. "Otherwise, they would be required to stand by unless the threat might spread to other worlds."

"Or directly threatening us," Mercy added.

"There's a lot of legal tape around this, isn't there…" Sunset muttered.

"We can go through it another time," Jehu said with a shrug. "Now that your world isn't in danger of collapsing anymore, you've got plenty of time."

Luna frowned. "So… what was your suggestion?"

"We'll establish a Gate here," Tyr said. And on the other note, we're all taking on a new duty. We'll be the new Guardians of the Tree of Harmony."

"I kinda expected that," Aurora pointed out. "Evie and the others are the new Elements, after all."

"But there's two Elements of Kindness?" Fluttershy asked, looking at her daughter and Cori still standing together. "I didn't think that was possible."

Logic sniffed. "Anything is possible."

"What caused the other world to fall apart, if you don't mind my asking?" Twilight spoke up suddenly, raising her hand as though she was in class. "I mean, I'd like to know why it happened…"

"I can answer that," Terminus said. She spared a glance at Tyr. "It was Tyr's erstwhile sister, Nana Hymir."

There was silence in the Crypt. Eyes went from the pale woman to Tyr, who was wide eyed and standing stock still. "Oh dear," Harmony muttered.

"What…" Tyr's voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "What… what happened? What did she do?"

"She had used her artifact to construct a machine capable of connecting to other worlds. She was using it to siphon mana from magical worlds to preserve her own."

Luna looked from Tyr to Terminus, and then back again. "Beloved…"

"What's the big deal with Tyr's sister?" Sunset asked, confused.

"We… left on a bad note with her," Celestia said softly, eyes never leaving Tyr's face. "She… what was wrong with her world?"

"You injected it with magic and then took it away," Jehu said with a shrug. "Plus, it was about time. I think I read about a nuclear holocaust that was supposed to crack the planet or something."

"She had to be stopped," Terminus said softly.

Tyr's face paled. Aleksa was at her son's side in an instant, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight. "Snowflake—!"

"What happened?" Tyr asked, softly.

Terminus stared at him in confusion for a long minute, obviously not understanding why everyone was looking at her strangely. "Er… I took it upon myself to order her to desist. She did not, and I had to dispatch someone to… kill her."

Tyr was silent for a long minute. Then, he let out a quiet, shaking sigh. "I… I guess if she wasn't willing to give in… Was it at least… quick?"

"…You don't know? I would have assumed Vanna had already told you. I sent him—or her, as it stands."

Another pregnant pause. Slowly, every eye turned to the dragoness, who had her mouth set in a hard crimson line, golden eyes fixed on Tyr. No one moved except for Terminus who was looking between the two friends with wide eyes. Then, Tyr's silver eyes narrowed sharply, like a blade slashing through the air. "…You killed my sister," He growled. Aurora and Sherry both blinked at the sudden hostility coming from their father, unconsciously drawing back.

Vanna didn't flinch, meeting Tyr's cold gaze with her own. "…I had to. Otherwise she would have destroyed this world and everyone in it. She would have killed you without batting an eye—!"

Suddenly, a cold wind tore through the Crypt, and Tyr was across the room, hands twisted into Vanna's shirt and smashing her into the wall. "You killed my sister and _didn't tell me_?"

Charlie stepped forward automatically, a blade of Dust an inch from Tyr's throat. "Let go of my mother, Uncle," She snarled, her own eyes glowing bright. "You're family, but he's much more important to me."

"As is my Master to me," Chrys hissed, suddenly appearing behind the younger dragoness. Her claws slid into place around Charlie's throat. "Attempt to harm him, and you will miss your head."

"You can't kill me like that," Charlie said, eyes never leaving Tyr. "My Dust will reform me."

"Then I'll simply keep tearing you apart. Surely you can feel pain."

"Both of you, drop it," Tyr said sharply, taking both women aback with his vehemence. "This is between me and Vanna."

"He's not going to hurt me," Vanna said knowingly, not breaking eye contact with Tyr. "Trust me, Char."

Chrysalis and Charlie stayed where they were for a long minute, before conceding and backing off. Tyr loosened his grip on Vanna, but didn't let her go completely. "…Why didn't you tell me?" He asked quietly.

"I knew you'd take it badly," Vanna shot back, scowling. "Blood or no, she was still your sister. What could I say? 'Oh hey dude, while you were off finding what's left of your blood relatives, I just killed the woman you grew up with. No hard feelings, right?' You really think I could do that?"

"But you still should have told me," Tyr replied. He let the dragoness go. "She's my sister. The only one I had left…"

Vanna gently touched her friend's shoulders. "…I know, man. I didn't even know it was her until I came face to face with her. For a madwoman slightly drunk on power, she turned out rather pretty."

Tyr smiled despite himself. "…Was it at least quick?"

"You know I'd never draw something like that out. She went peacefully."

"…I guess… I have to thank you. If it had been me, I don't think I would have been able to do it."

"You're too much of a big softy, Frosty." Vanna slowly but gently pulled her adoptive brother into a hug. "And you still got me, ya know. I'm not kicking the bucket any time soon."

"Thanks for that. I think."

Vanna grinned. "How do my boobs feel?"

"…You're awfully proud of them."

"Hey, I'm allowed to be—hey, did you just cop a feel!?"

Tyr laughed as his dragon best friend shoved him away playfully. "I thought I was allowed."

Vanna pouted, but giggled softly. "…Don't mope, okay? I hate seeing you mope."

"Seconded!" Pinkie said, leaping onto Tyr's back suddenly. "I love seeing you happy."

"I'm inclined to agree," Chrys murmured, moving to his side. "If not only for the usual reasons…"

One by one, Tyr's group of girls gathered about him. It was a rather tender moment, and even Jehu's normally manic smile softened. "OH!" Aleksa suddenly piped up, catching them all off guard.

"Jesus Christ, woman, you scared me," Jehu muttered, frowning at her. "What suddenly got to you?"

"I can't believe I forgot," The elder Elemental muttered. Then, she grinned at her confused son. "Snowflake, don't you remember? You haven't lost all your sisters!"

"You mean Vanna?" Pinkie asked, also confused.

Luna blinked, and then gasped. "Oh, that's right! Beloved, didn't your mother tell you? Your half-sister!"

Tyr frowned, and then his eyes snapped open. "Oh, that's right! Considering everything that was going on, I totally forgot…"

Aleksa nodded vigorously, before turning to Jehu. "Do you mind?"

Jehu grinned. "Not in the slightest. Get a good image in your mind so I've got a frame of reference."

"Who's coming?" Aleksa asked, turning to her son and his girls.

"I'm coming, almost certainly," Luna stated, taking Tyr's hand. She gave it a reassuring squeeze and kissed him. "Whatever you face, you'll not face it alone."

Tyr smiled back at her, before turning his attention to the other members of his herd. "Are all of you coming?"

Pinkie opened her mouth to respond, but Rarity caught her before she could. "Just you and Luna should go, darling. If you are going to meet your half-sister who you never actually met, it may be better to not overwhelm her too early."

"I agree," Sunset said, folding her arms as Pinkie (and Chrys) pouted. "Considering our… wide assortment of personalities, it's probably for the best."

Tyr chuckled and gently patted Pinkie's head. "Don't worry, Sunshine. I'll bring you to meet her another day. Okay?"

"You better," Pinkie mumbled, hugging him. "I wanna meet your sister!"

"I think I'll stay too," Sherry said. "I've… I've got a lot of work I need to get done…"

"So just the three of us?" Aleksa frowned. "…That's fine, I guess."

Jehu grinned, hands crackling with energy. "Well, keep a good idea of where you want to go in your head. I'd hate to miss. Oh, and do keep your mouths closed—Unless you're particularly interested in how your soul tastes."

–x–


End file.
